Metropolia's solar power app helps the Municipality of Vihti prepare for a new energy directive – and promotes the adoption of solar energy in Spain

With the application developed by Metropolia, Finnish municipalities can determine whether the roof of a given building is suitable for installing solar panels. Among others, the Municipality of Vihti has obtained data from the AURIapp application, as Metropolia has used the app to carry out solar panel surveys for the municipality.

Metropolia has provided the Municipality of Vihti with information on 14 buildings. These include, for example, schools, day-care centres, health centres and other municipal service buildings. Through the application, building-specific estimates have been produced for the electricity generation potential and economic feasibility of solar PV.

At the beginning of 2027, the European Union’s new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) will enter into force. It stipulates that municipalities must install solar-energy-based systems on certain buildings they own that exceed specified size thresholds. Janne Kilpiö, Energy and Climate Specialist for the Municipality of Vihti, says that tools such as the AURIapp application help the municipality to examine solar energy opportunities independently and to identify the sites where it makes sense to proceed to more detailed studies.

“Using the application supports proactive property development and prepares us for the more detailed energy efficiency and solar energy requirements that will follow from the national implementation of the EPBD Directive,” Kilpiö explains.

According to Kilpiö, the goal is to ensure that the potential of solar electricity can be taken into account in a well‑founded way in the development of the municipality’s properties. The information delivered by Metropolia includes, for example, the recommended capacity of the solar power plant, the number of panels, the estimated annual electricity yield, and the amounts of electricity used on-site versus sold to the grid.

Kilpiö points out that mapping energy consumption and renewable energy options is important both for the municipality’s finances and for its climate objectives. The Municipality of Vihti is currently preparing for the entry into force of the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and the test surveys carried out with the application are one concrete part of this preparation. Vihti is also drawing up an action plan under the Energy Efficiency Agreement for the Public Sector (Julkisen alan energiatehokkuussopimus, JETS).

Vamos Solar promotes the adoption of solar energy in Spain with the help of the application

Companies can also use the AURIapp application. Finnish company Vamos Solar has used the application’s data to assess a total of hundreds of local buildings in Spain.

Vamos Solar offers companies solar power plants as a service, along with monitoring and reporting on their performance, without any initial investment by the customer. The customer pays a fixed monthly fee for the service. With solar panels, local companies can save on their energy costs.

Erol Özdemir, CTO of Vamos Solar and a Metropolia graduate in Energy and Environmental Engineering, says that Vamos Solar uses the AURIapp application both to identify potential customer sites and to produce preliminary solar energy assessments for customers in Spain. The application is used to estimate what size power plant might fit on the roof and how much electricity it would generate.

“The strengths of the AURIapp application are its speed and agility. It helps us move quickly from the initial assessment to customer discussions and more detailed planning. Our entire team has found the application to be a clear and easy‑to‑use tool,” Özdemir says. He also worked as a project employee in the AURI2027 project in 2025.

On 3 December, an event will be held at Metropolia’s Myyrmäki Campus to support municipalities in assessing their need for solar panels in order to meet the requirements of the new legislative amendment. Municipalities will, for example, receive tips on cost‑effective technical solutions. The event is organised by the AURI2027 project.

Further information:

Teemu Meriläinen
Project Specialist, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, AURIapp
Teemu.Merilainen2 [at] metropolia.fi (Teemu[dot]Merilainen2[at]metropolia[dot]fi)