LeaseGreen and Ouman make rented houses more energy efficient in Vuosaari, Helsinki

LeaseGreen and Ouman who specialize in developing energy efficiency realized a project in Helsinki’s Vuosaari, which will boost up the energy consumption of Helsinki’s rental apartment houses. Ouman’s Heat Guards are installed to five housing companies in the project which will cut down the district heating bill of the houses with approx. 250 000 euros during the life cycle of the investments.

The houses were built in 1999-2001. Their total volume is 80 000 m3 and heating costs are approximately 200 000 euros annually. The new HeatGuards are financed by LeaseGreen’s monthly payment model which will decrease the heating costs of the buildings already during the contract period.

City of Helsinki the pioneer of energy efficiency

”The city of Helsinki is the pioneer of energy efficiency ”, says the CEO of LeaseGreen, Mr Tomi Mäkipelto.
”Our cooperation model speeds up the energy saving projects: we get to realize even such projects to which the budgets of housing companies or cities are not sufficient. Here is a great opportunity for all Finnish municipalities. Energy efficiency opportunities should be investigated before you start laying off for example teachers.”

Finnish technology contributes to energy efficiency

The new HeatGuards of Vuosaari’s rental apartment houses are delivered by Finnish Ouman. Until now, the heating of the houses has been controlled only based on the outdoor temperature. HeatGuard senses the altering heat loads of the property and adjust the heating according to the needs. The technology is based on a patented pressure difference compensation method and optimization made in the heating system of the property.

”Traditional saving does not take into account any other heat loads then the outdoor temperatures, when there are great differences in apartment temperatures”, says Ouman’s Matti Nevala. ”The owners of warmer apartments have to air out the excessive heat through windows. There is no sense in it.”

Two million Finns live in housing companies whose living costs have increased faster than inflation in the 2000s due to the increase of energy prices and real estate maintenance. The reasonable energy saving potential of housing companies is 10-25% depending on the age of the buildings, but with houses built in the 60s70s it may be even 30-50 %.

Further information:
Leasegreen Suomi Oy, CEO
Tomi Mäkipelto, p.050 370 4092, tomi.makipelto@leasegreen.fi
www.leasegreen.fi