The apartment block, consisting of rental apartments, is carbon neutral thanks to its energy solutions. The project was carried out by housing developer Suomen Keskuskodit in cooperation with the energy operator Geonova and a construction company. The property includes 81 rental apartments that have been financed with a government-supported short-term interest subsidy loan.
The block is energy efficiency class A, and its heating is based on a hybrid model: a smart system that switches between geothermal and district heating according to which option has the lower carbon footprint at any given time.
Solar power also plays a role. One of the buildings has a conventional solar power plant on its roof, and another has a shared-use space almost the size of the roof glazed with photovoltaic glass panels. They integrate solar cells into glass elements, making the space bright while producing electricity for the property.
“The solution allows the property's own electricity consumption to be covered almost entirely by locally produced renewable energy. If local production is not enough, we use carbon-free electricity provided by Helen," says Roope Tammi, managing director of Suomen Keskuskodit.
In addition to this, some of the piles on which the building was constructed also serve as geothermal heat collectors.
“Preliminary results showed that the piles, which were driven into marine infill, produce more heating energy than expected. That was a positive surprise," says Tammi.
Part of the Re-Thinking Urban Housing Programme
Launched in 2009, the Re-Thinking Urban Housing Programme is a City of Helsinki programme aimed at improving the quality of apartment building living. To this end, the programme provides developers with opportunities to try out new solutions and receive support from City specialists. For residents, the programme offers new housing alternatives and examples of how to improve the quality of apartment building living.
To date, more than 40 projects of different occupancy types have been carried out under the Re-Thinking Urban Housing Programme. The completed projects emphasise adaptability, community cohesion, affordability and low-carbon housing, among other things.
