Sustainable and responsible construction

A low-carbon building is sustainably designed and constructed from low-emission materials. It consumes as little energy as possible during its life cycle, and the energy it does consume is produced from renewable energy sources. The building is also easy to repair and adapt for new uses, and at the end of its life cycle, it can be easily dismantled so that the building materials can be reused as efficiently as possible.

Restrictions and controls on energy consumption have been in place for a long time, but the built environment still accounts for around 40% of all energy consumed in Finland.
Paying attention to the low-carbon nature of buildings during the design, construction and use phases will help to achieve the national goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. Regulatory control of low-carbon construction came into force at the beginning of 2025 through a new building law.

In Resource Wisdom research area, we study and develop new applications and operating methods for sustainable and responsible construction, and offer companies training and practical guidance materials to increase their expertise. Our resource wisdom expertise covers the following areas, among others:

• Calculating the carbon footprint of buildings and preparing climate reports
• Energy efficiency of buildings and energy and climate simulations
• Reuse and recycling of building materials
• Material-efficient construction
• Utilisation of recycled materials and material emissions
• Reducing emissions from construction sites
• Assessing the quality and safety of solar power system installations
• Fire safety in buildings from the perspective of solar power systems

Did you know that Satakunta University of Applied Sciences has been conducting research on low-carbon and energy-efficient construction for over ten years? For example, we have been involved in piloting the Ministry of the Environment's method for assessing the low-carbon status of buildings and calculating the carbon footprint of detached houses at the 2018 Pori Housing Fair.