Statistics Finland

Energy, environment and greenhouse gases

Työpajankatu 13

FI-00580 Helsinki (Finland)

The data collections and their relation to energy statistics reported by Statistics Finland are described in detail in table 3.1.1.

The classifications used by Statistics Finland are described in detail in table 3.2.1.

Energy statistics data covers all major sectors of the economy that are involved in the production, trade, energy transformation or energy consumption.

Definitions of Regulation (EC) No 1099/2008 on energy statistics apply.

See table under 3.5.1.

Energy statistics are collected to produce the energy balance of Finland - starting from primary energy production including exports and imports, the inputs and outputs of transformation sector including imports and exports and the end use of energy by sector including exports and imports. Thus all units involved in such activity in the geographic area of Finland belong to the population of the statistics.

The national territory.

See table under 3.8.1.

Not applicable.

See table under 4.1.

See table under 5.1

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics. 

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.  

Further information: Statistical legislation 

See table under 6.2.1.

The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018). The data materials are protected at all stages of processing with the necessary physical and technical solutions. Statistics Finland has compiled detailed directions and instructions for confidential processing of the data. Employees have access only to the data essential for their duties. The premises where unit-level data are processed are not accessible to outsiders. Members of the personnel have signed a pledge of secrecy upon entering the service. Violation of data protection is punishable. 

Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi) 

(Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recitals 23-27, 31-32 and Articles 20-26) applies.)

Confidential data are concealed. The confidential data is often aggregated with the nearest suitable non-confidential data point, so that as little information as possible is lost.

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data are public after they have been updated in the web service. 

Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland 

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data are public after they have been updated in the web service. 

Further information: Future releases

Statistics Finland's release calendar Future publications 

Future publications of the energy statistics can be found on the page of each of the energy statistics. The statistics marked by * are produced by LUKE and link is to LUKE's publication calendar.

Consumption of hard coal

Energy consumption in households

* Energy consumption of agriculture and horticulture

Energy supply and consumption

Energy use in manufacturing

* Forest industries' wood consumption

Production of electricity and heat

* Total wood consumption

* Wood in energy generation

Data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may only be handled at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published. 

Further information: Publication principles for statistics 

Unless otherwise separately stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer of the data and the owner of the copyright. The terms of use for statistical data. 

See table under 9.1.

The following releases are published annually on the home page of the statistics by Statistics Finland or LUKE (*):

Energy consumption in households

Energy use in manufacturing

Production of electricity and heat

* Forest industries' wood consumption

* Total wood consumption

* Wood in energy generation

The following releases are published quarterly on the home page of the statistics:

Consumption of hard coal  

Energy supply and consumption

The following releases are published more seldom than annully:

Energy consumption of agriculture and horticulture

Pdf-publications can be found on Energy Statistics published before April 2022 on the webb page of the statistics in question.

The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.  

Not requested for this metadata collection

Microdata availability and access is described on the webb page of Statistics Finland. 

Part of the energy data is available via excel service.

Not requested for this metadata collection

Production of electricity and heat          

• Information
• Quality description

Energy use in manufacturing  

• Information
• Quality description

Hard coal consumption and stocks   

• Information
• Quality description

Energy consumption in households

• Information
• Quality description

This statistic comprises the following data collections:

• Estimation model for space and water heating 
• Calculation model for home appliances
• Heat pump stock and heat generation and electricity consumption of heat pump
• District heat sales by sector
• Electricity consumption by sector

Energy supply and consumption

• Information
• Quality description

These statistics are produced by combining other energy statistics and it uses almost all data collections. The following data collections fall under this documentation:

• Dedicated energy enquiry to iron and steel industry 
• Peat production and sales
• Biogas survey
• Domestic sales and stocks of petroleum products
• Production of electricity and heat
• Foreign trade statistics
• Small scale power installations
• Hard coal consumption and stocks
• Imports of natural gas (incl. biogas injected to natural gas pipeline)
• Solid wood fuels in heating and power plants

Specific survey on heat values, densities and production capacities for petroleum products and biofuels

• This collection is input to fuel classification.

Foreign trade statistics

• Information
• Quality description: Monthly statistics on international trade in goods as of 2022
• Quality description: International trade in goods

Agriculture and horticulture energy consumption

• Information
• Quality description

Solid wood fuels in heating and power plants   

• Information
• Quality description (in Finnish)

Monthly electricity (production and consumption) statistics      

• Information

LIPASTO - calculation system for transport exhaust emissions and energy use in Finland statistics      

• Information

Not requested for this metadata collection

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. More information on the quality management in Statistics Finland. 

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The quality management framework of the field of statistics is the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). The frameworks complement each other. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are also compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Further information: Quality management | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)

The need for renewed content is identifyied by keeping regular contact with interest groups like ministries and industry organizations. In addition, the market development and the new legistlation is followed.

The need for renewed practises is identified by collecting feedback on questionnaires and by discussing with respondents or data collecting parties. Questionnaires are updated based on feedback. In addition, changes in legistlation are reflected in the data collection. Eg. the electricity data hub will impact number of our present data collections.

User satisfaction is followed from informal feedback from users. Stakeholder feedback was collected in support of the development of the new data system. The report (in Finnish) can be found on the webb page of the project.

