An energy renovation has been carried out at the Vesi-Jatuli sports centre in Haukipudas, Oulu, including the installation of a solar power facility on the roof of the building. The renovation is part of a broader plan for sports facilities in the city of Oulu. The photovoltaic power system consists of total of more than 300 panels. The panels are expected to generate over 56 000 kWh of electricity per year. This corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of more than two houses with electric heating.
The panels are installed horizontally on the roof of the building in such a way that they are hardly separated at all from the outside of the roof. In future, however, there will be a visual display inside the building, allowing visitors to the sports centre to follow how the panels work and their energy output. The current panels will produce electricity for about 40 years. In other words, once the panels have paid for themselves after 13 years, they will continue to be productive for a long time. At the current energy price, this would mean that they generate EUR 230 000 of electricity over their lifetime. It therefore represents a long-term investment in the sustainable development of the city and an important step towards a carbon-neutral Oulu.
In addition to the installation of the photovoltaic power system on the Vesi-Jatuli building, a lighting refurbishment was carried out, the heat recovery system of two ventilation units was repaired and the fans in two ventilation units were replaced. Overall, the energy saving measures adopted will save about 85 MWh of electricity and some 150 MWh of heat every year. This represents an annual saving of approximately EUR 15 000 in energy costs for the city of Oulu.
