RENEWAL OF ENERGY SYSTEM

Jyväskylän Vesi ja Lämpö Oy provides a wide range of heating and sanitation services in Central Finland. The company serves both individual households and housing companies as well as private companies.

QMG subsidiary	Jyväskylän Vesi ja Lämpö Oy
Services	Heating and sanitation Technical services

HEAT PUMPS ADD ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS

Jyväskylän Vesi ja Lämpö Oy (JVL), member of QMG, provides a wide range of heating and sanitation services in Central Finland. JVL is a well-known plumbing and heating system provider that serves both individual households and housing companies as well as private companies. JVL has been operating in the Jyväskylä region since 2006.

JVL subcontracted an energy model renewal project for Alva Yhtiöt Oy by using heat pump technology to improve the energy efficiency of an old apartment building. JVL’s contribution to the project included the plumbing, electrical and installations services. In addition to the planning and implementation, JVL took care of the permits for each phase of the project.

– Alva contributed to the project mainly by being responsible for the supply of equipment. Therefore, in addition to further contracting work, we were able to deal with the permits with the local building authorities. This added to the attractiveness of the project, as did the shared contracting format with a large energy company, says JVL’s CEO Vesa Lehtomäki.

The project was a six-storey apartment building with three stairwells – built in the 1970s in the centre of Jyväskylä. The building has a total of 47 apartments. The project started with a thorough initial mapping conducted by JVL to identify the measures and practices required. A baseline measurement of the air volumes in the apartment building revealed problems with the ventilation in the building. Adjusting the air volumes to comply with the regulations had an impact on the final results of the energy savings calculations.

– There were some challenges because we had to bring robust equipment to rather small spaces. The biggest challenge was the cramped heating room, which we solved by converting the adjacent storage room to gain additional space, says Lehtomäki.

Comfort of residents always comes first

When contracting a residential building, special attention should be paid to acoustics and effective sound insulation. The object of renovation was a prefabricated house and the transmission of sounds in the structures was taken into account. The concrete slab beneath the heat pump was sawed away from the base of the building and insulated throughout with an elastic sealant. To prevent sound transmission, the fastening of frame pipes was very carefully designed.

An accurate baseline analysis helps to identify the potential of an old building and to develop an ideal solution that will improve the overall energy efficiency
Vesa Lehtomäki, CEO

A GST Hybrid Heat system was installed in the building. The system includes a variable-speed exhaust fan with a collector radiator as well as a heating unit with the necessary equipment. JVL was responsible for the installation and commissioning of the equipment.

– The heat pump technology enables to increase energy efficiency in the building. Previously, heat has escaped into the sky, and now it is recovered with the heat pump, says Lehtomäki.

The project was completed in six months in 2021. JVL has carried out numerous heat pump projects to upgrade the energy efficiency levels of old buildings to modern levels.

– An accurate baseline analysis helps to identify the potential of an old building and to develop an ideal solution that will improve the overall energy efficiency, Vesa Lehtomäki states.