VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi

What VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi does

VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi is a Norwegian non-profit industry association representing approximately 226 member companies operating in the ventilation, refrigeration, and heat pump sectors. The organization is structured as a branch association (bransjeforening) under NHO Byggenæringen, itself part of NHO (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon), Norway's largest confederation of employers. Membership ranges from sole proprietorships to large corporations, and the association is led by managing director Thor Lexow, with a small administrative team of 1–10 employees based at Middelthuns gate 27 in Oslo.

VKE's core offerings combine proprietary technology, publications, and advocacy. The primary digital product is VKE Integrator, a branch-specific internal control and HSE/KS management system developed in partnership with Håndverksdata and launched in 2021, covering routines and checklists for F-gas regulations, safe job analysis, working at heights, and hot work. The association publishes standardized commercial terms (FL-VA/VVS/KULDE), vocational training plans for ventilation and refrigeration technician apprenticeships, and guidelines on F-gases, indoor climate, energy, and HSE. It also produces semi-annual climate market reports in collaboration with Prognosesenteret AS. VKE holds board seats at AREA and the Eurovent Commission and leads two committees at Standard Norge, giving it direct influence over EU and Norwegian regulatory frameworks affecting its members.

VKE operates a subscription-based membership revenue model, with annual dues calculated by company size but not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led: companies enroll through NHO's centralized membership process and gain access to legal assistance, consulting, discounted courses, member events (annual conference and Indoor Climate Day), and political influence. VKE does not sell commercial software or services to non-members; its strategic value is concentrated in regulatory advocacy, standards leadership, and the provision of compliance tools and market intelligence to the Norwegian ventilation, refrigeration, and heat pump industry.

Name

VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi

Legal name

VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi

Website

https://vke.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VKE is a Norwegian non-profit industry association representing approximately 226 member companies in the ventilation, refrigeration, and heat pump sectors. Operating under NHO Byggenæringen, it delivers standards representation, training, regulatory advocacy, and the VKE Integrator compliance system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance, Risk & EHS Management (BPABAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Quality & Emissions Management (BPAHAJAI), Refrigerants & F-Gas Accounting and Verification (HFCs, Kigali/EU F-gas) (EUAHADAK)

Keywords

• Industry trade association
• Ventilation standards
• Refrigeration regulations
• Heat pump certification
• HSE compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: VKE generates revenue through membership contributions. Companies become members through NHO enrollment, with VKE being part of the NHO Byggenæringen national association. Membership provides access to legal assistance, consulting, discounted courses, economic benefits, events, and political influence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VKE is a Norwegian industry trade association (bransjeforening) that organizes and represents companies working with ventilation, refrigeration, and heat pump systems. The association is affiliated with NHO and operates under NHO Byggenæringen, providing its approximately 226 member companies with regulatory advocacy, legal assistance, consulting, discounted training, industry publications, market reports, and the proprietary VKE Integrator HSE/KS management system developed with Håndverksdata.

Product overview

VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi is a Norwegian industry trade association (bransjeforening) organized under NHO and NHO Byggenæringen, serving companies engaged in ventilation, refrigeration, and heat pump systems. It does not offer a commercial software product; its offerings consist of industry-specific services, publications, training resources, and a proprietary internal control system. The portfolio includes VKE Integrator (a branch-specific HSE/KS management system developed with Håndverksdata), the FL-VA/VVS/KULDE commercial terms, training plans for refrigeration and ventilation technician apprenticeships, VKE guidelines and recommendations covering F-gases, indoor climate, energy, HSE, and standards, Eurovent publications (including the AHU guidebook and air filter classification under EN ISO 16890), F-gas certification compendiums, a guide to NS-EN 378 refrigeration standards, and semi-annual climate market reports produced with Prognosesenteret AS. Members also access the Arbinn member portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VKE Medlemskap (VKE Membership)
• VKE Integrator
• FL-VA/VVS/KULDE 2023
• Opplæringsplan for kulde- og varmepumpeteknikk
• Opplæringsplan for ventilasjonsteknikkfaget
• Markedsrapporter for klimamarkedet (Climate Market Reports)
• VKE veiledninger og anbefalinger (Guidelines and Recommendations)
• Kompendium for sertifisering i F-gassforordningen
• Veiledning kuldestandarden (NS-EN 378)
• Årskonferanse og fagarrangementer (Annual Conference and Industry Events)

