Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre and Finnish energy company Helen built one of the city’s largest solar power plants on the centre’s roof in 2019 and the venue has now acquired the plant from Helen. Management intends to increase the share of solar-generated electricity at the venue further in autumn 2027, when the centre’s future event space, Messukeskus Solar, is completed and the new rooftop solar power plant is taken into use.
“The acquisition made strategic sense for us. We can utilise all the electricity produced by the solar power plant ourselves. The best period, the summer months, is still ahead. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of yield we will get,” said Mika Vakkilainen, property director at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
A new solar power plant to be installed on the roof of the building will use so‑called mini‑inverter technology, meaning each panel will have its own inverter instead of one large central inverter.
“With the solar power plant of Messukeskus Solar, the share of self-produced solar electricity will reach 5–6% of the centre’s annual electricity consumption, which is a good level,” Vakkilainen said.
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre hosts nearly 450 events annually, attracting more than one million visitors each year.
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is a climate partner of the City of Helsinki and contributes to building a carbon‑neutral capital.
