Lappeenranta promotes energy efficiency measures as group procurement to achieve cheaper unit prices

By project MonitorEE

Published on 17 June 2025

Finland

About this good practice

The practice addresses the challenge of encouraging privately owned multi-apartment buildings to implement energy efficiency measures collectively, especially buildings of similar age and comparable renovation needs. Traditionally these measures are implemented individually by each building, often at the discretion of board members and building managers, which leads to inefficient and higher costs.

In Lappeenranta, with support from Interreg BSR RenoWave project, the energy advisory services of South Karelian region (=local one-stop-shop OSS) successfully piloted group procurement processes together with 13 apartment buildings.

Based on energy audit results, four common measures (powered roof extractors, heat exchanger renewal, exhaust air heat pumps, solar panel installation) were selected for more detailed planning phase. An external expert prepared technical calculations and gathered tenders from service providers. A comparative project plan was then presented demonstrating the cost-saving potential of group procurement over individual actions.

All experiences have been compiled into publication “Group Procurement Guide – A Guide for One-Stop-Shops”. The main stakeholders and beneficiaries are housing associations seeking to implement energy efficiency measures and OSS providers who advises them.

Resources needed

Energy audits: 9970 euros & Planning phase of group procurements: 34990 euros. Internal resources / working hours by energy advisory services provided by city of Lappeenranta for South Karelian region: 362,5 hours (362,50 h x 36 €/hour = 13050 euros)

Evidence of success

The solar panel installation proved most cost-effective measure with 9 % saving potential. Three pilot buildings decided to proceed with implementation. While the other measures showed 0-4 % savings, significant indirect benefits were reported – such as reduced workload of building manager and board members – highlighting the added value of group procurement over individual efforts.

Potential for learning or transfer

The published “Group Procurement Guide – A Guide for One-Stop-Shops” provides a comprehensive step-by-step manual based on pilot experiences including visuals and English-spoken videos to encourage implementation.

In Finland alone, 18 similar regions provide one-stop-shop services, making the transfer highly feasible. At the European level, many regions offer OSS-based energy advisory services, allowing the guide to be easily adapted and replicated. Key success factors include the practical format of the guide, availability of audit data, and the collaborative model tested during the pilot. This makes the practice highly relevant for other regions aiming to improve the uptake of energy efficiency measures through group procurement.