Digital Solutions for Energy Efficiency in Public Real Estate

3.12.2025 | Jussi Karmala

In urban climate action, increasing focus is being placed on low-carbon construction and reducing emissions from properties. New technologies and data sources are opening up opportunities for better property management and the promotion of energy efficiency.

The electrification of society is a key part of the green transition, aiming to combat climate change and reduce the significance of fossil fuels in the global energy system. The electrification of energy production also has major implications for urban climate action and the future management of properties.

Energy production is shifting from combustion plants to decentralized production using renewable energy sources. This significantly impacts not only the energy use of properties but also future construction. At the EU level and through national steering mechanisms, such as the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and the Building Act, there is a strong emphasis on low-carbon construction, life-cycle thinking, and new requirements for energy efficiency.

New technologies and digital solutions offer business opportunities in this energy transition. Future properties are required to have not only better energy efficiency but also the capacity for demand response. This requires new solutions and approaches that enable property managers to utilize available data, assess performance, and make informed decisions regarding the life cycle and energy use of buildings.

Based on the work of the EU-funded (ERDF) project ERKKI – Optimizing Energy Efficiency in Challenging Public Culture and Leisure Facilities we present three approaches to more efficient property management through new technologies.

1. Forecasting and Improved Efficiency via Energy Simulations and AI

Artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on property operations and management. An innovation competition previously organized by the ERKKI project highlighted several solutions that utilize AI and Machine Learning (ML) to improve and control energy efficiency.

Many solutions emphasized the ability to utilize various property data sources and external data to optimize ventilation and heating. Conversely, the competition also featured a solution where AI was used to automatically generate Building Information Models (BIM). This approach could replace manual modeling work, saving time and costs, particularly in renovation projects.

In the ERKKI pilot program, Granlund Oy is exploring the possibilities of AI for multi-objective optimization and comparative analysis. These analyses are based on energy certificates, consumption data, and information on existing building services. The pilot focuses on the Pirkkola swimming hall and the Ruskeasuo sports hall. The results will be evaluated as part of the city’s broader property portfolio to determine the suitability of AI solutions for different building types.

2. Digital Twins for Portfolio Management

While energy efficiency is often improved one building at a time, a key perspective emerging from the project’s co-creation is comparability and simultaneous management of multiple properties. The idea is that the prioritization and allocation of energy efficiency measures should be based on data from across the entire portfolio.

At its best, cost-effective portfolio management means that savings achieved from one investment can allow resources to be redirected to other sites. The project has highlighted a need for new ways to compare the energy performance of different buildings.The innovation competition produced proposals for digital twins of property portfolios.

One solution combined open data to allow users to compare groups of buildings and simulate the impact of efficiency measures across the portfolio. Another solution visualized properties on a map based on their energy certificates. As part of the piloting program, Energy Plus Engineering Oy is currently conducting energy analyses for four Helsinki sites: Katajanokka sports hall, Töölö sports hall, Pirkkola swimming hall, and the City Garden.

3. Diverse Data Sources for Efficient Operation and Maintenance

The fragmentation of data sources is a major challenge for knowledge-based management in real estate. Scattered data in different formats should be integrated into a single view to better understand and utilize it. Better data management helps optimize conditions and demand response, while also enabling the use of external data sources in property management.

The ERKKI workshops and innovation competition involved several companies providing tools for data integration and visualization. In the project’s third pilot, Wapice Oy is integrating data sources to support the heating optimization of the Töölö football fields. The pilot combines consumption data with weather observations and forecasts, and even tests new occupancy measurement based on camera-based image recognition.

Lessons and Concrete Savings from Piloting

The ongoing pilot program aims to not only increase the energy efficiency of the specific sites but also to gather lessons on the role of new technologies in developing public properties. The data produced will support future procurement of energy efficiency solutions.

The main goal of the ERKKI project is to improve the efficiency of challenging public properties, such as cultural and leisure sites. These include historical buildings with multi-layered technology and protection orders (heritage conservation). The project addresses the need for solutions in complex, historical, or specialized public facilities where traditional energy efficiency methods often fall short.

The ERKKI project is co-funded by the European Union (ERDF) and implemented in cooperation with Green Net Finland. The project promotes dialogue between public property owners and companies to ensure new solutions are scalable across different building types.

Additional information