Raksystems – Finland’s largest company in real estate condition evaluation starts using Arcada’s U-value meter

Published: 30.10.2017 / Research

Arcada’s U-value meter is designed to measure the U-value in buildings. The U-value describes how well a window, or some other part of the building, isolates against heat loss. The lower the U-value the better the isolation. Now that Raksystems starts using this new cost-effective measuring method they become the first company in real estate condition evaluation in Finland to offer these expert services.

Head of Department, PhD, docent Mikael Paronen at the Institution of Energy and Materials Technology has developed the service concept for the U-value meter. He’s now trained the first experts in this new measuring method so that the instrument can be put to practical use.

“The U-value meter opens for fast, cost-effective and building-specific measurements. Besides speeding up the analysis it also makes it possible to target the improvements of the isolation to the specific parts of a building that yields the best results,” says Paronen. “The result of the sanitation improves while this method also leads to cost savings for building owners.”

The meter also benefits the environment. According to the EU’s road map for resource efficiency the emissions of greenhouse gasses should be lowered with 90 percent during the next 33 years, compared to the levels of 1995.

”This demands that we decrease our energy consumption drastically. Housing and real estate contribute to more than a third of the emissions in Finland. Our patented U-value meter can play a crucial role in the efforts to reach the environmental targets,” Paronen says.

Raksystems is not the only actor showing an interest in the U-value meter and its service concept.

“This measuring instrument is the first of its kind in the world, and has gained a lot of attention. Not only here in Finland, but also internationally.”

An internationally acclaimed measuring instrument and service concept

In 2015 Arcada participated together with the University of Salford in an international competition for U-value measurements on the British market. The competition was arranged by The Building Research Establishment (BRE) in the UK. Arcada’s U-value meter won the competition.

You can also read Raksystem’s press release here (in Finnish).

Further information: Head of Department, PhD, docent Mikael Paronen, phone: +358 (0)41 443 2109, mikael.paronen@arcada.fi

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