Climate impact assessment for a solar park project

Industrial-scale solar power production has both direct and indirect climate impacts, which must be assessed and considered already during the project’s planning phase.

“The project will be built on former peat production land, which are significant carbon stores, and land-use changes in the area may affect them. We wanted to design the project so that it has the smallest possible climate impact,” says Skarta’s Project Manager Suvi Kyllönen.

Etteplan’s experts carried out a comprehensive climate impact assessment based on the project’s implementation plan. The analysis covered greenhouse gas emissions from construction, materials, logistics, and land‑use change, and evaluated their contribution to the project’s overall climate footprint. In addition, several practical measures were identified to reduce emissions from the peatland area.

“The most challenging part was evaluating alternative after‑uses of peatland—such as rewetting—and comparing their climate impacts, as data for similar cases is still limited. Another challenge was estimating emissions for components sourced from different suppliers in Europe and globally. With thorough background research and a systematic approach, we were able to produce a reliable and transparent assessment,” says Etteplan’s Project Manager Artturi Kalliomäki.

As a result, Skarta received a comprehensive and high-quality report, which was submitted to building authorities as part of the building permit documentation. The report provides a clear picture of the project’s actual climate impacts and supports the development of sustainable energy production.

“Etteplan is a flexible and customer-oriented service provider. The climate impact assessment resulted in a precise and high-quality report that gave us a clear understanding of the project’s real climate impacts,” Kyllönen says.