SATO Corporation, Press release 27 March 2025 at 10:00 am

Housing in Finland is undergoing a transition towards renewable energy sources and more energy-efficient solutions. In recent years, housing investment company SATO has taken determined steps to promote sustainable urban living and support the green transition of rental housing within its own properties. In 2024, the company invested approximately €1.8 million in locally produced renewable energy. This year, the substantial investments continue.

In 2020s, SATO has taken clear action to reduce carbon emissions from its properties. In 2022, emission-free energy accounted for 46% of all energy used by SATO. By 2024, the figure had risen to 73%. This achievement has been made possible through investments in local energy production and improvements in the energy efficiency of properties.

This year, SATO’s investments in locally produced renewable energy have continued. The company has made an investment decision to install solar power plants in 60 company-owned properties, which together house nearly 4,000 homes. The solar panels will be installed during 2025.

“At the end of last year, we had solar power plants in 53 residential buildings. This year, the number will double. The solar panels installed on the rooftops of our properties already produce around 800,000 kWh of renewable energy annually. That’s equivalent to the annual power consumption of roughly 400 apartments,” says Arto Aalto, EVP, Investments at SATO.

In addition to solar power systems, SATO is also investing in geothermal heating, which is already the main source of heat in 26 of the company’s properties, housing over 1,800 homes. By switching to geothermal heat, the company has succeeded in reducing the energy consumption of its properties by more than 7,000 MWh per year compared to traditional district heating.

“We are currently converting a property with 134 rental homes from district heating to geothermal heating, and we have made investment decisions for 13 other properties. These are currently in the planning and tendering phase. Through these investments, nearly 1,000 new SATOhomes will benefit from zero-emission heating energy,” Aalto continues.

Currently, around 5,500 SATO rental homes are located in buildings that utilise locally produced renewable energy for heating and for electricity, e.g. in the lighting and ventilation of shared spaces.

Carbon roadmap progressing ahead of schedule

SATO aims to be carbon neutral by the end of 2030 in terms of in-use energy consumption. The measures outlined in the company’s carbon roadmap, published in 2023, are progressing ahead of the original schedule.

In addition to investing in zero-emission energy, SATO also reduces its environmental impact through preventive property maintenance based on lifecycle principles. In every major renovation, SATO aims to improve the building’s energy efficiency by at least 30%. Efficient energy use saves costs, and it is also one of the most important means of mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Reducing water consumption is also a key part of SATO’s sustainability work. Over the past year, individual water meters were installed in around 4,000 SATO rental homes. According to a study by Motiva, water meters reduce average water consumption by approximately 8%. SATO residents can track their own water usage through the digital OmaSATO service.

Photo: In March, solar panels were installed on a SATO property on Rummunlyöjänkatu in Leppävaara, Espoo. Photo: Ville Toivonen

For more information, please contact:
Arto Aalto, Executive Vice President, Investments, tel. +358 201 344 392 firstname.lastname@sato.fi

For media inquiries, please contact:
Terhi Jokinen, Senior Communications Manager, tel. +358 201 344 307, firstname.lastname@sato.fi

SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 26,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.

SATO aims to provide an excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders.

SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs. In 2025, SATO celebrates its 85^th anniversary. www.sato.fi/en

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