On 17 November, EXCESS partners from VTT and the Prospex Institute invited urban planning, architecture and energy solutions experts and stakeholders, as well as Helsinki city representatives for an online workshop to discuss innovative solutions for the EXCESS demo site in Helsinki.

Participants were not only introduced to the EXCESS project and the concept of positive energy buildings (PEBs), but also to the EXCESS PEB apartment building project in Helsinki’s Kalasatama smart city quarter and the technological innovation and challenges associated with PEB solutions in a nordic climate.

Like previous co-innovation workshops by the project, partners invited local stakeholders to discuss new ideas and solutions, as well as to voice their insights and perspective on a wide array of challenges and opportunities related to the Finnish context. The points discussed included aspects related to the functionalities of PEBs, technology and planning and linked economic challenges and risks. The engagement of local stakeholders has an important role in the process of defining next steps for the development of the Finish demo site within EXCESS, improving awareness and understanding of the issues and opportunities related specifically to the local context and climate.

The Finnish workshop marked the last of the first round of co-innovation workshops, which kicked-off in March 2020 with a session at the EXCESS demonstration site in Hasselt, Belgium, continuing with workshops in Graz, Austria and Granada, Spain.

More information about the EXCESS demonstration site can be found here.