The Helen Group joined Forum Virium Helsinki in September. We interviewed Perttu Lahtinen, head of the energy solutions unit, about Helen’s new membership in Forum Virium Helsinki.
What inspired Helen to join Forum Virium Helsinki?
-We had been a long-time satisfied partner in the Smart Kalasatama collaboration and in other projects of Forum Virium Helsinki, and it was the right time to deepen the cooperation.
One of Helen’s visions is to become a carbon neutral corporation with the help of new solutions. This requires us to introduce new services to our customers’ energy consumption and to make their energy consumption more efficient. We believe that such new services are not necessarily only energy-dependent, but the intelligence of the services also depends on their integration into a larger urban complex.
Forum Virium Helsinki’s way to proceed with agile experimentation in building a smarter city is a good match with Helen’s goals and visions.
In Kalasatama, we create timeless energy solutions that truly point the way for
other residential areas. We collaborate with various actors in Kalasatama, aiming at an internationally notable district that integrates the newest energy, information and communication technologies.
What ongoing projects does Helen have in Kalasatama?
We are currently testing a remote-controlled service for homes named HIMA. We are also testing solar energy production and electricity storage.
Residents of Kalasatama can operate their own solar panels, and the electricity produced by the panels is deducted from Helen customers’ electricity bills. We have built a solar power plant in Suvilahti right next to Kalasatama. At the time of completion, it was Finland’s largest solar power plant.
We already provide the HIMA service in the Fregatti and Fiskars buildings in Kalasatama. Using HIMA, the residents can monitor their homes’ water and electricity consumption in real time.
We study and develop ways to use stored electricity in Kalasatama. Our electricity storage facility in Suvilahti is the largest such unit in the Nordic countries and unique by international standards. Electricity storage supports the electricity grid during disruptions in electricity distribution, and it allows us to smooth out peaks in electricity demand.
What kind of new collaborations does Helen hope to create through its membership in Forum Virium Helsinki?
Helen’s main strategic goal is to achieve carbon-dioxide neutral energy production by 2050.
The achievement of this goal will require us to adopt new technologies and to develop new services for our customers. We hope that our membership in Forum Virium Helsinki will deepen our collaboration both with our urban customers and with our corporate partners in the implementation of smart urban lifestyles.
Facts about Helen Group:
We produce electricity, district heat and district cooling, and we sell and distribute energy. We seek to produce the world’s best city energy: Helen’s energy production has been awarded as the best in the world. We have nearly 400,000 customers all around Finland. Our district heating network meets more than 90 percent of Helsinki’s heating needs, and we continue to expand our energy-efficient district cooling network in Helsinki.
https://www.helen.fi/en/households/
Forum Virium Helsinki warmly welcomes Affecto as a member of the Forum Virum Helsinki community!