Work

Optimising solar energy communities in arctic micro-communities: addressing building azimuth challenges in Finnish Lapland

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive mandates solar photovoltaic installations on new buildings and requires buildings undergoing major renovation to meet their energy needs through significant renewable energy generation. Arctic micro-communities often face dispersed settlements, suboptimal building azimuths, and high heating demands. This paper examines the convergence of the mandate and challenges to determine whether cross-property energy community frameworks can overcome building azimuth constraints in Arctic regions, using three villages in Finnish Lapland: Sinettä, Vanttauskoski, and Vikajärvi. Using 3D building models created with SketchUp and Skelion, the solar energy generation potential was simulated using the NREL PVWatts and JRC PVGIS calculators. Economic viability was assessed through investment cost calculations, annual revenue projections, and payback period analysis. Two scenarios were compared: a traditional approach of installing solar on all roofs, versus a cross-property, energy-community-optimised approach focusing on installations on optimally oriented roofs with energy sharing. Results show that while Scenario (1) could generate nearly 1890 MWh annually, it incurs 8–12 % energy losses due to suboptimal azimuths, extending payback periods by 2–3 years; Scenario (2) achieves higher efficiency and improves economic viability with a lower payback period, despite lower total generation. The solar coverage of non-heating electricity ranges from 42 % to 60 %, but drops to 12–18 % when heating is included, emphasising the need for complementary heating solutions. This research concludes that cross-property energy community frameworks combining solar PV deployment with complementary heating solutions, supported by municipal “Champion” entities and solar-aware zoning for future developments, can effectively optimise Arctic solar deployment.

Source: Renewable energy focus

DOI: 10.1016/j.ref.2025.100798

Authors: Vinay Shekar, Antonio Calò, Eva Pongrácz

Institution: University of Oulu

Language: English

Topic: Photovoltaic Systems and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,790