The Municipality of Vihti, Finland, has completed its tailored technical assistance under the Smart Cities Marketplace, marking an important step towards a more structured and effective approach to energy efficiency at the local level.
Following its selection for 1‑on‑1 consultancy support in June 2025, Vihti worked closely with Smart Cities Marketplace experts between September 2025 and April 2026 to strengthen its internal capacity and lay the foundations for a comprehensive Energy Efficiency Plan.
The technical assistance addressed several key challenges, including fragmented energy data, limited coordination across departments, and the absence of a structured approach to stakeholder engagement. Through a series of targeted activities, ranging from assessments and methodological guidance to workshop preparation and stakeholder mapping, the municipality was supported in moving from an informal and decentralised setup towards a more coordinated and action-oriented framework.
A central focus of the support was improving energy data management. The consultancy provided practical recommendations to help Vihti move from fragmented data systems to a more structured approach, including clearer governance, standardised processes and the gradual development of centralised data management solutions. This will enable the municipality to better monitor energy use, identify priority areas for action, and support evidence-based decision-making.
At the organisational level, the process led to the establishment of an internal energy working group, bringing together representatives across departments to coordinate energy efficiency efforts. This new structure is already strengthening collaboration, facilitating information sharing, and ensuring that energy considerations are more systematically integrated into municipal planning and decision-making processes
The technical assistance also played a key role in shaping Vihti’s Energy Efficiency Plan methodology. By introducing a structured and phased planning approach—covering the assessment of the current state, the definition of objectives, and the identification of concrete measures—the municipality is now equipped with a practical framework to guide both short- and long-term actions.
In parallel, the support helped the municipality identify relevant EU and national funding opportunities, improving its readiness to develop and implement future energy efficiency projects.
Overall, the Smart Cities Marketplace technical assistance has enabled Vihti to transition from a fragmented starting point to a clearly structured and internally coordinated approach to energy efficiency. With strengthened organisational capacity, improved data practices and a defined planning framework in place, the municipality is now well positioned to continue the development and implementation of its Energy Efficiency Plan independently.