Reducing Consumption with Solar Panels in Finland

We had a goal of saving 42%, but already in the first year, we exceeded the goal as the cost savings were 45%, says Petteri Heino, Country Director in Finland.

PNO Finland’s Solar Panel journey began in 2016. Not many thought of Solar Panels as an option for alternative energy production at that point. But in 2018, they were ready to install the solar panels and start producing energy. 

It made so much sense as we have a big depot that needs a lot of electricity and, therefore, we naturally saw it as a good investment. 

They made the necessary calculations and estimated a breakeven after eight years – but with the current prices, PNO Finland will probably reach breakeven sooner than estimated.

If you haven’t been to Finland, you might think that there are too many dark months and too little sunlight for the use of solar panels. But the Summer months in Finland are very light, and the sun is only gone for a couple of hours. All these hours of light in the Summer compensate for the extremely dark months in November, December and January. 

We’re selling the overproduced energy as a payout to others – so nothing is wasted. We’re producing more energy than what we’re using from time to time, and naturally, our own needs are less during the Summertime. 

In addition to installing the solar panels, we also changed all the lighting to LED, which is better for the workshops as the light is clearer and brighter. The LED is very stable, and that means less maintenance. 

You can read more about the story of PNO Finland here.