This is how I did it: customer focus saves €100 000 in energy efficiency in a courthouse

Olli Aaltomaa tietää, että asiakaslähtöisyys ja luova ajattelu ovat avaimet menestykseen. Salmisaaren oikeustalon energiatehokkuusprojekti toi huomattavia kustannussäästöjä ja pienensi ympäristövaikutuksia – kaikki räätälöityjen ratkaisujen ja tiiviin yhteistyön ansiosta.

“Customers always know their own processes best. Our job is to listen to them carefully and ask the right questions. The courthouse project was successful because we thought carefully about how they would use the building.”

Cost-efficiency through an innovative approach

The courthouse was a complex object. Built in 1940 as a combination of Alko’s headquarters, factory and central warehouse, it was converted in 2004 into offices and courtrooms with its own special needs. The ventilation machines ran 24 hours a day as a precaution, as the building could be used in the evenings, for example for protracted court cases or special situations. The first solution ideas focused on adding sensors in each room, but after some reflection, Olli and his team came up with a different approach.

“If we had just put condition sensors in every courtroom and its ancillary facilities without thinking twice, the costs would have gone up significantly. In discussions with the client, we found that all three courtroom spaces – the preparation room, the courtroom and the separate room – always work together. Properly positioned, we could identify the rooms and the court session with a single sensor,” says Olli.

A “sniffing function” was created in the automation system, which spun the ventilation machine briefly outside of operating hours to detect if the premises were occupied. This saved significant costs and resources.

“The solution was born out of our persistence to question and challenge the initial assumptions. The end result was savings of over €100,000 in sensor installation costs and annual savings of over €150,000 in energy consumption.”

The customer behind the wheel – how to drive projects to the finish line

Olli stresses that each project requires a personal approach. He says the courthouse project is a good example of how listening and working with the client can achieve significant results. “Often, clients cannot tell us all their needs themselves unless they are guided by asking the right questions. That’s why we spend a lot of time on site and explore the facilities together with the client. This way we can get to the details that will make the project a success,” he says.

In the case of the courthouse, customer cooperation was crucial. Regulating building automation required an understanding not only of the technical structure of the building, but also of how litigation and other activities affect the use of the premises.

AI is a good servant, a bad master

According to Olli, the energy efficiency sector is constantly evolving, but that does not mean that all challenges can be solved with new technology. He sees future solutions relying more and more on data analysis, automation and artificial intelligence, but they need to be accompanied by a strong human perspective. “AI and data mining bring opportunities, but AI is not a panacea for increasing energy efficiency. If we think things through well, we already have the tools today to achieve the lion’s share of potential savings. By using AI, we can create the final touch,” says Olli.