Quantifiable outcome

• Climate market of over 12 billion NOK represents the industry VKE represents

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Norsk VarmepumpeforeningminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025VKE collaborated with Norwegian Heat Pump Association and Norwegian Refrigeration Association to produce a position paper on the revision of EN 378 refrigeration standard to ensure safe transition to natural refrigerants.
• KiwaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023VKE has an agreement with Kiwa offering members 10% discount on courses and 5% discount on certification and technical control services. Kiwa is an approved technical control body for pressure equipment.
• NorconsultminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Norconsult developed a guidance document with checklists for risk assessment of low-GWP systems using natural refrigerants (propane, CO2, ammonia) in collaboration with NKF, NOVAP, and VKE.
• HåndverksdatacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021VKE partnered with Håndverksdata to develop VKE Integrator, a branch-specific internal control and HSE management system for member companies. This digital solution helps members manage compliance, routines, and checklists.
• Trainor Elsikkerhet ASminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021VKE entered a framework agreement with Trainor providing 20% discount on classroom courses, webinars, and e-learning for member companies. Trainor specializes in safety training for electrical work and explosive environments.
• NHO (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE is organized under NHO, Norway's largest employer organization. Through this affiliation, VKE members gain access to the full range of NHO services and benefits, and VKE participates in NHO's regional offices and national associations structure.
• NHO ByggenæringencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE is a branch association within NHO Byggenæringen (NHO Construction Industry), which is the largest interest organization for companies and employers in the Norwegian construction industry.
• AREA (European Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE holds a seat on the board of AREA, the European association for refrigeration contractors. Through this membership, VKE participates in European policy discussions affecting fluorinated gases regulations and contributes to industry standards development.
• Eurovent CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE holds a seat on the Eurovent Commission board. Eurovent develops guidelines and standards for ventilation and refrigeration products across Europe.
• Norsk Innemiljøorganisasjon (NIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE holds a board position in Norsk Innemiljøorganisasjon (Norwegian Indoor Climate Organization), collaborating on indoor air quality issues and hosting events like Indoor Climate Day.
• Prognosesenteret AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE collaborates with Prognosesenteret to produce market reports for the climate industry, published twice annually. These reports provide market intelligence and forecasts for member companies.
• Standard NorgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE leads two committees in Standard Norge: the committee for Building Heating and Cooling Systems and the committee for Ventilation and Indoor Climate. VKE also participates in committees for Building Energy Performance and Product Data Templates.
• Norsk Kjøleteknisk Forening (NKF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVKE collaborates with NKF on industry events and initiatives such as the Kulde- og Varmepumpegolfen (Refrigeration and Heat Pump Golf tournament) and joint position papers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Norsk Kjøleteknisk Forening (NKF): Norwegian Refrigeration Technical Association, focused on refrigeration engineering and technician interests. VKE explicitly co-hosts events and position papers with NKF, making it a close peer overlapping on refrigeration training, F-gas certification, and NS-EN 378 guidance.
• EPEE (European Partnership for Energy and the Environment): European industry association representing the HVAC/R, heat pump, and refrigeration sector in EU policy debates, including F-gas regulation. VKE has translated AREA/EPEE joint publications on refrigerant procurement. Comparable in advocacy focus and refrigerant policy work.
• AREA (European Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors): European trade association for refrigeration and air conditioning contractors; VKE holds a board seat here. Directly comparable in function (industry advocacy, F-gas policy, standards), serving the same upstream/downstream member profile but at pan-European level rather than Norway-only.
• European Heat Pump Association (EHPA): Pan-European heat pump market association providing market intelligence and policy advocacy. Direct peer covering the heat pump vertical VKE serves at Norwegian level, with comparable market reporting and policy engagement activities.
• Norsk Innemiljøorganisasjon (NIO): Norwegian Indoor Climate Organization, where VKE holds a board position and co-hosts Indoor Climate Day. Peer organization focused on indoor air quality, a closely adjacent topic to VKE's ventilation scope.
• Norsk Varmepumpeforening (Norwegian Heat Pump Association): Norwegian trade association for the heat pump industry; partnered with VKE on the EN 378 position paper on natural refrigerants. Direct peer covering one of VKE's three core verticals (heat pumps) with overlapping members.

Broad incumbents

• NHO Byggenæringen: Direct parent association under NHO serving the broader Norwegian construction industry. VKE operates as a branch under NHO Byggenæringen, making it the most direct upstream parent comparable in function but wider in vertical scope.
• ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers): Global society for HVAC/R professionals, producing widely adopted standards and certifications. A large, established peer in the same industry space with overlapping standards, training, and member-serve functions, though operating at global rather than national level.
• Norsk Industri (Federation of Norwegian Industries): Landsforening under NHO representing Norwegian manufacturing and process industries, including some HVAC/R manufacturers. Sibling NHO-level association covering a broader industrial base; comparable in employer-association function but wider scope than VKE's installer/contractor focus.
• Eurovent Association: European industry association for HVAC/R manufacturers, with VKE holding a board seat. Larger, pan-European counterpart focused on product standards (e.g., EN ISO 16890, AHU guidebook) rather than contractor advocacy; comparable in scope of activity but different member type.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vke.no
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vke---foreningen-for-ventilasjon-kulde-og-energi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VKE – Foreningen for ventilasjon, kulde og energi