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The Smart Energy Transition project of the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland, together with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and Business Finland held a Smart Energy Seminar at the School of Business on 26 April. The interesting and very topical theme of the event drew nearly 200 participants.

The Smart Energy Transition project coordinated by the Aalto University School of Business examines the kinds of business opportunities that are available through smart and clean energy solutions. The key issue that was considered was how Finland might benefit from massive global change in energy.

Presentations at the seminar and in the panel discussion reinforced the recommendation that was previously made in connection with the project that key solutions for ending the use of coal and fossil fuels include energy efficiency, heat pumps, biogas and other clean gas technologies, solar heat, seasonal storage of heat, demand flexibility, and low temperature networks.

'Open district heating and cooling networks are prerequisites for the utilisation of waste heat of data centres, businesses, and municipalities, for example', says School of Business Professor Armi Temmes, who heads the SET project.

'In our vision heat pumps are the key aspect of the district heating networks of the future. The electrification of heating is a key means of giving up the use of coal and other fossil fuels. In the future a growing proportion of heat can be produced with heat pumps. This is possible even in Finland's fluctuating weather conditions', she added.

Also speaking at the seminar were Kimmo Tiilikainen, Finland's Minister of Energy and the Environment, and Dolf Gielen, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Participants in the panel discussion included Professor Eva Heiskanen of the University of Helsinki, Harri Jaskari, the chair of the Parliamentary energy renovation group, Petteri Kuuva of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Sakari Oksanen Deputy Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Programme Manager Pia Salokoski at Business Finland and Maiju Westergren VP of Sustainability and Public Affairs at Helen Ltd. Moderating the panel was Karoliina Auvinen, Director of Stakeholder Relations at the SET project.

The discussion also continued at the Smart Energy Talks event, on 8 May, which was organised at the School of Business as part of the Aalto Festival.

Further information:

You can follow the discussion on Twitter under the hashtag #smartenergy