SATO taking part in energy-saving efforts and ‘Down a degree’ campaign

SATO Corporation
Press release 13 October 2022 at 9.30

SATO, one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers, is taking part in the national ‘Down a degree’ campaign. SATO has been making long-term efforts to improve energy efficiency. Indoor temperatures of SATO homes have already been monitored and controlled with artificial intelligence for years

SATO is one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers: the company owns around 25,000 rental apartments that are home to around 50,000 people. As a major rental housing actor, SATO has the opportunity to have a significant impact on the energy consumption of properties by means of optimising heating, ventilation and hot water consumption in residential buildings.

The current energy crisis has resulted in even closer attention to apartment temperatures, as heating accounts for most of the energy consumption of homes. The aim is to keep the temperature of SATO homes at around 21 °C, which is a healthy and energy-efficient indoor temperature.

“We’re taking part in the energy-saving campaign, as it’s important to ensure a constant, sufficient supply of electricity and secure heat production for the coming heating season. Energy-saving measures are also needed to combat climate change and to increase the use of sustainable methods of energy production,” says Arto Aalto, VP for Investments at SATO.

The heating of around 21,000 SATO rental homes is monitored and controlled with artificial intelligence. Temperature and humidity sensors collect real-time data on indoor temperature and humidity, and the heating systems of the buildings are controlled using artificial intelligence. Regular measurement data and artificial intelligence have enabled an average decrease of around 7% in energy consumption.

“Artificial intelligence helps us to reduce heating energy peak power demand by around 15−20%. This kind of peak shaving plays a particularly important role in energy management,” Aalto continues.

Using multiple ways to improve property energy efficiency

The design of new SATO rental homes always caters for energy efficiency and sustainable building solutions that will last for decades to come. For new properties, SATO aims for energy class A, which is considerably higher than the level required by building regulations.

“We’ve already been working for a long time to improve energy efficiency, with actions taken by us including introducing remote monitoring and artificial intelligence control, upgrading building automation and control and district heating systems, and adjusting and balancing heating and ventilation systems so that our buildings operate correctly and as planned. Other solutions include the correct functioning of building ventilation and heating systems in different situations, indoor temperature control and maintenance of the recommended temperature in our homes during the heating season,” says Aalto.

“In renovations, our aim is to improve energy efficiency by around 30% compared to the pre-renovation level. We always look into the opportunity to introduce geothermal heat in every new construction and renovation project,” Aalto continues.

SATO homes also undergo regular maintenance rounds to check aspects such as the functioning of ventilation, the radiator system and temperature sensors and to perform other necessary small repairs to increase residential comfort. In addition, SATO House Experts monitor building conditions in their day-to-day work and respond immediately to any issues they detect.

“We’re currently planning visits to around 5,000 homes to ensure that the living conditions of the apartments are in proper order and that our residents won’t need to worry about any repair needs. The visits will also involve us providing residents with personal advice on topics such as ventilation and temperatures,” says Elina Vaurasalo, EVP for Housing Business at SATO.

Hot water consumption has a significant impact on property energy consumption and therefore also on the carbon footprint of housing. To reach the water-saving targets included in the SATO Sustainability Programme, SATO will implement a water-saving campaign and provide its residents with guidance on the sustainable use of water this year, too.

“We aim to be a forerunner in sustainable rental housing. In addition to our own energy-saving measures, we provide our residents with active guidance on how they can contribute towards energy-saving efforts in their everyday lives,” Vaurasalo concludes.

For media enquiries please contact:

SATO Corporation, Arto Aalto, Vice President, Investments, phone: +358 40 513 0702
arto.aalto@sato.fi

SATO Corporation, Elina Vaurasalo, Executive Vice President, Housing Business, phone: +358 40 131 4010 elina.vaurasalo@sato.fi

Down a degree is a nation-wide energy saving campaign. It encourages all Finns to save energy. The campaign is organized by Motiva, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, the Ministry of the Environment, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. https://www.astettaalemmas.fi/en/campaign_info_

SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 25,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.

SATO aims to provide an excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders. SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs.

In 2021, SATO Group’s net sales totalled EUR 298.3 million, operating profit EUR 304.5 million and profit before taxes EUR 259.4 million. The value of SATO’s investment properties is around EUR 5 billion. www.sato.fi