Although the first electric light bulbs were lit in Finland in the 1870s, it took almost 100 years before all the most remote cottages were connected to the grid.
The first experiment with electric light was carried out in Finland in 1877 at VR's machine shop in Helsinki. By 1882, the weaving mill at the Finlayson factory in Tampere was already so far advanced that it was permanently lit, but otherwise most of Finland was still without electricity. In the early 20th century, electricity was produced by local power stations, which could be apartment, block or business-specific. Before the Winter War, almost half of rural households were without electricity, but gradually the whole of Finland was electrified. Electricity gradually crept into Finnish homes, first the light, then the radio and finally the refrigerator. The fastest electrification in Finland was in the towns and cities around industrial sites, which were supplied with electricity from industrial power stations. It was not until the 1970s that electricity was brought to sparsely populated villages.
Today 23 January is the fifth edition of the Nordic Electricity Day. The aim of the day is to highlight electricity and its importance for well-being. In today's society, almost all systems run on electricity. In the future, a smart grid will enable more efficient use of energy and more decentralised electricity production. We will return to the local electricity generation of the past, but with modern systems, for example by harnessing solar energy in different ways. Consumers will be able to generate their own electricity, have more control over their own electricity consumption and even sell excess to the national grid. Electrification and smart appliances can increase security, save energy and make everyday life easier for older people.
The electrification of society is also an opportunity to slow down global warming. The government wants to make Finland the first carbon-neutral welfare state by 2035. Zero emission electricity generation will enable the carbon-neutral society that Finland is striving for, and is therefore an effective tool for slowing down climate change. Increasing the use of zero carbon electricity generation is an effective way to reduce overall emissions.
There is still much to learn about the rational use of energy. Consumers need impartial advice on everyday energy saving, new systems and services to control their electricity consumption, and the introduction of solar power and other small-scale generation, for example.
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