Finland's biggest solar power plant to be built in Helsinki

Finland's biggest solar power plant to be built in Helsinki

May 13, 2015  | Energy 

Finland's biggest solar power plant to be built in Helsinki
(Photo by: Helen)

Almost 3,000 solar panels will be built in the Helsinki district of Kivikko. These panels will fill an area of about one hectare on the roof of the Kivikko Ski Hall.

On completion, the Suvilahti solar power plant built by Helen in winter 2015 was the largest in Finland. The new Kivikko solar power plant will be more than twice the size of the Suvilahti plant. The Kivikko solar power plant will also be among the largest on the Nordic scale.

The output of the Kivikko solar power plant will exceed 800 kW while the output of the Suvilahti plant is 340 kW. Therefore, the total output of Helen’s solar power plants will be well over one megawatt. The annual production of the Kivikko solar power plant will reach almost 800 megawatt-hours. This corresponds to the annual consumption of almost 400 one-bedroom apartments.

The new solar power plant will be built on the roof of the Kivikko Ski Hall. The roof is well suited for solar power production: it is large and slightly sloped, and it is not overshadowed from any direction.  The Kivikko solar power plant will be completed for production use in autumn 2015.

- There is clear demand for solar power. With the designated panel concept, anyone can start producing solar power without a large initial investment. We will continue investing in solar energy according to demand. We have already started planning a third plant, and our customers will decide how quickly it will be built. The reservations and sales in Kivikko will have an impact on our next investment, tells Atte Kallio of Helen.

Helen to be Finland’s largest solar power producer

The Kivikko solar panels will be sold as designated panels at a monthly fee of EUR 4.40. The actual sale of designated panels will start later, but it is already possible to reserve your own designated panel online at helen.fi/aurinkovoimala.

The electricity generated by the customer’s designated panel will be deducted from the electricity bill, and therefore you need to have an electricity contract with Helen to acquire panels. The output of one panel is 285 watts.

Even one designated panel produces a significant amount of electricity: over 11 per cent of the annual consumption of a one-bedroom apartment, i.e. approximately 230 kWh per year.

Once the Kivikko solar power plant is completed, it will increase the total solar electricity capacity connected to Finland’s grid by as much as 20 per cent. The share of solar power purchased by the owners of Helen’s designated panels will also be about 30% of the solar power connected to the Finnish grid, and Helen will be Finland’s largest producer of solar electricity.

Facts:

• The new solar power plant will be located close to Ring I and the Lahti motorway in the Helsinki district of Kivikko, address Savikiekontie 4

• The building is the Kivikko Ski Hall owned by the City of Helsinki

• Estimated annual production almost 800 MWh

• Rated power output over 800 kWh

• Output of one panel 285 W

• After the investment, Helen’s solar power production will exceed 1 megawatts, which is about 30% of the solar power production connected to the Finnish grid

Via Helen
Image,video ©: Helen