A rebuilt retirement home in Luleå and a newly produced retirement home in Boden. These are some of the property company Hemsö's latest investments in elderly care in Norrbotten, where they have clearly chosen a high-profile environmental and sustainability initiative.
Both the historic military town of Boden and the steel industry town of Luleå are located in Norrbotten, which, with its subarctic climate, gets significantly fewer hours of sunshine per year than in the southern parts of the country. But according to Geri Zyka, project manager at SBP, it may be to their advantage to some extent.
The statistics also indicate this to some extent. At the retirement home in Luleå alone, the facility has had an average production of almost 5 megawatts per month since production started in June this year (the article is written on September 15).
– It is a common misconception that solar cell systems are not effective far up north. The truth is that there are optimal conditions for solar cells in that climate - Solar panels always produce best when there is strong sun in low temperature. Therefore, it is a very well-considered investment by Hemsö, says Geri Zyka.
The collaboration is described as "perfect", but was not without challenges, even if it was not entirely unpredictable. In Boden, 242 panels were built on a 500 sqm roof surface - in the middle of winter. On the other hand, it gave memories for life for Geri Zyka.
– During a site visit, there was a real snowstorm, which meant that we had to postpone the work for a day for safety reasons. Then Hemsö's property manager showed us around Boden's fantastic winter landscape, where we drove around on icy country roads and I got a display of the military historical treasure that the city has to offer. It was really fun and also a receipt for our and Hemsö's fine relationship during the two installations.
