New solar power system built in Pasila

Helen will deliver a solar power system consisting of 101 solar panels to the Pasila office building of Otava. The output of the entire system is 28 kWp, which can meet 4% of the property’s annual electricity consumption. The system is currently being installed, and production will start in June.

- At this site, all of the renewable energy generated by the solar power system will be used by the property itself. That way, the property user will gain the optimal yield of the solar panels and see a substantial saving in the electricity bill, says Hanna Veräjänkorva of Helen Ltd.

Otavamedia’s Esterinportti premises house, e.g. the company’s customer services, the vehicle and AV laboratories of Tekniikan Maailma magazine, and the IT management department of the Otava Group. There is a branch of Handelsbanken bank at the street level of the building. The property is heated with district heat.

- Corporate responsibility is important to the Otava Group. We want to support domestic renewable energy sources, due to which we are adopting certified green electricity and investing in our own solar power plant. Solar power is the most practical renewable source of energy in an urban area as it is noise-free and we can make good use of the roof space, which is unsuitable for other uses, says Wilhelm Ehrnrooth of Otava Oy.

- We studied the roof surfaces of our offices in partnership with Helen’s experts and, based on the results, we chose Esterinportti as the first site for installing solar panels. We will also gather experiences of the functioning of the solar power systems. Based on these experiences, we may also plan solar power systems for other properties of the Group.

Solar electricity from a designated panel or own system

Helen offers two options for producing solar electricity: hiring a designated panel or having your own solar power system built according to your personal requirements and the property’s specifications. The size of a solar power system may vary from small installations for a detached home to entities of hundreds or thousands of panels.

Helen has two large solar power plants, which operate on the principle of designated panels: anyone can start producing solar electricity by hiring a designated panel for a monthly fee. The Suvilahti power plant, which is already in operation, has 1,194 solar panels, and the Kivikko plant under construction will have 3,000 solar panels.

Helen also utilises solar heat by collecting it into the district heating network with the district cooling system.

Facts:
• Property: Otava Group’s offices at Esterinportti 1, Pasila, Helsinki
• Size of solar power system 28 kWp, 101 panels in total
• Roof area over 200 square metres
• Installation schedule June 2015
• Estimated annual generation 4% of all electricity consumed by the property

Helen Ltd
Helen Ltd’s energy production has been awarded as the most efficient in the world. We have almost 400,000 customers throughout Finland, our district heat covers over 90% of Helsinki’s heating needs, and we are expanding energy-efficient district cooling in Helsinki. We develop increasingly eco-friendly and innovative solutions for the benefit of our customers. We aim to achieve 100% carbon neutrality in our energy production. We want to offer our customers the best city energy in the world.

Otava Group
The Otava Group is a leading communications company in Finland. The Group’s parent company is Otava Oy, and its Books business area consists of the companies Otava Publishing Company, Like Publishing Ltd, Moreeni Ltd, F-Publishing Ltd, and Otava Book Printing Ltd. The Magazines business area includes Otavamedia Ltd with its subsidiaries, of which Ühinenud Ajakirjad AS is based in Estonia. The Trade business area consists of Suomalainen Kirjakauppa Oy. The Group's new business operations include NettiX Oy and Ampparit Oy. In 2014, the Group’s net sales stood at EUR 296.0 million and it had approximately 1,100 employees.