Technical expert ensures the functionality of buildings 

Housing, Kylä magazine, News, Soihtu Staff, Sustainability / 30.9.2025

Text: Anni Pajari | Pictures: Tiina Salminen, Tiitu Design 

Jari Pihlajasaari works as a technical expert at Soihtu, responsible for the maintenance of building systems and matters related to locks and keys. Having worked at Soihtu for 22 years, Jari explains that while the basics of building technology have remained the same, the job has required continuous learning. 

One of the biggest changes during his career has been the automation of building systems and the possibility of remote monitoring. Typically, Jari starts his workday by opening a control room view on his computer, which shows the real-time status of Soihtu’s building systems. The control room alerts if, for example, the temperature in a building is incorrect or the pressure in the piping is too low. The day’s tasks are often determined based on this morning inspection, as the causes of issues are investigated further. 

“This is definitely not assembly line work or just sitting at a desk. I enjoy visiting the buildings in person and physically working on things,” Jari says. 

Energy savings and smart solutions 

Jari particularly enjoys working on energy-saving projects. Successful savings initiatives benefit the tenants, as reducing operating costs also helps ease pressure on rent increases. One example is the energy renovation at Vehkakuja a couple of years ago, where a heat recovery system using exhaust air heat pump technology was installed in the Soihtu Vehkakuja buildings. 

“Although the pumps slightly increase electricity consumption, district heating consumption at Vehkakuja has decreased by 75 percent since their installation,” Jari explains. 

Energy-saving efforts are also guided by the Climate Resilience Roadmap, a document created in collaboration between the JYY board and employees and approved by the representative council. It directs JYY’s operations toward greater ecological sustainability and provides tools for actions aimed at reducing emissions from student union activities. Building systems play a significant role in this, as most housing-related emissions come from energy production and consumption; for example, heating residential buildings consumes energy. The roadmap specifies that apartment temperatures should be +21 degrees Celsius. 

Energy efficiency has also been improved by installing solar panels on the roofs of all buildings where it has been possible and reasonable. There are a total of 500 panels, with a combined surface area of about 1,000 square meters. 

“The panels produce electricity for the shared electrical connection of the property, so for example, electricity produced in the Student Village is used by all its buildings, meaning it doesn’t need to be sold externally,” Jari explains. 

Investments pay off 

Although tenants are regularly reminded to use water moderately in their daily lives, water consumption has been steadily increasing. The most effective way to save water appears to be consumption-based billing. Jari notes that this is clearly evident in Soihtu Korttelikylä, where all apartments have water meters and tenants are billed based on actual usage. 

“In other Soihtu properties, a tenant uses an average of about 110 liters of water per day, whereas in Korttelikylä, the figure is 80 liters per day.” 

For this reason, installing water meters in more buildings will be a relevant topic in the coming years. Jari’s work includes long-term planning for such projects, where large investments are carefully scheduled and budgeted. For example, water meters are known to save water and, consequently, money — but installing them in a building costs almost a hundred thousand euros. Therefore, the work must be spread over several years and done one building at a time.