YIT AND LAHTI PENSIONER HOUSING FUND BUILD THE ONNELANPOLKU SHELTERED HOME AS A NEARLY ZERO ENERGY BUILDING IN FINLAND – MAJOR SUPPORT FROM THE HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE OF FINLAND (ARA)

Helsinki, 2012-01-31 10:30 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
YIT CORPORATION INVESTOR NEWS 31 JANUARY 2012 AT 11:30

YIT AND LAHTI PENSIONER HOUSING FUND BUILD THE ONNELANPOLKU SHELTERED HOME AS A
NEARLY ZERO ENERGY BUILDING IN FINLAND – MAJOR SUPPORT FROM THE HOUSING FINANCE
AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE OF FINLAND (ARA)

YIT and the pensioner housing fund of Lahti (Lahden vanhusten asuntosäätiö)
have agreed on the construction of the sheltered home Onnelanpolku as a
zero-energy building. The housing and service building to be built in the
Paavola district of Lahti consists of approximately 230 apartments for the
elderly and parking spaces for 103 vehicles. YIT Construction Ltd and YIT
Kiinteistötekniikka Oy will carry out the sizable project as a turnkey
delivery. The total floor area of the project will be 16,335 m2. The value
YIT’s contract is nearly EUR 32 million, and the total value of the project
approximately EUR 36 million.

The agreement was signed in December 2011. Construction work has begun with a
demolition phase in January 2012, and the building will be completed at the end
of June 2014. The employment effect in the region will be significant, as
nearly 300 people will be employed by the project. The impact will also be felt
in the construction product industry and the service sector.

"The Onnelanpolku sheltered home not only has the modern objective of cutting
the energy consumption, but also has an advanced service concept. We aim at a
living environment where the elderly can continue to live their lives whatever
their physical condition – whether they are very active or have limited ability
to function. The house is thoroughly accessible and will have many services
that make it possible for the elderly to live in their own private home.
Services must be brought to the people, not the other way round," says Sanna
Mäkinen, the executive manager of the housing fund.

"Last year, Onnelanpolku was ARA's largest rental apartment development
project. By increasing the building rights and making the community structure
more compact at the centre of the city, we are able to offer sheltered and
rental housing at a reasonable level of rent, approximately EUR 12/m2.
Construction costs will also remain moderate. We have made a decision on a EUR
24,749,417 loan with interest subsidy and a EUR 11,610,678 investment grant for
the project," says director general Hannu Rossilahti of ARA.

Zero-energy concept aims to fulfill the 2022 energy efficiency requirements

The energy concept and practical arrangements of the Onnelanpolku sheltered
home emphasise the management of energy efficiency, energy-efficient design,
low energy consumption, use of renewable sources of energy and general
efficiency. Onnelanpolku is the first major sheltered home project in which a
significant share of energy comes from local renewable sources such as solar
heating and solar power, even through the house is also connected to the
district heating network. All energy solutions have been selected based on
careful models, simulations and testing.

"The target is an important large-scale demonstration of looking at energy
efficiency according to the stipulations of the 2012 energy regulation; the
energy efficiency level of the project is at a level close to zero-energy
construction that will be the rule in approximately 10 years," says senior lead
Jared Kurnitski from the Sitra Energy Programme, which provides funding for the
research carried out within the project.

At the tendering phase, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland assisted the
client as an expert on the subject. VTT prepared the energy efficiency
requirement for the invitation to tender and participated in the quality
assessment and scoring of the received tenders.

"The Onnelanpolku procurement process experimented with new ways of finding the
best suppliers for ambitious energy objectives. Even though price remained a
major factor, the final selection was made based on environmental and quality
considerations. The scoring system developed for the selection process revealed
the importance of looking at the solution in a holistic way. The ultimate costs
do not differ much from the costs of traditional sheltered home projects," says
customer manager Jyri Nieminen from VTT.

The future YIT Homes: nearly zero level of energy consumption

The zero energy concept is a result of YIT's development work, carried out
together with Suunnittelutieto-Team Oy and Wise Group Finland Oy. YIT aimed at
developing a concept for the construction of buildings at a nearly zero level
of energy consumption, compliant with the energy efficiency directive. The
concept would then be used in the construction of YIT Homes in Finland. The
concept pays special attention to the reliability of the solutions. All
solutions are tested as a part of the development work before the completion of
the building, ensuring the suitability of the solutions for housing projects.

"Onnelanpolku is the first housing project to apply several energy solutions
that have previously been restricted to office and business construction. As a
renewable energy source, the building approaching a zero energy level uses
solar energy which will cover approximately 20% of the total energy
consumption. Systems such as the ventilation fans will use solar energy. Floor
heating and the heating of service water will also use solar energy," says
regional director Jukka Pohjola from YIT.

Minimal consumption of electricity will be achieved through efficient
ventilation machines and pumps, LED lighting and the use of motion detectors
and daylight sensors for adjusting the lighting in common facilities.
Ventilation will be adjusted based on conditions and presence in the area, and
the apartments will have room-specific ventilation controls. The yard
defrosting system will use the returning water of the district heating system.
Onnelanpolku will be connected to a YIT control room, and careful monitoring
and measurements will ensure optimal energy efficiency.

Further information:
Jukka Pohjola, Regional Director, Building Construction, YIT Construction
Services Finland, tel. +358 400 216 618, jukka.pohjola@yit.fi
Ari Västinsalo, Project Development Manager, YIT Building Services, tel. +358
50 594 1643, ari.vastinsalo@yit.fi
Sanna Mäkinen, Executive Manager, Lahden vanhusten asuntosäätiö, tel. +358 400
543 828, sanna.makinen@lvas.fi


YIT CORPORATION


Virva Salmivaara
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications


YIT celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2012. The company was established in
the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1912. Today, YIT is a leading European service
company in building systems, construction services and services for industry.
Our 26,000 professionals serve customers in 14 countries - in the Nordic
countries, Central Europe, Russia and the Baltic countries. We have grown
together with our customers and developed our services in line with the changes
taking place in different societies. We intend to continue on that track. Our
vision is to lead the way in creating and maintaining good living environments.
In 2010, YIT's revenue was approximately EUR 3.8 billion. YIT's shares are
listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. www.yitgroup.com

Lahden vanhusten asuntosäätiö (LVAS) has produced rental and sheltered housing
and services in the Lahti region for the elderly and for people with special
needs since 1963. The fund offers housing for people from 55 years of age and
up and aims at promoting and supporting quality living of the elderly in their
own homes. www.lvas.fi