Year 2011
Business Premises Join the Energy Efficiency Agreement System
The Finnish Energy Efficiency Agreement System,
which is very comprehensive even in global scale, will be complemented on 2
February 2011 with National Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Business
Premises. It is a tool for property owners with help of which they can contribute
to the achievement of national energy efficiency targets.
From the very beginning, 15 significant business premises owners have joined the scheme. The Action Plan was developed by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy; RAKLI - The Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients; and Motiva, in collaboration with several key stakeholders within the sector.
The Energy Efficiency Agreement System has direct links to the EU-level and the Energy Services Directive, which sets an energy savings target of 9 per cent for each Member State. Expressed in an amount of energy, Finland’s savings target is 17.8 TWh, and we have to be able to prove that this target has been reached by means of energy savings measures by 2016. In order to ensure achievement of the target, we wanted to create an agreement system which stakeholders can join on a voluntary basis, and with help of which Finland reports its achievements to the European Commission,” Senior Adviser Heikki Väisänen, MEE, points out.
A Joint Energy Savings Effort of Property Owners, Leaseholders and Property Management
When joining the Action Plan, a company presents energy consumption figures for the building stock it owns and the related savings targets during the term of agreement. In addition to the owner’s energy consumption, the Action Plan also observes the energy consumption of leaseholders, property management, and building maintenance as separate standpoints. Those joining the Action Plan are encouraged to introduce new technologies and practices, and each organisation joining in reports its achievements on an annual basis each spring.
“At Senate Properties, we are of the opinion that the forerunners of property business must be involved in the Energy Efficiency Action Plan from the very beginning. The Action Plan provides us with tools for steering both our own organisations and our partners towards more and more energy- and cost-efficient operations. By joining the Action Plan, we want to convey a message to our customers that we are working seriously for energy efficiency, and we always want to offer them better and better premises,” Director Juha Lemström from Senate Properties explains.
The MEE supports companies that join energy efficiency agreements, for example, by financing development projects, providing assistance for energy investments, and granting raised subsidies for small companies for energy audits. The system employed in Finland is the most comprehensive energy efficiency agreement system in the world. Separate agreements have been created for trade and industry, municipalities, traffic, farms, and real property.
On 2 February 2011 the following organisations joined the Action Plan: Aalto University Properties Ltd, Aberdeen European Balanced Property Fund, Aberdeen Property Funds SICAV-FIS Pan Nordic, Aberdeen Property Nordic Fund I SICAV, Citycon Oyj, EFM Suomi Oy, Shopping Centre H-talo, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Tapiola Real Estate Ltd, Nordea Life Assurance Finland Ltd, Construction Establishment of Defence Administration, Senate Properties, Sponda Plc, University Properties of Finland Ltd, and Technopolis Plc.
For further information, please contact:
Heikki Väisänen, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, tel. +358 400 511 616
Juha Tiuraniemi, Director, RAKLI - The Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients, tel. +358 40 506 9151
Juha Lemström, Director, Senate Properties, tel. +358 40 550 0847
Energy efficiency agreements are an important means for promoting energy efficiency in Finland. Activity based on agreements holds also a central role in the implementation of the EU Energy Services Directive concerning energy use outside the emissions trading scheme.
The energy efficiency agreements based on voluntary participation for various sectors remain valid until 2016, the plan presently covering trade and industry (industry, energy sector, and services), real property sector, municipalities, oil industry, freight and public transport, and agriculture.
Additional information can be found at:www.energiatehokkuussopimukset.fi
