Helen’s new service enables improved energy efficiency in properties throughout Finland

Helen is now offering a new, easy and low-cost energy-efficiency service that is available to all Finnish apartment blocks connected to district heating. In the nationwide Kiinteistövahti service, the customers get information about the indoor conditions of the property, i.e. the temperature and humidity of the apartments, with the aid of sensors. The housing company can use the measurement data for optimising the property’s heating system and enhancing pleasant indoor temperature conditions while reducing environmental impacts caused by heating. With the temperature optimisation, housing companies can save an average of 5% in energy costs. The humidity guard, on the other hand, helps to tackle possible damp problems at an early stage.

“Our objective in the development of district heat is to have energy efficiency services as widely available as possible. In the smart energy system of the future, housing companies play a significant role in the control of the energy system: they act as heat accumulators and balance the energy system while also gaining benefits from it themselves,” says Helen’s Director Marko Riipinen.

Helen has already previously launched an energy-efficiency project with the Helsinki City rental housing service Heka, utilising a similar IoT solution for improving energy efficiency in the heating of rental apartments and for optimising their temperature levels. The project includes about 50,000 dwellings and a total of more than 90,000 residents. The project has gained very positive results.

District heat and the utilisation of energy data are developed together with the customers

Helen is developing district heat, as well as the services related to the utilisation of energy data and the improvement of living conditions together with the customers. The development has involved several housing companies and housing managers and, on the national scale, major property owners in Finland. Customer feedback reinforces the described benefits of the services. Further development will focus on identifying the needs of different users even better than before in order to be able to implement energy efficiency as widely as possible.

In addition to the Kiinteistövahti service, district heat is also reformed through smart heat distribution centres: controlled smart heat exchangers are rapidly becoming more common, which further increases the opportunities to improve energy efficiency in housing companies. They also enable demand response in heating, optimisation of heat production and emissions reduction on a large scale.

District heating is Finland’s most popular heating form, and more than 90 per cent of properties in Helsinki are connected to district heating. More than 500,000 Helsinki residents and 2.8 million Finns live in apartment blocks heated with district heat.

More about Kiinteistövahti service

 Facts:

• In the nationwide Kiinteistövahti service, the customers get information about the indoor conditions of the property and the temperature and humidity of the apartments with the aid of sensors.
• With the service, housing companies can save an average of 5% in energy costs.
• The service already includes about 50,000 rented apartments of the City of Helsinki.
• The price of the service starts from 41 euros per month, which is less than 3% of the heating costs of an average property with district heating. The size of the housing company and scope of metering have an impact on the monthly fee.
• The Kiinteistövahti service works hand in hand with the smart heat distribution centre.