Circularity in action, cutting 75% of embodied carbon
The first complete RE:3 assignment with only a 25% embodied carbon footprint compared to that of a traditional product exchange.
A full renovation was not considered sustainable enough
Throughout our long-term relationship with the property owner, Swegon has delivered regular service and maintenance in several of their buildings and provided guidance in a variety of indoor climate matters. During visits in 2025, we jointly recognised that existing air handling units (AHUs) in different buildings were getting older. They were no longer performing as expected, but starting a large renovation process was not really feasible. Occupancy rates were at a constant high and there was neither the time nor a sustainability rational to do a full renovation. What were the options?
RE:3 turned out to hold the solution
This led us to introduce our RE:3 concept that offers both time-efficient and sustainable measures. Together, we looked at the opportunities within RE:duce, RE:use and RE:vitalise. We considered new products with a reduced amount of carbon-intensive materials, reused products in a new installation and the benefits of our Refurb kit to upgrade existing products on-site.
It turned out that a mix of all of these was the best way forward. Some units were worn out and needed to be replaced, but others were in good shape and could operate for many more years, if they were refurbished and upgraded.
The first reused air handling unit
The property owner was particularly interested in RE:use and RE:vitalise, and decided to opt for a previously used, but now upgraded and quality assured GOLD RX 014 air handling unit, a reused product. This solution improved the indoor climate while allowing for only a minimal climate footprint – just 5% of that of a newly produced unit.
Follow the first reused GOLD unit from being returned to our factory in Kvänum, Sweden, to installation in the building in central Sweden. Hear our customer, Fredrik Hennström, CEO at Brion Teknik Fyrbodal, share the experience of addressing a property owner’s challenges in a new sustainable and time-efficient way.
We might be the first in the world to complete all RE:3 activities at the same timeFredrik Hennström, CEO at Brion Teknik Fyrbodal
A sustainable choice, not a re-sale
The key take-aways from the reuse-process in Kvänum is that this is not just a re-sale of a used product. The AHU enters the factory as a dated product, but leaves almost as if it was new, but with a much lower embodied carbon footprint.
In the factory, there is a quality assurance process as well as an upgrade of selected components that provide the unit with a significantly prolonged service life. The existing CE marking is kept and new warranties are given, the same as of a brand-new product. All these steps change the game from being a re-sale offer to a truly sustainable alternative. The embodied carbon footprint is reduced by 95%.
RE:duce and RE:vitalise
75% RECYCLED CONTENT RATIO
The activities within RE:duce focus on lessen the use of materials with a large embodied carbon footprint. This can be achieved by utilising renewable energy sources in manufacturing, designing products that require less resources to make and/or by increasing the amount of recycled or alternative materials. In our GOLD air handling units, we use steel with at least 75% scrap content ratio that has been processed using only electric arc furnaces operated with renewable energy.
10-20 EXTRA YEARS OF OPERATION
RE:vitalise focuses on extending products’ lifespan by making component updates and adding modern functionality on site. The difference between this and traditional spare part replacement or routine maintenance is the projected 10-20 extra years of operation. Our Swegon GOLD air handling units are renowned for their long service life, but some components will naturally wear out. Through easy replacement of key components and by the means of controls updates, the unit is given a continued service life, it is smarter than it was ever intended to be and its CE-marking remains.
More about RE:vitalise in our blog post
Refurb of older GOLD air handling units, completed with the units in place
In this case, several GOLD air handling units remained in their original installation locations. Instead, tailored refurb kits were used to upgrade control functionalities and replace worn components, including complete fan inserts with modern fans and EC motors. When finished, the units are not only smarter than originally intended, but they are also given a prolonged service life of 10–20 years.
Additional benefits include ease of use as well as time and cost savings. The modern interface of the units’ controls is easy to understand and features intuitive logic in its menus and navigation. It also supports future updates, cloud connectivity and access to digital services such as INSIDE.
In terms of time and cost, the refurb process requires a smaller investment than a complete replacement of the unit, and the upgrade can be completed in just a few days. Additionally, little to no remodeling work is needed inside the building once the refurbishment is finished.
More about our GOLD Refurb here
A truly unique project, and the reused GOLD unit enables us to cut embodied carbon by 75%.Caroline Jacobsson, Circularity Director at Swegon, on using all RE:3 activities to solve the customer’s challenge.
And the installation?
The installation of one reused GOLD air handling unit, two new ones with reduced amount of virgin steel and eight revitalised units was efficient and easy. The procedure of changing units is always a bit tight in terms of space and in addition, this project had a tight time-schedule as the access period in the buildings was limited and downtime was to be kept at a minimum.
After a few intensive days, the work was summarised as a success. Brion managed the tight time-schedule and the RE:3 measures supported the high sustainability ambitions set by the property owner. At Swegon, we were happy to demonstrate how products now take a reversed path through the factory, and still being as attractive as our new ones.
RE:3 – many alternatives towards sustainability
As Fredrik Hennström also mentions in the film, the set of RE:3 approaches provide a whole new pallet of alternatives in regard to older buildings and renovation projects. Not only is the refurbishment of units faster and less complex than a full replacement, but the fact that new products now carry a reduced embodied carbon footprint, thanks to the use of recycled steel, gives new opportunities to design solutions that meet both performance needs and sustainability targets.
In this case, the embodied carbon footprint of the RE:use, RE:duce and RE:vitalise activities summed up to about 25% of that of a full replacement of all air handling units (comparison with industry standard 2025). And, smarter air handling units tend to make a positive difference for the operational carbon emissions as well.
