Wideco & Ahlsell in extensive pilot project at Barnens Ö

With the aim of creating the best environment for the children at the camp

Self-sustaining water and electricity supply along with own sewage system are projects that require qualitative and reliable monitoring systems. At Barnens Ö in the Stockholm archipelago – where camp activities have been ongoing since the early 1900s – Ahlsell and Wideco saw potential to simplify monitoring of water, electricity, and heating functions on-site. Dan Wärja, responsible for the project from Wideco’s side, shares insights from the ongoing effort – and its future potential.

Barnens Ö consists of 650 hectares of land and over three miles of beaches on Granö, Lingslätö, and Salnö in the northern Stockholm archipelago. The island is often described as a sanctuary for children and youth amidst nature, where camp activities take place during the summer season. Today, there are over 400 houses on Barnens Ö, requiring a lot of maintenance – both during low and high seasons. Moreover, the fact that the island has its own water and electricity supply along with its sewage system makes monitoring extra important, something Barnens Ö has previously had to invest a lot of time and resources in. Here, Wideco and Ahlsell saw potential for streamlining and simplification – resulting in a large pilot project that is now in full swing.

“We had the first meeting with Barnens Ö last autumn after Ahlsell identified a need for our services with the customer. On January 19th, Per Bengtsson, who is responsible for properties on Barnens Ö, reached out and said they were ready to start testing. We were quick on the ball, and by February 6th, we were on the island installing everything,” recounts Dan Wärja, Account Manager at Wideco.

The project focuses on three main areas: monitoring of water reservoirs, refrigeration and freezer management, and temperature control in residential buildings and hot water heaters. Advanced sensors and monitoring systems can detect changes and risks, allowing potential problems to be addressed before they actually occur.

“It is of great importance to keep track of these things. An example is the drinking water reservoirs, as there have been occasions in the past where leaks have occurred, causing water to leak out. During the high season when there are 3000 people on site simultaneously, it quickly becomes problematic if the water systems do not function as they should. Being able to help ensure water supply and water intake on the island feels very important,” says Dan Wärja.

Already, the pilot project has shown significant benefits. Through the smart IoT platform WISION, a leakage that should not exist in the water system and water that had dropped in temperature were detected. Electricians and property caretakers were immediately called, and the situations were rectified without issue. The next step in the project is to be able to control temperature and maintenance via mobile, remotely. Previously, property caretakers had to be on-site for a whole two weeks before the season starts to turn on the hot water heaters, ensure heat, and other functions.

“By reducing the manual efforts so that property caretakers do not have to travel to the island during the low season, we can optimize resource utilization for Barnens Ö. This results in more money and resources to develop the actual activities, which aligns with the overall goal of creating a safe and rewarding environment for children and youth. It feels really good to be part of that journey,” concludes Dan Wärja.

The WiDetect system and the IoT platform WISION are designed to proactively monitor your systems around the clock – thereby optimizing operational reliability, ensuring network energy efficiency, and reducing the risk of costly floods, leaks, or damages. With more than 6000 installed systems in Europe and 15 years of experience in the field, we at Wideco have the expertise to give you total control and secure your investment.