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Sharp NEC Display Solutions client installation – Government

Oslo Urban Environment Agency

LED technology promises sustainable long-life performance

By investing in quality, long-lasting, energy-efficient equipment, and reusing or repurposing existing infrastructure, the Oslo Urban Environment Agency has prioritised sustainability whilst creating a modern workplace for its expanding workforce.

Responsible for the management of municipal urban spaces, the Urban Environment Agency’s goal is to make Oslo an ‘active, green, safe and beautiful city’, by developing and maintaining urban spaces such as roads, squares, parks and sports facilities, as well as forests, lakes, rivers and the islands in the Oslofjord area.

Caring for the natural environment is deeply rooted in the Norwegian culture and its government has set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing a low emissions society by 2050. Leading by example, the Urban Environment Agency in Oslo places sustainability at the forefront as it refurbishes its premises for a modern workforce.

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The Challenge

Reuse is a central principle

Since its establishment in 2010, the Agency has seen its workforce grow in number to approximately 1,000, with around 800 employees working from its premises at Karvesvingen in Oslo where it has been located since 2015. In need of renovation to cater for a greater number of staff and visitors and to enhance workflow efficiencies, the Agency turned to specialist AV integrator, Evercom AS, to assist.

Having equipped the building with NEC displays and projectors back in 2015, Evercom and Sharp/NEC are trusted by the Agency to provide excellent service and long-lasting products, a consideration which is central to its evolution. Having delivered 9 years of reliable service, an NEC videowall was to be replaced by an energy-efficient LED solution in the central foyer area.

“We are proud to be investing in a technology that will outlast the previous video wall solution which itself has performed far beyond its warrantied lifetime,” says Hans Jacob Horndalsveen, divisional director, service and administration at the Urban Environment Agency.

“Not only will we benefit from improved energy efficiency, but its durability will deliver another 10 years or more of reliable service.”

Elsewhere, newly configured flexible meeting spaces are equipped with legacy NEC C and V Series large format displays bought by the Agency between 2015 and 2019; re-used and still giving excellent performance. Reuse is a central principle throughout the Agency’s upgrade, even down to the furniture, which is either upcycled for their own use, sold, or made available to other departments within the city. Old equipment such as displays, projectors and screens are listed on an online portal whereby a preschool, for instance, can access and put into use devices that still have a few more years of useful life. “We expect very little to be thrown away,” confirms Hans, proudly.

The Solution

Sustainable long-life LED takes centre stage

In the central foyer, where visitors wait and employees meet or pass through, a 135-inch NEC LED E Series digital canvas presents content with uninterrupted visual excellence. Matching the size of the outgoing 3x3 LCD videowall, the new LED solution fits perfectly into the existing niche, a deliberately sustainable decision. With content driven by LoopSign from CMS partner Loop24, even a legacy OPS is reused to power content management on the new LED wall.

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As a Certified Sharp/NEC LED installer, Evercom’s installation engineers receive regular training in the expert handling of Sharp/NEC’s LED technology. Trond Dyrnes, channel sales manager for Sharp/NEC in the Nordic region explains the benefits of this:

“A quality product needs a quality fit, so by providing training and support to our trusted installation partners we can ensure our customers enjoy the best possible outcome.”

Jarle Berghammer, project manager at Evercom, confirms: “The wall is pre-calibrated from the factory and the software is easy to use to make the final adjustments. It’s very easy for us to implement, once the infrastructure is in place, the LED modules fit together perfectly. Not only is the Sharp/NEC LED product particularly well made, but it is also very power efficient.”

“Evercom will provide ongoing service and support to the Agency so the screen will continue to provide excellent performance over its promised long life of 100,000 hours at full brightness,” explains Trond.

“This is extended by reducing the brightness and powering down out of hours, and we offer replacement pixel cards from the same batch for a minimum of 10 years, adding up to an impressive ROI and remarkable sustainability.”

Legacy NEC displays reused in meeting spaces

A major requirement of the office regeneration was to improve efficiency and provide ample well equipped meeting rooms to match growing demand. It was identified that frustration associated with connectivity in the meeting room leads to inefficiency which can be a great time waster. The Oslo Agency was keen to keep things simple and looked to implement a ‘Bring Your Own Device’-friendly system using HDMI and USB-C connectivity in the new meeting spaces.


“There was no reason to replace the NEC displays already in use, even after many years of service they are still fit for purpose,” explains Trond.

“Because our technology is designed for modularity, we can upgrade their performance to match future demands extending their useful life even further.”

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The Result

A clear display of sustainability in action

The Urban Environment Agency understands the importance of communication and its visual presentation of itself to both external and internal stakeholders is paramount. With 100K followers on Facebook, it has the largest social media following in the Oslo municipality. Their informational videos regularly win awards for their transparency and inspirational content.

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With so many departments under its umbrella, the Agency’s new LED screen gives everyone a share of voice, promoting their activities to both visitors and other departments, proud of their achievements in safeguarding Oslo for current and future generations. Norway’s National Day is another source of content as the city’s communication department present informational films in advance of the event.

“Investing in quality, long-lasting, energy-efficient equipment has been key to the success of our office regeneration, and we are especially pleased to have been able to reuse or repurpose much of our existing equipment and infrastructure,” explains Hans.

“By thinking sustainably, we have not only stretched our budget, but we have also prevented unwanted materials from going to landfill. We are very proud of our achievement and our staff can take pleasure in coming to their place of work each day.”