3.6.2 OWN POWER PLANT OR ELECTRICITY
FROM A LOCAL PROVIDER?
Finnish domestic electricity production increased seven-fold between 1920 and 1938,
which was the fastest rate after the Soviet Union in interwar Europe. Although by
1936 Finland had surpassed such industrialised countries as France, Germany and the
UK in electricity production, the share of private consumption remained relatively
low, as the electrification rate of private households was slow. The institutions served
as models for households and housing architecture.The electrification in the country
centred around Southern Finland.^952
The Building Committee asked Aatto Edwin Suopanki^953 , the operation engineer
of Koskivoima corporation’s Turku substation, as an expert to evaluate the tenders
placed on the electricity installations.^954 Following the contract negotiations in June
1931, Keskusosuusliike Hankkija (Central Co-operative Hankkija) was selected as
the contractor, although its price quotation had not been the lowest.^955 Suopanki
was appointed the supervisor of the electrical installations.^956
The Building Committee embarked simultaneously on negotiations with the
power company Lounais-Suomen Sähkö (Southwestern Finland Electricity) on
supplying electricity for the sanatorium.^957 The Building Committee had decided
that the electricity supplied to the sanatorium would be measured by high-voltage
transmission. It attempted to negotiate a lower tariff from the electricity supplier and
although it managed to agree a lower electricity rate for the duration of construc-
tion,^958 agreement on the tariff was not reached. Next, the Committee considered
whether establishing a separate own power plant for the sanatorium would be a more
cost-effective solution than purchasing electricity from an external provider. Suopanki
explained to the Building Board the problem of meeting the power and electricity
needs of the sanatorium and presented the letters received from Keskusosuusliike
Hankkija and Lounais-Suomen Sähkö.^959
952 Myllyntaus 1991, pp. 79-98.
953 Aatto Edvin Suopanki was born in Kemi in 1900 and graduated as an engineer from the Finnish Industrial School
department of electrical engineering in 1924. Prior to the sanatorium project, he had made a study trip to Sweden,
and during the project also paid a visit to England and Scotland in 1932. He began his career in the sawmill indus-
try and from 1926 onwards worked as an inspection engineer, engineer and foreman on a number of sites for the
state-owned Koskivoima corporation. In 1929 he became the operating engineer for the Turku substation, where
he served until 1933. Suopanki lectured in electrical engineering at Turku Industrial School in the early 1930s.
Talvitie 1936, p. 270.
954 Building Committee May 30, 1931, Section 5. PSA.
955 Building Committee June 12, 1931, Section 1. PSA.
956 Building Committee July 4, 1931, Section 2. PSA.
957 Building Committee May 30, 1931, Section 5. PSA.
958 Lounais-Suomen Sähkö made an offer for a power and lighting tariff of FIM 600/kWh based on the average of
four highest peak periods of 30 minutes added with the consumption charge FIM 0.50/kWh measured on the
high-voltage side of the transformer. The Committee attempted to negotiate the consumption charge to FIM 0.45/
kWh but the power company representative claimed not to have authority to decide on the matter. The Building
Board suggested that electricity, lighting and power during construction work would be reduced close to FIM 1.00,
to which the representative did agree. Building Committee September 29, 1931, Section 1. PSA.
959 Building Board October 17, 1931, Section 9. PSA.