Passive energy house Kivitasku, born in the product development process in Mäntyharju, takes energy from the ground and sun. Graphic white concrete is used in the facade. Later a TV series will show how cross-conuntry skier Aino-Kaisa Saarinen gets her own Kivitasku.
Suutarinen, the company which developed Kivitasku, is a traditional family business from Mäntyharju and was founded by Väinö Suutarinen. The roots of the company go back in time 60 years and the company’s first focus was timber transporting. Later on the company became known as Sora ja Betoni V. Suutarinen.
Nowadays, the company is lead in the second generation by managing director Timo Suutarinen and it has focused on earth and house construction as well as concrete industry.
Kivitasku saves energy
Suutarinen made a nationally interesting action on 2009 when the company built the Finland´s first one-family house equipped with passive energy solutions.
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“I remember when Timo Suutarinen gave me a call on 2005 and wondered if the energy effective construction had any future. He had thought of developing his own structural solution, which would include a compact wall- and ceiling structure, air bleed and environmental friendly energy systems”, recalls Tuija Mustonen, an architect from Mäntyharju who participated in the development work.
VTT has also been involved in the product development. They have tested the air leakage and has examined the amount as well as the distribution of energy consumption. In practice the Kivitasku uses only 10-15% of the heating power used by a house constructed with current standards. The air leakage of the building turned out to be extremely small, only 0,09/h, which means that the house leaks only that amount per hour from its air capacity while the low pressure of 50 Pascal is dominant. The result is clearly below the target value of 0,6/h set to passive houses.
“According to the measurements, our first passive energy house which was completed on 2009 is still the most compact in the world”, says Arto Ronkainen who has been the sales and marketing manager of the Kivitasku house collection since August 2010.
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The
Kivitasku collection has now been under development about five years,
and the selection consists of many different types of Kivitasku: one-,
one and a half- and two-storey houses. On winter the company starts to
build the first energy-saving terrace-house in Mäntyharju.
“Since the beginning it has been clear that we want to offer our
customers models which fit to different types of surroundings.
The Kivitasku which is build on the area of the vacation home fair in
Mäntyharju has a ground heat system from Oilon and solar power
collectors developed by Savo-Solar Oy. Manufacturing of those collectors
has started in Mikkeli this year. Kivitasku houses already fulfill the
energy effectiveness demands that will take effect next year.
“During summer the ground heat system can be used also for cooling and
solar cells will provide warm water to the house. The solar power
collectors in the house are the first ones from Savo-Solar. This house
is also the first co-operation project between Oilon and Savo-Solar”,
says Ronkainen.
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