50 Years of groundbreaking products

Introducing the VGU 250: A Pioneer in energy-friendly solutions

Nilan’s journey began in 1974, when Jørgen Nielsen and Torben Andersen founded the company in Vejle. The name Nilan is a combination of their surnames. Both had previously worked at Hess Fabrikkerne – Torben Andersen as an engineer and Jørgen Nielsen as a sales representative. When Hess Fabrikkerne closed, Nilan was able to rent the factory buildings and purchase the enamel ovens that had been used, among other things, for enamelling bathtubs. This provided Nilan with premises for production and enamelling of tanks. However, production of the VGU 250 took place in different facilities, which had previously belonged to Hans Jessens Maskinbyggeri.

It was during the oil crisis of the 1970s that Nilan took its first steps, with the ambition to meet the new demands of the building sector. With oil prices soaring, oil-fired boilers had become an expensive heat source, and alternatives were urgently needed. Nilan initially focused on hot water tanks, but during the crisis Torben Andersen invented a method of reusing energy from exhaust air instead of venting it out of the building. This groundbreaking concept proved a huge success and laid the foundation for Nilan.

The VGU 250 quickly became popular in Denmark, with major prefab house companies such as Høm Huse becoming key customers. Interest in Sweden was also strong, and Nilan entered into an agreement with Elektro Standard, which acquired the licence to produce the VGU 250. They were able to scale up production significantly, resulting in an extraordinary output of more than 400,000 units within Nilan’s first decade. This impressive figure speaks to the product’s popularity and reliability. Production was running at full capacity in both Denmark and Sweden, with Torben Andersen living in Sweden between 1976 and 1978 while commuting back and forth between the two factories. After a few years, Jørgen Nielsen left the company.

A timeless solution

The VGU 250 is still sold today, although it has been updated and optimised several times to ensure it remains modern and energy-efficient. It is an extract air unit with active heat recovery, removing warm, humid air from kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms and recovering the energy to produce domestic hot water. It does this so efficiently that it uses only one third of the energy consumed by a traditional water heater.

The unit includes a 180-litre hot water tank and can be combined with a variety of energy sources such as solar panels, oil, gas, district heating, or other fuels. This flexibility allows for increased hot water production while minimising energy consumption.

The VGU 250 is known for its simple operation via a straightforward control system. The original design was based on hand-drawn sketches and wiring diagrams, and it was produced in red and brown shades to match the interior styles of the time. Today, the design has been updated in a modern white finish to fit seamlessly into any home.

Longevity and durability
It comes as no surprise that many VGU 250 units purchased in the 1970s are only now being replaced. This stands as a testament to the high quality and durability that have always characterised Nilan’s products.

More stories to come
We look forward to sharing more stories about Nilan’s innovative products over the years. We hope you will enjoy learning more about our journey and our commitment to creating a healthier indoor climate.