Scouts invest in energy efficiency

Young people want to take concrete action for the climate. This is an important reason why the Scouts of Finland not only talk about climate change, but also take responsibility for their actions.

“We have a lot of aware young people in Scouting. They ask what concrete things the scouting organisation is doing to reduce climate emissions. The energy renovation of the scout station is one of them,” says Panu Räsänen, CFO of the Finnish Scouts.

The renovation, which will start at the end of May, will change the heating system of the patrol station from district heating to geothermal heating. Four 325-metre-deep energy wells will be drilled in the courtyard of the functional building in Helsinki’s inner city, and the heat from these wells will keep the building warm. The urban area is criss-crossed by a variety of tunnels, tunnel reservations, sewers and heat pipes, which affect the location of the energy wells or even prevent them from being drilled. However, the site of the patrol station is well suited to geothermal energy.

At the same time, the building’s automation and ventilation will be modernised and a cooling system will be built that uses geothermal cooling. In addition to improving conditions, the cooling system will recharge geothermal wells for the winter, further improving the efficiency of geothermal heating.

The Scouts’ goal is to make the Scout station carbon neutral. The next step is to find out how to make camps and other events more carbon neutral.

“We have a project underway to look into this. For a few years now, we have been measuring energy consumption and, for example, hot water consumption at scout camps,” says Panu Räsänen.

“The aim is to design and implement our next big camp with the smallest possible carbon footprint. Around 15 000 participants are expected.”

The Patrol Station in Töölö is in heavy use. 25 000 scouts attend meetings there every year. In terms of attendance, the Partioasema is one of the most popular youth facilities in Helsinki and Finland. In addition, the Scout Station employs a total of 50-60 people. They are on the payroll of the Finnish Scouts and the Finnish and Swedish-speaking member organisations.

Scouts think about the impact of their activities a few steps beyond the usual. As part of the energy renovation of the patrol station, they looked into the possibility of installing their own solar panels on the roof of the building. However, there are so many high-rise buildings nearby that the yield from the panels would have been too low.

“In winter, the sun hardly shines on our roof here at all. That wouldn’t have been smart,” says Räsänen, CFO.

“That’s why we’re thinking about investing in a solar park or wind farm in the future. That way we could increase the capacity of green electricity instead of just buying it.”

The economic side should not be underestimated

Although the carbon footprint is more likely to hit the headlines than the euros, CFO Räsänen also considers the economic side of the energy renovation important. The renovation will cut the energy costs of the patrol station by almost half. The savings amount to more than €15 000 every year.

“It should not be underestimated that this investment makes sense from an economic point of view. The money saved on the energy bill can be used for other scouting activities.”

The Scouts acquired the 1930s funk house in 2007. The building has previously served as a primary school, a surveyor’s office and a church office. The premises are on four floors, three of which are above ground. The total floor area is 1250 square metres.

Panu Räsäsäse’s workplace is also at the Patrol Station. That’s why he expects that the renovation will not only save money, but that the cooling and modernisation of the ventilation system will make his work more comfortable and eliminate unnecessary draughts.

“I am very proud that the Partioasema will soon be carbon neutral. I can talk about it with my chin up wherever I go.”

Scouts challenge LeaseGreen

The energy renovation of the patrol station will be designed and implemented by the energy service company LeaseGreen. It was important for the Scouts that the work be carried out as a complete solution.

“LeaseGreen offered us a credible and good solution. During the discussions, new ideas also emerged and we got the package we wanted,” says Räsänen.

The Scouts challenged LeaseGreen’s experts to find out what emissions technology and, for example, geothermal heating systems emit during their entire life cycle.

“It was not easy. However, we were able to calculate with sufficient accuracy the carbon footprint of the complex planned for the Patrol Station,” says Thomas Luther, Managing Director of LeaseGreen.

“This kind of sparring is good for us and for the sector as a whole. Things evolve when customers want more. I’m really happy that we get to be part of making the Scouts’ headquarters carbon neutral.”

Further information

Panu Räsänen, CFO
Finnish Scouts
+358 50 305 5343
panu.rasanen@partio.fi

Thomas Luther, CEO
LeaseGreen
+358 40 534 4256
thomas.luther@leasegreen.com