The oldest building of the Museum of Technology in Helsinki is a round hall from 1871. The other buildings are also very old and a water treatment plant operated on the premises for a long time, producing potable water for the residents of Helsinki. The Museum of Technology took over the premises in the early 1970s. Around 42,000 people visit the museum every year.
Solar power plant perfect for the roof of the Museum of Technology
“I started discussions about a solar power plant with the landlord, i.e. the City of Helsinki, in 2014,” says Museum Director Marjo Mikkola with a smile. “The purpose of the Museum of Technology is to showcase old and new technologies, and the City of Helsinki for one wants to promote the use of renewable energy, so it was a win-win situation. Because these are listed buildings, it takes more time than usual to drive things forward. There are so many things to consider,” says Mikkola. In addition, the roof renovation that had already been planned earlier had to be completed before the solar power plant could be installed.
Kerabit Aurinkokatto was chosen because of its aesthetics and new technology
Kerabit Aurinkokatto is a very light and aesthetically minimal solar roof, so it was considered a suitable match for the listed site. “We also wanted to try out new technology,” says Project Director Jukka Huikari and Energy Specialist Jarno Räisänen of the City of Helsinki. “Kerabit Aurinkokatto is very easy on the eye, and the orientation is not so critical when the thin panels are attached to the roof. The lightweight solution does not stress the roof,” Räisänen continues.
Electrical works are a key part of the solar power plant
“Playgreen Finland Oy carries out electrical engineering and installations for us, as they are experts in solar electricity,” says Jyrki Närhi, Regional Manager of KerabitPro Oy, which was responsible for the installation of the solar power plant. KerabitPro knows about roofs, but when it comes to electricity, we turn to professionals in the field. In addition, Electricity Expert Antti Kulmala of Granlund Oy has been involved in this project as the customer’s representative.
“I am extremely pleased, now that the plant has been completed and commissioned,” says Director Marjo Mikkola of the museum. “The basic functions of the museum include informing its visitors about technological developments, in this case changes in energy production. The museum aims to acquire a large display for its exhibition to showcase the operation of the power plant and the energy production volumes in real time. Hopefully, we will get it in August for our customers to enjoy.”
The Kerabit Aurinkokatto project, as well as the roof renovation in the previous year, was carried out by KerabitPro. For more KerabitPro references, visit https://kerabitpro.fi/referensseja/.
August 2020