Curious ?
In the early 1930s, Professor Vilho Väisälä
was curious about how to develop better
and more accurate ways of predicting
weather conditions. He invented the
radiosonde, a device that became, and still
is, the leading instrument for measuring
meteorological conditions. In his opinion,
scientific instruments needed to be small
and durable, reliable in extreme weather
conditions as well as functional by design.
Vaisala Today
Vaisala has a reputation for innovative,
reliable measurement technologies across
a diverse range of industries. Our products,
systems, and services — ranging from
industrial environments to meteorological
applications — are used in nearly every
country around the world, including the
challenging climates of Antarctica and the
Sahara. Building on 80 years of experience,
we are part of people’s everyday life by
providing a range of innovative, highquality products and solutions humans
simply could not do without. Our sensors
can even be found on NASA’s Curiosity
Rover on planet Mars, and we are part of
ground-breaking life science research on
the International Space Station.
Observations
for a Better World
www.vaisala.com
Meteorology
See pages 4–5
Life Science
See pages 6–7
Energy
See pages 8–9
Transportation
See pages 10–11
Industrial Measurements
See page 12
Tools to Predict
the Unpredictable
We cannot change the weather but we can
observe and monitor it to foresee what
the weather will bring. Reliable and timely
weather information is a prerequisite of
keeping societies going and essential for
safety and efficiency for example in aviation,
transportation, and climatological research.
C
ombining innovative
environmental measurement
and observation systems with an
understanding of meteorological
applications has allowed Vaisala to
create solutions even for the most
inhospitable places. Our global
presence and close collaboration
with partners and customers as
well as research institutes, enable
a deeper understanding of local
environments. This enables enables
us to design solutions that are best
suited for our customers’ specific
conditions.
Weather forecasting is about
predicting the state of the
atmosphere in order to provide
precise information to help facilitate
the day-to-day workings of societies
4
and to safeguard human lives and
property. Vaisala's advanced sensor
technology, comprehensive systems
and turnkey solutions for monitoring,
detecting and forecasting meteoro­
logical and hydro-meteorological
events help predict the unpredictable
and make it possible to generate the
early warnings that are essential for
timely emergency responses and
rescue operations in hazardous
weather conditions.
Climatological weather observations
also serve long-term scientific
purposes and provide important
input for climate change research.
Weather matters.
Reliable Weather Radar Networks
The modern weather radar employs dual polarization
technology to produce clear, clutter-free high-resolution
images of rainfall. Precise measurements distinguish
between the types of precipitation; rain, hail, snow as well
as detect a typhoon or thunderstorm at a distance of
hundreds of kilometers away. The weather radar is an
important instrument for short-term and local forecasting,
as well as severe weather monitoring including e.g.
hurricane tracking. At airports weather radar information is
used to ensure safe air traffic and runway maintenance.
Vaisala dual polarization weather radars meet the most
demanding customer requirements, and are used in
climates ranging from tropical to arctic regions,
in 40 countries all around the wold.
Mitigating the Risks of Extreme Weather
Vaisala supports preparedness for extreme weather events
around the world. Our products contribute to assessing and
forecasting high-impact weather events. For example, our
customers use Vaisala products and services to gain a
better understanding of the atmosphere from the surface to
upper levels. This helps authorities in determining locations
and issuing warnings for potential extreme weather events,
such as cold and heat waves, thunderstorms and lightning,
heavy rains, high winds, and winter storms. By using the
data we provide, weather services can optimize their
forecasts and deliver more accurate information, enhancing
and supporting the preparedness of societies for extreme
weather events.
Collaborating with partners and stakeholders, we are
working to reduce the impacts of extreme weather. In the
United States, Vaisala is proud to be a Weather-Ready
Nation Ambassador.
5
Measuring
and Monitoring
Reduce Risks
Environmental sensing technology and
continuous monitoring can secure operations
and end-product quality within various industries.
Nowhere is this as important as in the life
science industry. Vaisala helps its customers —
for example pharmaceutical, biotechnology and
medical companies, as well as related research
institutes — to reduce the risk of damage to their
potentially lifesaving products.
S
trictly regulated by national
and international authorities,
life science companies need to
establish and maintain consistent
environmental conditions throughout
their facilities to protect their
vulnerable products and processes.
Whether the facilities in question
comprise laboratories, warehouses,
freezers, incubators, or other critical
environments, these companies must
comply with a myriad of regulations,
validations, audits and good
manufacturing practices that all
6
necessitate the same requirement:
maintaining environmental
conditions within a specified range
and being able to verify it.
Vaisala's solutions for the life science
industry combine measurement
accuracy and stability with data
protection in a way that complies
with the strictest regulatory
requirements. Versatile monitoring
equipment have been designed to
meet a variety of measurement needs,
while at the same time maximizing
operational efficiency and yield.
The safe choice.
Monitoring System Supports
Global Operations for Herbalife
Herbalife Ltd. is a global company that provides dietary
supplements, vitamins, and personal care products to
customers in over 90 countries through its global member
network. The company strives to meet or exceed all
requirements that ensure the purity, safety, and efficacy of
their products from manufacture to final distribution.
To support these goals, Herbalife required a monitoring
system that was scalable to any size of warehouse, in any
type of climate, with consistency in implementation and
management. Vaisala’s continuous monitoring system with its
independent measurement sites and continuous and gap-free
records met these requirements. The system monitors
temperature, relative humidity, differential pressure, door
switches, and more. It issues an alert automatically when
environmental conditions change unexpectedly. Vaisala’s
experts support Herbalife’s opera­tions around the clock,
providing peace of mind for the customer.
