Ecological responsibility

Log construction has a positive carbon handprint. When you fell a fully-grown tree in well-managed forest to produce logs, the carbon stored in the log remains bound in the log throughout the log’s entire life cycle. At the same time, young, growing trees make sure that the managed forest is an efficient carbon sink.

Using responsibly produced timber for construction preserves natural resources and slows down climate change. Production at Pellopuu is environmentally and socially responsible, meeting the requirements of the PEFC 2002:2013 certification regarding the chain of custody of timber, as indicated by the PEFC label on our products. Log structures from Pellopuu are a responsible choice for prefabricated houses as well as construction projects.

Sustainable logging 

The timber we use in our production are sourced mostly from UPM, for whom sustainability is one of their key values. Their global UPM Forest Action responsibility program examines the effects of forestry in several different areas: climate, biodiversity, water, soil and social responsibility. Their goal is to maximize the positive impact of forestry in each of the five areas of the program, and we at Pellopuu share this goal.

Thermal energy from production by-products

When manufacturing log structures, wood chips and shavings are produced as a byproduct, which we use as heat energy. In addition to our own premises (>10,000 m2), the byproducts of our production heat several other industrial and business premises in Pello, Ylläs and Rovaniemi, a total of 25,000 m2. Hence nothing goes to waste from our production, but instead everything can be used. The production of log buildings is often self-sufficient in energy because production produces more energy as a by-product than is consumed in the production of the product itself.

Solar energy from our own lot

Since 2020, we have produced part of the energy we use with a solar power plant at our factory area. Our power plant has 1,150 solar panels (total production 200–250 MWh), which covers at best 27% of our annual energy needs. The panels placed on the wall start collecting energy early in the springtime, after the polar night has receded. During the summer season, the panels collect energy throughout the day, as the official nightless night season lasts for a bit over a month in Pello, whilst the sun does not set below the horizon at all.

Log is a builder’s responsible choice

A log building is a comfortable, long-lasting and healthy choice, whether it's a residential building, a leisure home or a public building. Nowadays, the choice is increasingly in favor of wood construction. The log also acts as a long-term carbon store and is also transportable, meaning its life cycle can continue in a wide variety of situations.

The skill of log construction has developed in Finland over a thousand years, and since then it has developed into a modern skill, where we Finns in particular are in a world-leading position, e.g. when setting quality criteria. Here in Finland, log construction is a truly domestic production - all the parts needed for construction are made in Finland and by local workforce. Log house factories are an important employer in many small towns and an export company in their region.

Healthy indoor air

Log houses have been researched to have healthy indoor air, and many choose a log building for this very reason. You can see the research results, for example, in the report published by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in 2012: Housing health and satisfaction in log-frame houses (content in Finnish). The emissions of solid wood into the indoor air have been investigated in a study by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), 17/2021: Emissions of solid wood into the indoor air (Content in Finnish).

Ecology is just one reason for choosing Pellopuu.

Read more about us and our quality process. 

Images 2, 4 and 5 from UPM Forest.