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From Snowball to Avalanche in Energy Efficiency

Julkaistu 04.11.2015

Snowball will make a productivity leap in spreading and refining energy efficiency ideas. The first prototype will be introduced in December.

Snowball is one small action that can grow into a big avalanche and change the scenery dramatically. This snowball – the energy efficiency idea accelerator – speeds up the development of ideas by connecting the people who need energy efficiency to those who have deep knowledge of energy efficiency solutions.

Snowball is a unique platform to carry the best energy efficiency ideas from people to people into concrete research-to-business opportunities. Snowball helps to create new, better and more efficient technologies, solutions and business models for companies' and industries' energy use, and thus boosts the business profitability and growth. “Snowball will be the most efficient energy efficiency innovation management platform combining inside-out and outside-in sourcing of ideas with a mass movement”, says Janne Hietaniemi, CEO of Solved - The Cleantech Company.

“Energy is present in one way or another in every product and service that is produced in Finland. By making energy ‘do more with less’ a productivity leap, bigger or smaller, can be reached in every sector”, says Marja Englund, Manager of external R&D networks in Fortum.

“Companies, such as ABB, CLIC Innovation, Fortum, Motiva and Solved have databases full of data and ideas that will now be utilized to generate new innovative energy efficiency solutions and even more business for many companies ”, says Hille Hyytiä, Head of Unit of Motiva.

Energy efficiency challenges are often complex and require a broad range of specialized knowledge and expertise and iterative ’out-of-the-box’ thinking. “Snowball will be a widely shared online brand and a service, that will attract enthusiasts from organizations and homes to discuss and refine ideas”, says Tommy Jacobson, CEO of CLIC Innovation.

Snowball has been strongly backed by the community of energy efficiency professionals, companies and organizations from both private and public sectors. For example, the Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economy supports the development of Snowball.

“Doing together has been and is the Finnish way. Snowball can create a new meaning for this very Finnish approach. We are excited to see how human enthusiasm and digital tools are connected to produce smart solutions for energy use”, says Pentti Puhakka, Chief Councellor at Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

The background of Snowball lies in dialogue that has been ongoing among energy efficiency professionals and companies in Finland for more than six years. The first prototype of Snowball will be introduced in Motiva’s industrial energy efficiency annual seminar on December 9th, 2015. Be there to start the avalanche!

More information:

Marja Englund
Manager of external R&D networks
Fortum
marja.englund@fortum.com
+358 50 453 3811

Janne Hietaniemi
CEO
Solved - The Cleantech Company
janne.hietaniemi@solved.fi
+358 50 370 3573

Hille Hyytiä
Head of Unit
Motiva
hille.hyytia@motiva.fi
+358 40 724 4600

Tommy Jacobson
CEO
CLIC Innovation
tommy.jacobson@clicinnovation.fi
+358 40 828 2711

Pentti Puhakka
Chief Councellor
Ministry of Employment and the Economy (FI)
pentti.puhakka@tem.fi
+358 29 506 4813

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