RE:3 – a concept to RE:duce, RE:use and RE:vitalise

RE:3 is a Swegon concept, based on the key principles of circularity, which consists of RE:duce, RE:use and RE:vitalise. This unique approach is believed to contribute significantly to the industry and simplify for a wide audience to make conscious and long term decisions in regards to lowered embodied carbon levels in buildings. A RE:3 solution is an alternative to our conventional products, systems and services, an alternative which is reduced, reused or revitalised. We ensure a notably lower level of embodied carbon, built-in CO2, and let these solutions wear our RE:3 symbol.

Operational carbon and embodied carbon

At Swegon, we divide our sustainability work in social, environmental and economic aspects, often referred to as people, planet and profit. In this section we will discuss carbon dioxide (CO2), and the measures to minimise the emissions thereof, carbon dioxide is categorised as ‘planet’.

The focal point of our work, as for many other companies and governmental bodies, has so far been to find ways to reduce the operational carbon footprint – in our case minimising the energy used for ventilation, heating and cooling in buildings. However, we recognise a need and maturity to also address embodied carbon. Embodied carbon encompasses emissions from manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. All suppliers need to think differently going forward in order to reduce these emissions, and at Swegon we gather pioneering alternatives to the standard way of working in our RE:3 concept.

About people, planet, profit on our corporate site

RE:3 and circularity

RE:3 today builds on the fundamentals of circularity which can, in a simple but fair way, be described as the contrary to the use of materials in a linear way. Instead of taking, making and disposing, it means using materials in circular flows where the ultimate goal is to eliminate waste. Repair, upgrade and renovate, re-use, face-lift and design for disassembly are activities often used in the context of circular economy. We focus our RE:3 initiatives to RE:duce, RE:use and RE:vitalise which are defined below:

RE:duce – the use of materials containing substantial levels embodied carbon is to be reduced through the use of alternative constituents, or through a new design that is adapted to lower the embodied carbon.

RE:use – products are to be taken back, refurbished or upgraded and made available to the market once again.

RE:vitalise – products are to be updated on site which allows for an extended lifetime as well as modern functionality, however, this does not refer to traditional spare parts sales or general service and maintenance.

In connection to the above, we want to point out that providing maintenance and repairs is also cruical from a circularity perspective, and continues alongside the advancements under the RE:3 concept.

A framework for the concept

With embodied carbon not being traditionally prioritised within the building sector, the RE:3 concept might need some further explanation in regards to its purpose and limitation:

RE:3 is limited to embodied carbon
It is concentrated to products and the installation phase, excluding the operational phase which for instance involve energy efficiency.

Or simply - whenever a Swegon product is marked with the RE:3 symbol, it is a product which reduces the level of built-in CO2 in a building. However, the RE:3 symbol is not a certification, it is a marking to guide our customers among our offered products.

Further, when defining RE:3 the agility of the concept is important to mention. When the alternatives become standard, they will no longer wear the RE:3 symbol, but rather be the ordinary options from us at Swegon. Last but not least, we remain committed to circularity and continue to develop and promote circular practices alongside the advancements under the RE:3 concept.

RE:duce - we are on our way

This aspect of the RE:3 concept focuses on reducing the use of materials with high levels of embodied carbon. For example, this can be achieved by utilising renewable energy sources during manufacturing, designing products which require less resources to make and/or by increasing the amount of recycled materials.

Regardless of the specific measures taken, this focus is important for advancing sustainable practices within the building industry.

Learn more about RE:DUCE here

RE:use – what is our ambition?

When renovating or refurbishing a building, it is not uncommon that fully functioning equipment is scrapped, and replaced with brand new, just because requirements for the indoor climate have changed. Some building material, like bricks, windows or bathroom fixtures, may relatively easily be re-installed in another buildings. But what about more complex products, such as ventilation equipment?

At Swegon, we have initiated and joined a set of pilot projects which aim to establish solid paths for future reuse of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units and systems. We want to find a large-scale way of taking back existing equipment, and after clean-up, component upgrades and final quality checks, offer it to the market again. From a functional perspective the product will be on-par with a brand new, and the carbon footprint will be significantly reduced. An approach with clear advantages compared to using products second hand.

Here is more about RE:use

Not to reuse is a huge waste, but this change requires everyone to think differently - we are well on our way

Andreas Örje Wellstam, CEO Swegon Group

RE:vitalise – extends the product's life cycle

As the title reveals, RE:vitalise is when products get an extended lifespan. This is done by making component updates and adding modern functionality to the products. The difference between RE:vitalise and traditional spare part replacement or routine maintenance is the projected 10-20 extra years of operational time the revitalised products get.

Within the RE:3 framework, RE:vitalise stands out as the most effective way to reduce embodied carbon, This because all products remain in place, significantly fewer and smaller transports are needed and only necessary components are newly produced, not entire units.

RE:vitalise in practise

Update and digital renovation

To exemplify, while our Swegon GOLD air handling units are renowned for their long service life, some components will naturally be worn out. While the mechanical structure may hold-up for decades, advances in information technology means the software and digital interfaces may become dated more quickly. Through easy replacement of key components and by the means of software updates, the unit is given a continued service life and is actually smarter than it was initially intended to be.

On the same note, the controls of our Swegon WISE system for demand controlled ventilation can be updated, and with that, be compatible with a the latest WISE generation platform. This update retains most of the existing hardware in place while the system is considerably modernised.

Get familiar with our Swegon GOLD update

More about digital renovations of WISE systems

Explore further

Presented below is a set of related subjects to learn more

A collaboration to accelerate the circularity journey – in line with RE:3

In an initial 12-month project, key players in the building industry, including Combient Pure, Assa Abloy, Kone and Swegon, have joined forces with the real estate company Vasakronan to accelerate the development of circularity in technical building products. The group aims to identify practical tools and develop effective methods to reduce the level of embodied carbon in buildings by, among else, reuse of products such as elevators, automatic doors and ventilation units.

Maintenance and repairs for prolonged service life

As mentioned throughout – from a sustainability perspective, repairing an existing unit is often much preferred over installing new equipment and solutions. But that requires an available and knowledgeable service organisation as well as spare parts. Luckily Swegon has an outstanding network of skilled support personnel, ready to assist.

To our energy efficiency guide for reduced operational carbon footprint

Operational carbon is the total carbon footprint of all energy used to heat, cool, ventilate, light and power buildings. As HVAC – heating, ventilation and cooling – most likely makes up a considerable portion of the total, we have decided to compile a guide where we share our experts’ knowledge and offer various recommendations for how to come to grips with the energy consumption for heating, ventilation and cooling.

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