Erkki Valkama is retired. The couple’s house was built by Erk himself and his son from prefabricated elements and completed about 20 years ago. In addition to the 175 living quarters, there is also a semi-heated garage that can be heated. The house is electrically heated and according to Erk, the annual electricity consumption is around 25 000 – 30 000 kWh. The idea of installing a photovoltaic system came from a contact from the Finnish Security Agency.
– As this is an electrically heated house, any heat wells and geothermal heating were out of the question. Then, when House Security contacted us in a suitable slot, we started to think about it,” Erkki recalls.
Clean energy from the sun
The decision to install the system was ultimately an easy one, even if Erkki was a little hesitant at first. They were interested in the clean energy produced by the solar power system and the reduction of electricity bills.
– It feels nice when the sun gives energy from the sky to something other than leather,” Erkki smiles.
– Originally, the system was to consist of 24 panels. But when the inverter was delivered and it had the capacity to handle a bit more, we ended up installing 33 solar panels on the roof to get the full power,” Erkki says.
Cleaning up after installation left a tidy trail
The installation took about two days. According to Erk, the installers from Taloturva arrived exactly on time as promised. It was decided to change the location of the inverter in the middle of the installation. The replacement went off without a hitch and the installers cleaned up properly.
– I have said that I have yet to meet an electrician who would clean up after himself. But now I did. The installers cleaned up all the rubbish and even vacuumed the place where the inverter was installed and where there was the most debris. They did a very clean job. So I have to retract my speech about electricians, Erkki laughs.
– I found dealing with the staff at Taloturva, both the installers and the security guards, very smooth and pleasant. The guys were terribly nice, we didn’t have the slightest hitch or hiccup. Nice old men, Erkki describes.
“I have nothing negative to say”
The couple had a positive experience of the whole experience. More detailed figures on the benefits of the solar power system will be available later, but Erk’s experience so far has been so good that he has the courage to recommend a similar system to others.
– Of course, one hopes that this will be reflected in electricity and transmission tariffs. On the other hand, it’s nice that the energy produced by the photovoltaic system is certainly clean and there are no harmful effects for children or grandchildren,” Erkki says.
– If a friend or acquaintance was considering installing a similar solar power system, I would have the courage to recommend House Security. I have nothing negative to say, Erkki concludes.