Statistics Finland aims to provide complete EU data collections. Confidentiality issues may sometimes result in missing data points.

See table under 12.3.1.1.

Most of the energy statistics are based on census, so sampling error is an insignificant source of error. The energy totals are well known, but the breakdowns of the numbers contains more uncertainty, because register based sales and other data may contain classification errors and the allocation models are not reqularily calibrated with relevant consumption data.

Most of the energy statistics are based on census, so sampling error is a relatively insignificant source of error.

Not requested for this metadata collection

Energy statistics in Finland are mostly based on census data and thus non-sampling erros is relevant. This is discussed in more detail in chapters 13.3.1-13.3.5.

The quantification of coverage error requires that the target population can be defined and the correspondence between frame and the target population be compared. Energy sector used to be dominated with large companies and data collection was directed to these.  These companies still produce most of the energy and the use of tresholds in data collection is still reasonable. However, the ongoing change towards distributed production introduces need to follow the development of small scale energy enterprises as their importance is increasing and may in future result in significant undercoverage error.

See annex

See annex

See annex

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Present production system of energy statistics relies heavily on excel, which makes it susceptible to processing errors. Much effort is spent to avoid the errors and a new system is being built to reduce the manual workload. Further, register data typically suffers from processing errors.

Energy Statistics cover a large scope of variables. Some variables like electricity production and consumption are measured for operational purposes and the data collected from operational systems is very reliable.

Models in energy statistics are typically used to divide a known amount of energy consumption into end uses. The total is then reliable, but the reliability of the division depends on the quality of the model. In some instances the quality can be statistically tested.

Models are also used for obtaining data that is difficult to measure e.g. residential solar PV's, for which direct measurement is not viable. 

This is described in detail in chapters 14.1 and 14.2.

 See table under 14.1.3.

Not requested for this metadata collection.

Not requested for this metadata collection.

Not requested for this metadata collection.

Not requested for this metadata collection.

Statistics Finland applies the concepts defined in energy statistics manual , so in principle the figures can be compared to those of other countries.

The figures are comparable within Finland, but for Åland. Åland is not part of the Finnish transmission electricity grid and this results in some missing information.

Statistics Finland applies the concepts defined in energy statistics manual, so in principle the figures can be compared to those of other contries. However, the practises of countries use vary, eg. some countries include holiday residences in household energy consumption, others do not and this results in non-comparable figures.  

Not requested for this metadata collection.

Time series availability depends on the lenght of the data collection period, changes in the phenomenon and the changes in the methodology. The latter two are often intwined e.g. classification change reflects the adoption of new fuels. Revision practise of energy statistics allows for adjusting time series for method changes. However, this is only possible if data has been collected in such a format that the revised methodology can be applied. 

The length of comparable time series depends on the level of aggregation. Energy aggregates are typically comparable over the reported time period, but the more detailed data is not.

Statistics Finland has co-ordinated the collection of energy statistics with the other authorities and industry organizations to reduce overlapping areas of work and to ensure coherence of published statistics in Finland. Number of organizations are involved in collecting and producing energy statistics.

Sub annual and annual statistics are coherent.

 Energy statistics do not use the definitions of the national accounts, but the definitions of the energy statistics manual.

Energy Statistics are for most part internally coherent. Some discrepancies still exist as it is too labourious to eliminate them manually. The coming IT system will eliminate these in future.

Cost

Energy Statistics team in Statistics Finland has ten full-time employees, which corresponds to roughly a budget of 600,000 euros. In addition, the development activities is financed separately. It is important to remember that the widespread use of register data and shared data collection practises mean that much of the data collection cost is carried by other parties.

Burden

The shared data collection practises and use of administrative data reduce the burden of respondents. The practise is prescribed by the Finnish law. The use of administrative data makes the the production process more complicated as the data needs to be adjusted for statistical purposes. Further, the content of the administrative data is typically restricted to questions for which the system is intended and additional data needs cannot be met.

Revisions – i.e. improvements in the accuracy of statistical data already published – are a normal feature of statistical production and result in improved quality of statistics. The principle is that statistical data are based on the best available data and information concerning the statistical phenomenon. On the other hand, the revisions are communicated as transparently as possible in advance. Advance communication ensures that the users can prepare for the data revisions.

The reason why data in statistical releases become revised is often caused by the data becoming supplemented. Then the new, revised statistical figure is based on a wider information basis and describes the phenomenon more accurately than before.

Revisions of statistical data may also be caused by the calculation method used, such as annual benchmarking or updating of weight structures. Changes of base years and used classifications may also cause revisions to data.

Revision practises for publications are described in the documentation of the metadata of the publications (links are given in question 10.6).

Some of the publications provide preliminary data that is revised according to a given schedule. Final published data based on collected register or survey data is seldom revised after final figures are published. Revision requires that a major error is found in the data. However, some data within publications is based on modelling and this data may be revised when the model structure is modified or the model is recalibrated.

Not requested for this metadata collection.

Statistical processing is described in chapters 18.1.-18.5.

See table 18.1.1

See table under 18.2.1.

Survey questionnaires of Statistics Finland can be accessed here.

See table under 18.4.1.

See table under 18.5.2.

Not requested for this metadata collection

Energy quantities are not seasonally unadjusted nor corrected for temperature.

Not applicable.