Solar energy calculator helps households and housing companies decide for their solar systems
Solar energy is rapidly gaining ground in Finland. Photovoltaic (PV) systems are no longer limited to single-family homes, today they are increasingly installed in apartment buildings, housing companies, and commercial properties, with system sizes ranging from just a few to several hundred kilowatts. As adoption grows, so does the demand for clear, reliable and practical information.
Property owners, housing companies, and residents often ask similar questions: How much of our electricity consumption can solar energy cover? What will the system cost? And what is the expected return on investment?
Traditionally, these questions are answered by PV suppliers after customers request a quote. While effective, this approach can leave customers with limited insight into how system size, consumption patterns, and financial outcomes are determined.
No technical background needed
To address this challenge, researchers at Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) and the University of Turku (UTU) have been developing easy-to-use digital tools that lower the barrier to understanding PV system requiring no technical background.
Aurinkosähkölaskuri (Solar energy calculator) is a web-based application designed for single-family houses, apartment buildings, and housing companies alike. The app allows users evaluate their own PV system using only basic information about the building and a few simple inputs related to electricity consumption.
With just a few clicks, users can:
- Generate solar energy production and power estimations
- Apply their own consumption profiles
- Explore how different PV system sizes perform over time
This enables users to optimize the size of the PV system needed for a detached house, a multi-apartment building, or an entire housing company, long before engaging with installers or suppliers.
Supporting Finland’s carbon neutrality target
Increasing citizen engagement and awareness around solar energy is particularly relevant as Finland works toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. Achieving this target requires increasing renewable energy production within the existing building stock.
Housing consumes approximately 22 TWh of energy annually in Finland, and a large share of this comes from housing companies, of which there are around 90,000 nationwide [1]. These organizations play a critical role in the energy transition but often face challenges related to technical expertise, investment planning, and risk assessment.
By bridging the knowledge gap between customers and energy companies, projects like RealSolar and TEMU help housing companies better evaluate solar investments, accelerate decision-making, and confidently move toward renewable energy solutions.
As solar energy continues to expand across Finland, tools that empower citizens, building owners, and housing companies to understand and plan their own PV systems may be just as important as the technology itself.
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