Presentation in Helsinki RENCOP meeting in January 2018 by Karoliina Auvinen, Aalto University

1. Community energy – what is it &
examples from Finland
Helsinki, Finland 30 January 2018
Aurinkosähkön yhteisöenergiaprojektien
edistämisryhmä (RENCOP)
Co2mmunity
Co-producing and co-financing
renewable community energy projects

2. Community Energy
Sources:
http://culturalbrilliance.com/cultural-brilliance/cultural-design/community-and-sub-culture-the-cultural-brilliance-pers
pective/ https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/07/31/workshop-on-renewable-energy-tomorrow/
Active participation of local communities by
co-financing, co-developing, and co-operating
renewable energy plants

3. Renewable Energies
Source:
http://www.greenenergy-info.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Ren
ewable-Energy.png

4. Community Energy
Sources:
http://culturalbrilliance.com/cultural-brilliance/cultural-design/community-and-sub-culture-the-cultural-brilliance-pers
pective/ https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/07/31/workshop-on-renewable-energy-tomorrow/
fosters sustainable energy distribution, like local smart grids or
local heating networks, and have high social acceptance due to
active communication, transparent decision-making, and
local benefit sharing.

5. Community energy: benefits and challenges
Sources:
http://culturalbrilliance.com/cultural-brilliance/cultural-design/community-and-sub-culture-the-cultural-brilliance-pers
pective/ https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/07/31/workshop-on-renewable-energy-tomorrow/
✓ Supply and demand meets locally
✓ Long investment horizons and lower
return expectations
✓ Higher social acceptance
✓ Potential to create regional added value
− Insufficient formalised business
models with civic engagement
− Lack of integrated knowledge and
know-how regarding legal, economic,
and/or technical aspects of renewable
energy and community energy

6. Source: https://www.boell.de/sites/default/files/uploads/2015/11/eu_multi_speed_europe.png

7. Renewable energy in Finland is concentrated
Source: https://edmhdotme.wordpress.com/european-renewable-energy-costs-and-performance-2014/

8. Some examples from Finland
Co2mmunity
Co-producing and co-financing
renewable community energy projects

9. Residential condominium solar PV system in Fredrikinkatu,
Helsinki, Finland. Photo: Janne Käpylehto

10. Source:
https://www.aamulehti.fi/kotimaa/ensimmaisena-suomessa-tamperelainen-kerrostalo-aikoo-myyda
-kaukolampoa-sahkolaitokselle-23940592/

11. Distribution grid
FinSolar project: testing IoE service in
residential condominiums
Challenge: Now every meter
calculates taxes & grid fees
Solution:
taxes & grid
fees calculated
at the grid
connection
point

12. 12
Source:
https://www.rakennuslehti.fi/2016/09/oulun-energia-pilotoi-aurinkosahkon-ylijaaman-hyvitysta-taloyhtion-osakkaille/

13. Residential condominium As. Oy
Haapalahdenkatu 11 in Helsinki testing
community energy internet service
Source:
http://www.finsolar.net/taloyhtion-asukkaat-helsingissa-kokeilevat-aurinkosahkoa-hyvityslaskenta
mallilla/

14. ● Residential condominium: 56 habitants, 24 apartments and 2 buildings
● Solar PV system: size 8,74 kWp, including 33 panels and 12,5, kWp inverter (with
option to add more panels).
System provider and year of installation: Green Energy Finland, 2017
● Warranties: system warranty 15 years, panel and >80% production warranty 25 years,
attachment and inverter warranty 10 years.
● System purchase price, turn-key delivery: 13 000 euros including 24% VAT. (Price
information is an avarage of 3 cheapest offers)
● Investment grants or subsidies: None
● Financing: The solar system was purchased as part of
the roof renovation loan
● Economical feasibility of the investment: net present
value NPV approx. 4000 euros and solar LCOE
production price 8,7 c/kWh with 30 y system lifetime
● Decision making: majority voting
Residential condominium Haapalahdenkatu 11:
economical and technical information
Source:
http://www.finsolar.net/case-taloyhtion-aurinkosahkoinvestointi-helsingin-pikku-huopalahdessa/

15. Solar PV & Finnish energy policy
• Solar self-consumption exempted from energy based grid fees and
electricity taxes up to 100 kVA system size or 800 MWh/year
production limit
• 25-40% investment grants available for municipalities and companies -
housing sector & state properties are excluded
• Single houses can get household tax deduction from solar system
installation work (approx. 5-10% from the whole investment price)
• Residential condominiums are excluded from all incentives!
• Government doesn’t have solar energy targets, strong focus in
bioenergy
• Next support scheme based on auctioning - solar PV is not likely to be
competitive with wind power
Karoliina Auvinen

16. Policy challenge: Solar PV in energy
communities
• FinSolar experiment project’s goal is to
unlock the solar PV market for the
residential condominiums: 2 million
people live in 80 000 apartment buildings
in Finland
• Current legislation doesn’t acknowledge
residential condominium microgrids
• Legislation involved:
• Electricity Market Act
• VAT Directive and Act
• Energy Tax Norm
• Limited Liability Housing Companies Act
• Measuring instrument Directive
Karoliina Auvinen
Picture: HSSR Oy

17. Karoliina Auvinen
Project Partner
Aalto University
karoliina.auvinen@aalto.fi
+358 50 462 4727
www.co2mmunity.eu
www.finsolar.net
co2mmunity
Thank you! Any questions?