The construction of the solar power plant next to the ISKU factory in Lahti, Finland started in the fall of 2021. The solar power plant with over 6,000 solar panels was inaugurated on October 3, 2022. In the future, a significant part of the electricity used by ISKU factory will be produced locally with solar electricity. The energy produced by the solar power plant corresponds to the energy consumption of ISKU’s production for about seven months.

 

The solar power plant is a significant investment on our way towards carbon neutrality

On a Finnish scale, the solar power plant next to the ISKU factory is one of the largest in Finland. A plant of this size has not yet been seen in the Päijät-Häme area. The solar power plant with more than 6,000 solar panels consists of three separate solar plants located on the ISKU factory site in Mukkula, Lahti. In months when solar electricity is produced in excess of its own electricity consumption, solar electricity is transferred to the virtual battery and is thus available later, when solar electricity production is lower.

“ISKU is a pioneer and forerunner in responsibility. For us, responsibility is taking actions. The solar power plant is a significant step on our way towards carbon neutrality, which we will achieve already in 2023. We can say that the furniture we manufacture, is made with solar energy,” says CEO of ISKU Arto Tiitinen.

The solar power plant is a significant investment in renewable energy. The power of ISKU’s solar power plant is approx. 2.8 MW and it is expected to produce clean renewable energy of approx. 2600 MWh annually. The electric energy produced by the solar power plant could, for example, drive an electric car approx. 324 times around the globe. A plant of this size reduces CO2 emissions by approx. 230 t, which corresponds to the annual emissions of approx. 116 passenger cars with a driving volume of 20 tkm/car.

“It has been great to be implementing one of Finland’s largest solar power plants for ISKU. The local production of solar electricity is a tangible climate act, and it’s also economically viable. The cooperation with ISKU has gone very well,” says CEO of Solarigo Antti Koskelainen.

solar energy part IB 1200x536

Taking concrete actions on energy efficiency

Over the past few years, ISKU’s energy efficiency has been systematically enhanced. The company uses 100 % renewable Greene energy at the Lahti factory, and all ISKU stores and showrooms all over Finland. This means using energy generated by wind, hydro or solar power. The Renewable Energy Certificate issued to ISKU proves that the company uses only 100 % renewable, origin-marked Greene electricity certified in accordance with the European Guarantee of Origin system. The origin of Greene electricity is registered and verified in Fingrid Oyj’s guarantee of origin system. Using 100 % renewable energy reduces ISKU’s CO2 emissions further by about 4,500 tonnes, which is the same as the annual emissions of 1,900 cars.

In addition to the new solar power plant and using Greene energy, ISKU has carried our several other major projects to improve the energy efficiency of its production and store network. The energy economy of ISKU’s headquarters in Lahti, Finland is based on a very efficient geothermal heat pump system, which handles both heating and cooling of the building. A solar panel system on the roof of the HQ provides electricity for cooling the building and charging electric vehicles. Energy efficiency in the company’s production has been improved through e.g renovation of the building automation system, modernisation of the ventilation units, and renewal of the dust removal system and lighting. In the production facilities 3,000 lamps have been changed into LED lamps. Since 2016 all of ISKU’s service vehicles in the Helsinki region have been powered by biogas.