The city of Porvoo’s central kitchen solar power plant expanded
The city of Porvoo expanded its central kitchen solar power plant with a 60 kWp roof-mounted system, implemented by Finnwind Oy. The site already had an approximately 10 kWp wall-mounted plant installed by Finnwind in 2017. The new system was completed and ready for use in late 2025 before the snow arrived.
Mika Söderström, construction manager for the city of Porvoo, explains that the city has long invested in energy efficiency, alternative energy solutions, and the utilization of solar power.
“We have increased solar capacity at several sites. The central kitchen has a high base electricity load, so expanding solar energy capacity was a logical step,” Söderström says.
The expansion utilized the same inverter types as the original system.
“We wanted to keep consumption data and monitoring within a single cloud service. It makes maintenance and lifecycle management easier,” Söderström explains.
Installation before winter – roof maintenance considered
Before implementation, the load-bearing capacity of the roof structures was verified, and load calculations were completed prior to the tendering process. According to Söderström, project preparations progressed professionally: plans, safety documentation, and site arrangements were delivered comprehensively, and responsibilities were clearly defined. The project proceeded on schedule without significant change orders.
The panels were installed on a flat roof using concrete ballast mounting across two separate areas. The placement took into account the ventilation machinery room, roof access routes, and maintenance needs.
“It is important that roof access remains easy for servicing ventilation pipes, eaves, and other structures,” Söderström notes.
Documentation delivered on time – ready to generate for spring
The handover documentation was delivered on schedule, and only minor finishing remarks were made during inspection. The old and new systems were successfully integrated into the same monitoring platform.
The expansion was completed in winter, therefore comprehensive production data is not yet available. Sunny winter days at the beginning of the year have already generated electricity.
– It will be interesting to see what peak outputs the system reaches in spring and summer, Söderström says.
Söderström describes the cooperation as professional and based on mutual trust.
“Everything went as agreed, and the project caused no headaches. When there is trust on both sides, it is easy to work together,” Söderström says.