From manual processing to self-service
The core problem was information asymmetry. Helen Sähköverkko held the capacity data. Housing associations needed it to make decisions about charging infrastructure, solar installations, and heat pump conversions. Closing that gap required a tool that was accurate, accessible to non-technical users, and integrated with real backend data — not a generic calculator. We started with customer research. Interviews with housing association representatives and property managers before tool development revealed that the most urgent need was not just seeing capacity numbers, but being able to communicate what those numbers mean to a board. Board members need to understand what's possible, what it costs, and whether expansion is worth pursuing — before they commission a contractor. A tool that gave property managers that clarity would change how decisions get made upstream of Helen's involvement. The planning tool integrates into Oma Sähköverkko and draws on real peak consumption data from the previous year. Users see available capacity against actual historical usage. They can model three EV charging socket speeds and see immediately how many of each the connection supports. When a selection exceeds available capacity, the tool explains what expansion would involve and guides them toward next steps. The application is a single-page tool — fast, focused, and uncluttered.
Processing time per enquiry before the tool: 30 minutes to several days. After launch: customers get answers immediately, self-service. Helen Sähköverkko's customer service load on capacity enquiries reduced accordingly.
Better decisions for the whole grid
The capacity planning tool does something that customer-facing digital services rarely achieve: it improves outcomes for the grid operator as well as the customer. The mechanism is straightforward. When housing associations have accurate capacity data before they plan a project, they stop oversizing connections "just to be safe." Right-sized connections are less expensive for the association and free capacity on the grid for customers who actually need expansion. This matters at a systemic level. If Finland is heading toward 760,000 EVs by 2030, the grid has to absorb that load efficiently. Every oversized connection that gets installed unnecessarily is capacity that isn't available to someone else. The planning tool makes the data visible early enough in the decision process to prevent that waste. After launch, an unexpected secondary use emerged: infrastructure investors discovered that the capacity service provides consumption data usable for GRESB reporting — a global real estate sustainability benchmark. That was not a design objective. It reflects the value of making good data available in a clear format.
The tool enables customers to track consumption impact after a project completes, allowing ongoing behaviour optimisation. Accurate capacity planning can save customers thousands of euros in unnecessary infrastructure investment.
Next projects.
(2016-25©)
