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1.10.2019 | News

Kojamo reduces its carbon footprint with hydropower-certified electricity

Kojamo plcPress release 1 October 2019

Kojamo is developing more eco-friendly living already in approximately 700 residential properties across the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Finland’s other major growth centres. This year, all of Kojamo’s properties switched to Helen’s hydropower-certified electricity. In properties, electricity is used, among other things, in operating ventilation, lighting shared facilities and outdoor areas, heating saunas and heating cars on parking areas. In the near future, it will also be used for charging electric vehicles. 

The hydropower-certified electricity that Kojamo purchases for its properties is hydropower generated in the Nordic countries, mainly in Helen’s hydroelectric power plants. 

“Responsibility is integral to Kojamo’s operations and the housing of the future. In everyday life, responsibility consists of many small things. Hydropower certification is a good example of this. The certification ensures that the electricity we use in our properties is carbon-free and produced from renewable sources, considering the electricity production process in its entirety”, says Pasi Kujansuu, Director of Kojamo’s Property Services unit. 

“Helen’s goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in 2035, together with the customers. It is significant that companies and households increasingly make responsible choices in their energy consumption,” says Ritva Määttänen, Sales Manager at Helen.  

In addition to the hydropower certificate, certificates of origin can also be granted for other renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar power or bioenergy. For instance, Helen’s wind certificate guarantees that electricity is LEED-certified wind power produced in the Nordic countries or Northern Europe and their bio certificate guarantees that electricity is renewable energy produced locally in Helsinki, using pellets that are sawmill industry by-products as raw material. 

Kojamo has more than 35,000 Lumo rental apartments around Finland, housing approximately 50,000 residents. Living in a Lumo home is a more ecological housing option also from the resident’s point of view. 

“As the latest Lumo benefit, we offer, together with our partner Helen, the opportunity to purchase carbon-free electricity for your household needs at a lower price. Helen’s new Service Agreement for Household covers both an electricity contract and home insurance. This package includes 100% hydropower for your household and a comprehensive home insurance policy. For people living in apartment buildings, Helen also offers an apartment-specific contract on renewable district heating,” Kujansuu adds. 

According to Kujansuu, the maintenance of Kojamo’s properties could be compared to an orchestra where it must be ensured that the members play seamlessly together. In all everyday matters, residents are served by Kojamo’s own customer service, the property manager and the most visible partner: the maintenance company. Property maintenance and living comfort also require the contribution of numerous other experts from different fields.  

“Our maintenance partner network for a single property consists of more than 30 companies, from which we purchase many kinds of services. These services include, among other things, servicing the building’s ventilation or heating systems. In addition, the maintenance of elevators, locks and safety systems, for instance, must be carried out by specialists. Cooperation is guided and developed with the aid of quality control systems and regular client satisfaction measurements and inspections.” 

For more information, please contact 

Irene Kantor, Marketing and Communications Director, Kojamo plc, tel. +358 20 508 3589, irene.kantor@kojamo.fi 
Ritva Määttänen, Sales Manager, Helen Ltd, tel. +358 50 502 3915, ritva.maattanen@helen.fi 

Kojamo plc
Kojamo is Finland’s largest private residential real estate company and a frontrunner in the rental housing business. Our mission is to create better urban housing. We operate in Finland’s most significant growth centres and our Lumo brand provides rental housing and new services for urban housing with 50 years of experience. We actively develop the value and number of our investment properties by developing new properties and our existing property portfolio. We want to be the property market frontrunner and the number one choice for our customers. Kojamo’s shares are listed on the official list of Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. https://kojamo.fi/en/ 

Helen Ltd 

Helen Ltd makes everyday life easier for its nearly 500,000 customers around Finland. Already a century ago, we brought light to the residents of Helsinki. Heating, cooling and electricity are the cornerstones of our operations. Now, we are increasingly investing in regional and renewable energy, smart housing and electric mobility. We are developing a smarter and fully carbon-neutral energy system that enables everyone to produce, use and save energy in an environmentally friendly manner. Our goal is to achieve full carbon neutrality in our energy production by 2035. Let’s join forces and turn the possibilities of the new energy era into reality.