Hakanmetsä | Helsinki

In Roihuvuor, the energy transition is tangible. At least six companies are currently in the process of switching from district heating to geothermal and four have already done so. Neighbours learn from each other’s experiences.

“Residents are already asking why we are not switching to geothermal heating. The decision was made unanimously at the Annual General Meeting in June 2022,” says Tapani Eisanen, Chairman of the Board of As Oy Hakanmetsän.

“We were the first large housing association in the area to carry out a plumbing renovation. Then others were learning from us, now we wanted to let the faster ones go first and lead the way. We have worked together to learn from each other’s lessons at regional level.”

The decision has been economically viable. As Oy Hakanmetsä is one of the first housing companies to benefit from a lower tax bracket for electricity used by large heat pumps of over 500 kW. The change in the tax bracket resulted in a significant reduction in the tax, from around 2.8 cents per kilowatt hour to just 0.08 cents.

During the energy renovation, the company replaced district heating with geothermal heating and exhaust air heat recovery, and the building was equipped with charging points for electric cars. As a separate project, the company will also purchase solar panels. In the energy renovation, which was jointly investigated and tendered by the building company and Pohdin Consulting, and designed and implemented by LeaseGreen, the heating energy required by the building company is replaced by heat from the ground and exhaust air. At the same time, the renovation will reduce the carbon footprint of heating by around 80%.

The first talk about geothermal heating and heat recovery from exhaust air was ten years ago, when As Oy Hakanmetsä started planning a pipe renovation.

“At the time, the general attitude was still somewhat dismissive, as Helen’s district heating was considered the right operating model, affordable and reliable,” says Tapani Eisanen from Hakanmetsa.

As Oy Hakanmetsä is a traditional housing company built in the 1950s in Roihuvuori, Helsinki. It has 284 apartments. Roihuvuori, one of the first suburbs in Helsinki, is a prestigious and popular district where residents have enjoyed their stay for generations.

The exceptionally close cooperation between the housing companies dates back to Roihuvuoren Lämpö, one of the oldest maintenance and management companies in Finland, jointly owned by the housing companies in the area. At one time, the houses in the area were heated by Roihuvuoren Lämmö’s district heating centre, but since then the area has switched to Helen’s district heating.

Contents of an energy renovation

• Geothermal heat
• Exhaust air heat recovery
• Charging points for electric cars
• Intelligent control and remote monitoring