As climate change and global uncertainties increase the risk of power outages, a new research initiative is set to redefine how Finnish buildings withstand energy crises. The REBUILD-Fin project brings together international expertise to ensure homes remain safe, healthy, and habitable, even when the lights go out.
Ensuring energy resilience in Finnish buildings
The REBUILD-Fin project, funded by the Research Council of Finland, is a research fellowship led by VTT. The project addresses the urgent need for energy-resilient apartment buildings in Finland. With extreme weather, political tensions, and economic instability on the rise, power outages risks are becoming more evident and can be frequent. This project aims to develop practical solutions that help buildings maintain essential functions and protect occupants’ well-being during such events.
Residents’ priorities during power outages
A recent survey conducted as part of the project asked 378 Finnish residents (as a pilot sample size) to rank their most critical needs during a power outage. The results are clear: heating is by far the top priority, followed by refrigeration, cooking, telecommunication, and lighting. Less essential needs, such as entertainment and electric vehicle charging, were ranked much lower.
The chart below illustrates the number of respondents who prioritized each service during an outage, link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116633
“This insight helps guide the project’s focus on solutions that matter most to people, ensuring that future buildings can keep residents safe and comfortable when it matters most,” says VTT’s Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator for the projects REBUILD-Fin and FinERB, Hassam Ur Rehman.
A human-centric, international approach
What sets REBUILD-Fin apart is its holistic, human-centric approach. The project aims to integrate technical, social, and economic perspectives to create a comprehensive framework for resilience. By combining social - technical assessments, and economic analysis, the team will define new guidelines for building performance during blackouts. The project plans to collaborate with leading research institutes: NTNU (Norway), Umeå University (Sweden), the National Laboratory of the Rockies (USA), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Labs, USA).
Key goals and societal impact
- Develop a new classification and certification system for building resilience.
- Provide tools for real-time assessment and improvement of building performance.
- Evaluate the health, economic, and psychological impacts of power outages on residents.
- Offer guidance for policymakers, building owners, and businesses to enhance preparedness and reduce risks.
Why it matters
Energy resilience is not just a technical challenge, it’s about protecting people. Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and families with young children, are most at risk during outages. By strengthening building resilience, the project aims to save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and support national preparedness. The outcomes will help shape future building regulations and support the transition to more sustainable, crisis-ready communities.
The project will run until August 2029, with findings expected to inform people-centric energy resilient building standards and practices across Finland and beyond.
For further information:
Hassam Ur Rehman
Senior Scientist
VTT
Tel. +358 40 621 5917
[email protected]
This research is part of the project “Addressing the Challenges of Achieving Energy Resilience in Buildings During Power Outages in Finland: A Human-Centric Approach Integrating Technical, Social and Economic Dimensions (REBUILD-Fin)”, 2025-2029, funded by the Research Council of Finland (funding decision number: 367935) (Link: https://research.fi/en/results/funding/83044)
