Pilot Program Promotes Energy Efficiency in Public Leisure Buildings

The ERKKI (Energy Efficiency Optimisation in Challenging Public Cultural and Leisure Facilities) project launched a pilot program in spring 2025 to find solutions for improving the energy efficiency of challenging public properties, such as cultural centres and sports facilities.

The pilot program aims to test new technologies in practice, create operational models to achieve cost savings, improve energy management of properties, and support the City of Helsinki’s carbon neutrality goals.

A total of 22 proposals were received for the program’s Open Call for Tenders, and based on these, three companies were selected to implement the pilots during the upcoming autumn. The pilots will focus on promoting energy efficiency in historically valuable sports properties and a heated football field. The pilots also offer diverse approaches to improving energy efficiency, from simple analyses and staff engagement to AI-based analysis and predictive control.

Easy Solutions via Light Analysis, Expertise for Users via Deep Analysis – Energy Plus Engineering Ltd.

EplusE is a company specialising in building energy efficiency, founded on research from LUT University. Its purpose is to provide property owners with information on the profitability of energy efficiency measures.

In the ERKKI project, EplusE is piloting a new method for portfolio-level energy efficiency reviews and developing a service to engage a property’s operational staff. The pilot will produce light energy efficiency analyses focusing on administrative measures and technologically simple solutions, along with one deep analysis emphasising the role of operational staff in improving a site’s energy efficiency. The insights gained by the staff and the energy efficiency measures identified will continue to provide the client with energy cost and emissions savings, and comfort benefits even after the pilot is complete.

The pilot’s results will provide a better understanding of the benefits of portfolio analysis, thereby creating new business potential. The innovativeness of the pilot originates from engaging the operational staff and the goal of producing decision-relevant information with minimal data requirements from the client, ensuring the analysis results are accurate, transparent, and easy to understand.

Portfolio Management for Challenging Properties – Granlund Ltd.

Granlund Ltd. is a rapidly growing expert company in the real estate and construction sectors. Granlund’s pilot offers an innovative approach to multi-factor optimisation and comparative analysis of energy efficiency for challenging properties using artificial intelligence.

With AI Energy Mapping, the City of Helsinki can identify the most promising sites and energy-saving solutions, and effectively prioritise measures and locations. In addition to testing and recalibrating the AI approach, the pilot will also review the current state of building services technology at the sites, providing a good overview of the properties’ current energy efficiency status.

The goal is to improve energy efficiency, achieve cost savings, and promote sustainable development by reducing environmental impacts. With AI, optimising energy investments across large property portfolios is easier than ever. The ongoing pilot aims to develop a tool that better meets the specific characteristics of challenging properties, such as different protection regulations, diverse and variable use, and the fact that the sites contain technology from different decades.

Smart Heating Control for a Football Field – Wapice Ltd.

Wapice Ltd. is a Finnish technology company that develops software, IoT, and AI solutions for industrial digitalization and smart city needs. In Wapice’s pilot, the heating of the Töölö football field will be optimised predictively using weather forecasts, sensor data from the field, the booking calendar, and machine vision-based visitor count data.

The goal is to optimise and automate the heating so that, for example, an approaching snowfall or active use triggers predictive heating, while warm weather and an empty field prevent unnecessary energy consumption. The solution utilises a machine learning model that has been used previously in several predictive applications, such as visitor count forecasts. The aim is to reduce energy consumption and costs and provide a real-time overview of the field’s use. The new and innovative aspect is that separate data sources are combined into a single entity, which enables intelligent and predictive control.

Meet the Project Implementers in Lappeenranta in September

The project team and the companies involved in the pilot program will participate in the Future Energy Solutions event in Lappeenranta from September 9–10. The ERKKI project will be part of a workshop held on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 9th, where the companies will present their solutions and project experiences. The event is free of charge (though binding registration is required), so if you have room in your calendar, come to the event to hear about the project’s pilots and network with both Finnish and international actors.

The ERKKI (Energy Efficiency Optimization in Challenging Public Cultural and Leisure Properties) project is co-financed by the European Union (ERDF). The project is being carried out in cooperation with Green Net Finland.