The energy becomes more climate-friendly in Finland by single families taking initiatives to try new energy sources. One family, living in an old farm on the island of Pargas in the Åbo archipelago, has reconstructed their old farm to the energy-efficiency household.

The water-borne heating system in the house has new pipes that go to restored heating elements in the rooms. The oil boiler has been replaced by a wood boiler with so-called reverse combustion. The boiler is equipped with a fan that presses the flue gases into a gas burner chamber where they are further oxidized to carbon dioxide.

On the roof, there are solar collectors and domestic solar panels. The solar collectors are connected to the water heating, while the solar cells are connected to the electrical outlets in the house.

The house is also equipped with an air heat-pump which, in optimal circumstances, gives five times more energy in the heat than it consumes in electricity.

The entire farm consumes about 14,000 kWh and 30–40 cubic meters of wood per year. In the future, part of the purchased electricity will be replaced by solar energy from its own panels. And the family hopes to use wind power as well.

Keywords: private household, energy-efficiency, water boiler, solar energy, wind power, heat-pump, Pargas, Finland