Senate Group’s Energy Saving Programme has delivered permanent results to enable rent reductions for government agencies

Last year, Senate Group’s Energy Saving Programme in government buildings exceeded its targets, and even greater savings were achieved than expected. The savings will now allow rent reductions for government agencies and institutions to be applied at the beginning of 2025.

The Energy Saving Programme was launched at a time when Finland was facing an energy crisis. Senate Group had been systematically improving energy efficiency for decades, but under the programme, new energy saving measures were rolled out to a fast schedule in around a thousand government buildings. Most of the savings came from adjustments to building technology and indoors. By the end of 2023, the programme had delivered heat and electricity savings of almost 100,000 MWh, equivalent to energy cost savings of around €12 million.

Senate will continue to promote responsible and economical energy use in the coming winter, and will also encourage users of government premises to take energy use into account in their own activities.

Permanent benefits and savings

The Energy Saving Programme developed and introduced new operating models to reduce energy consumption and developed the capability for demand-side management. The new practices now continue as part of Senate’s normal processes. Among other things, Senate’s energy audits have been deployed more extensively. These have the potential to improve the energy efficiency of various buildings, also in the longer term.

The Energy Saving Programme has delivered permanent results and savings, which will partly allow rent reductions for government agencies and institutions to implemented at the beginning of 2025.

“We aimed to achieve significant energy savings without compromising on the availability or comfort of the premises. This was quite successful. Office temperatures were lowered to 20.5C, which may have had a slight impact on comfort. On the other hand, we reduced emissions and achieved savings that really matter in this economic climate,” says Sanna Jääskeläinen, Energy Saving Programme Coordinator.

Senate Group will reduce the premises costs of government agencies and institutions by a total of around €40 million. The aim is to reduce the cost of premises, about half of which will be achieved by improving the efficiency of Senate’s operations and half through modification projects carried out together with agencies and institutions.

Senate Group comprises Senate Properties and its subsidiary enterprise Defence Properties Finland, which is responsible for Finnish Defence Administration premises. The Group is responsible for a total of almost 9,000 government buildings, which have a floor area of around 6 million square metres, of which Defence Administration properties maintained by Defence Properties Finland account for around 3 million square metres. The Group’s energy costs are around €100 million and account for around a fifth of the Group’s total costs.

More information about the Energy Saving Programme: testi-e2c55b704894.senaatti.fi/en/energy-saving-programme/