Akademiska Hus Annual Report

Stable financing despite turbulence and uncertainty on the credit marketFinancially, the second half of the year wasmarked by turbulence and credit uncertainty,emanating primarily from the American subprimeloan market. The risk premium forfinancing increased during the year. AkademiskaHus has, however, been able tomake issues under the short-term and longtermfinancing programmes without anymajor impact on price. Strengthened by thegood Akademiska Hus credit rating a longtermbond issue could be implemented inSwitzerland despite the turbulent times.Solar cell technology reduces emissionsTo support and keep pace with the development of alternative energy technologies,Akademiska Hus installed several solar cell facilities during the year, two ofwhich are the largest in Sweden. The investment is primarily an indication of hownew technology can complement existing construction and in doing so reduceemissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.Lindell’s muralin a new lightThe heart of the Umeå Campus, Lindellhallen,was rebuilt during the year tohighlight its position as one of the mostimportant creative meeting points onthe campus. Thousands of peoplepass each day on the way to the universitylibrary and lecture theatres in thebuilding. Particularly eye-catching isLage Lindell’s famous mural from 1972and from which the hall takes its name.Space and light have been created byraising the ceiling and exposing thebeautiful mural clearly through theglass facade. Raising the ceiling heighthas also provided space for a cafeteriawith a view over the campus and thediversity of meeting points for studyand relaxation.Two employees awardedthe Swedish Energy PrizeEnno Abel has received the Swedish EnergyPrize for 2007 for his work on energy-efficientinstallation technology. By installing newenergy-efficient technology in existing buildingsa considerable amount of energy can be savedand at the same time a good indoor climate canbe maintained. The Energy Prize was previouslyawarded to the Technical Director of AkademiskaHus Tomas Hallen. He received theprize in 2005 for his work on producing energyefficienttechnical solutions which, amongother things, led to property energy requirementsbeing reduced by four-fifths.Akademiska Hus Annual Report 2007 | Review of the year