Christonik ApS, with assistance from Innobooster, developed an IoT solution designed to monitor the HVAC systems in buses. This solution aims to enhance operational efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and improve passenger comfort.

Picture yourself sitting in a crowded city bus at rush hour on one of the hottest days of the year. Sweat drips from passengers, the air is thick and sticky, children are crying, and tensions are rising. This uncomfortable scene can be a reality when the HVAC system fails to work properly.

Christonik ApS creates an IoT solution for ongoing HVAC system monitoring

Christonik ApS specializes in maintaining, repairing, and updating air conditioning and HVAC systems, including those used in electric buses. Christonik ApS came up with the idea for a solution, that can identify and reveal flaws when the HVAC system is not operating at full capacity. Unfortunately, the company lacked the finances and resources necessary to carry out the project on its own.

Christonik ApS, therefore, applied for funds for an Innobooster project that is co-financed by Innovation Fund Denmark. The project entails creating an IoT solution that is integrated into the buses' HVAC systems. It enables continuous maintenance checks of the condition of the A/C systems.

According to Anders Jacob Madsen, development manager at Christonik ApS, "The HVAC system is a separate unit with limited monitoring capabilities, and there is very little information on its condition."

The environment and economy benefits of optimised maintenance

Typically, HVAC systems are inspected once a year, but if a problem arises shortly after the inspection, it may go unnoticed for a while.

The range of electric buses is significantly impacted by a malfunctioning HVAC system.

"Too much energy is being used to cool the bus down while the HVAC system is not operating at full capacity. In addition, the bus company faces penalties if a passenger complains about the heat, and the bus must be taken out of service and checked. Our solution helps prevent these issues.” Anders Jacob Madsen / Christonik ApS

The bus companies are obliged to maintain a temperature between 18-26°C. Christonik's IoT solution tracks the temperature of the HVAC system's pipes to gauge the system's pressure. The solution enables Christonik to remotely monitor temperature fluctuations across all buses. If a discrepancy is detected, the system automatically flags a potential fault.

"Issues such as clogged or leaky pipes can lead to refrigerant loss, which is costly to replace. Each bus may use up to 15 kg of refrigerant, and 1 kg of the most common refrigerant is equivalent to the carbon footprint of 1,774 kg of CO2, which can have a significant negative environmental impact" Anders Jacob Madsen explains.

The IoT solution is a cost-saving advantage for both for the bus companies and for Christonik ApS as a service company. It helps bus companies identify problems earlier and streamline their service processes.

"Knowing what the HVAC system's issue is in advance will help us prepare the necessary replacement parts from the outset. Additionally, since we can both trace the problem back to its source and fix it at the same service, the driver only needs to make one trip to the workshop" Anders Jacob Madsen explains.

Innoboosters' role in the IoT development project

Innobooster’s financial support helped Christonik ApS by covering initial costs and enabling the collaboration with FORCE Technology. FORCE also contributed expertise in data analysis, project conceptualization, and prototype development. Testing the IoT solution on buses will allow Christonik to evaluate its performance in real-world conditions, including system operation, environmental emissions, and early defect detection.

"As a smaller company, we didn’t have the financial means to fund such a development project. Thanks to Innobooster, we received the funding to kickstart the project, and once the board of directors saw the potential economic benefits, they became even more invested. This is a revolutionary and innovative solution for the sector," says Madsen.

“We believe this system holds great potential. Our goal is to expand internationally, establishing service operations in regions like Southern Europe, where the demand for effective HVAC systems on buses is especially high during the summer. We also see opportunities to sell our IoT solution to other service companies,” ends Madsen.

Air conditioning
Christonik have developed an IoT solution that can assess how electric buses air conditioning systems is performing.