Supporting the New Children's
Hospital in Finland
Vaisala is one of the in-kind donators of the New Children’s
Hospital 2017. Our measurement instruments will be
integrated into the hospital’s building automation solution
to collect temperature, carbon dioxide, and relative
humidity data to adjust ventilation to correspond to the
actual requirements. Good indoor air quality is a funda­
mental requirement for both patients and staff, ensuring
high quality care and a safe working environment.
New Children’s Hospital 2017 Foundation initiated a unique
fundraising plan to construct the hospital. This model
incorporates citizens, businesses, joint municipal authori­
ties, and the government to work together for a common
purpose. Construction began on August 26, 2014 — the
same day, as the Foundation’s fundraising target of 30
million euros was reached.
7
Weather Powers
Renewable Energy
The renewable energy sector is an industry
with real answers to our global energy
opportunities and challenges. It is also
increasingly understood that depending on
the weather for one’s energy presents its
own challenges.
I
n the energy industry, weather
matters. It drives demand, affects
transmission, and provides the fuel
for generation. If you have a stake in
renewable energy, you know the risks
weather can bring and the impact this
can have on your daily work and
profitability.
Vaisala has nearly eight decades of
experience measuring, recording, and
interpreting weather. We provide an
integrated suite of wind measurement
solutions to customers and partners
around the globe to make better
decisions about renewable energy.
Utilizing data collected and analyzed
by Vaisala, observational intelligence
helps to plan, finance, and operate
efficient and profitable wind
generation facilities. Our offerings
include remote sensing systems,
tower-based wind measurement
systems and data loggers, as well as
web-based wind data services.
8
Operational Efficiency
with Lightning Detection
The most common weather related
transmission and distribution line
failures are caused by lightning.
Lightning detection and analysis not
only help predict severe weather
and issue public warnings, but it
enables electric power utilities to
engineer their system to reduce
outages and identify problem areas.
Reliable lightning information
provides crucial protection for
transformers and substations alike.
For power utilities, having a field
crew on standby when a storm is
approaching or being able to
prepare for power outages by
switching to back-up power early
increases power reliability,
benefiting both customers and
the industry.
Informed decisions for
safety and efficiency.
Solar Atlas for India
India has ambitious plans to grow the
production of renewable energy, such
as solar, wind, and hydro. Vaisala was
awarded a contract that will enable
India to meet its ambitious solar
energy capacity targets. Vaisala will
work hand in hand with C-WET the
Centre for Wind Energy Technology,
a governmental R&D institution to
develop and disseminate critical
investor-grade information to answer
where and how to invest in order to
get the most out of India’s
considerable solar energy potential.
The goal of the project is to create a
Solar Atlas which will provide weather
information to relevant renewable
energy project financiers and
investors. This weather information
will be crucial when choosing the
optimal location for solar production.
The Solar Atlas will provide a clearer
understanding of the weather
anomaly caused by monsoons and
cyclone seasons. It will include
monthly resource maps covering the
entire country, as well as long-term
solar resource and meteorological
datasets at over 100 locations
around India.
9
Safer Travel in More
Predictable Weather
All travel is weather dependent. Accurate and
reliable weather information is vital for any
airport, road, railroad, and bridge to serve its
purpose. Vaisala products are designed to
monitor roads and runways, collecting data to
assess surface conditions, and issuing alerts to
ensure safety in transportation.
V
aisala provides intelligent
weather solutions for large
air-carrier and general aviation
airports, heliports as well as road
and rail authorities worldwide to
help them operate safely and effici­
ently in any weather conditions.
The success of air and land travel is
based on decision support systems
that intelligently combine historical,
current, and forecast data to guide
weather critical decisions.
Safer Takeoffs and
Landings
Aviation organizations, airport
operators and airport service
providers are responsible for
passenger safety, flight schedules
and the overall efficiency of the
airports. Vaisala's aviation weather
10
observation offering provides realtime and reliable observation
information to all relevant airport
stakeholders.
Weather has a fundamental effect
on many central functions in
airport operations. Having realtime, accurate data easily at hand is
of vital importance when the safety
of both passengers and airport
personnel is at stake. The same
data supports efficient decision
making regarding maintenance
operations, for example. With
observation equipment and
systems that integrate meteoro­
logical data seamlessly into air
traffic control and other airportwide systems, Vaisala helps to
improve the safety, efficiency, and
environmental compatibility of
airport operations.
Improved Traffic Flow,
Reduced Accident Rate
National and regional road authori­
ties ensure safe and smooth traffic
manage­ment and maintenance opera­
tions in all weather conditions.
Vaisala helps them improve mobility
and safety by measuring, forecasting
and integrating environ­mental
observa­tions to support operational
efficiency, and optimize
decision-making.
Adverse weather causes numerous
accidents that result in fatalities,
injuries and economic losses on roads
all over the world. Advanced informa­
tion provided by Vaisala's road
weather techno­logies help road
mainte­nance personnel make infor­
mative decisions that increase safety
and efficiency of the road network.
CheckTime Improves
Airline Safety
CheckTime uses precision weather
measurement equipment at each airport to
measure the atmospheric conditions. With the
help of real-time environmental data, Vaisala is
able to provide dynamic decision support
information to the pilot. CheckTime provides
airlines automated information on how weather
impacts de- and anti-icing fluids on an aircraft.
This information improves airline efficiency
and reduces costs as well as environmental
impacts from excess use of anti-icing fluids
during winter weather events.
Safe and on schedule.
In 2014, Vaisala and Finnair have signed an
agreement which brings CheckTime into
operative use.
Next Generation
Road Weather Observations
Road maintenance agencies around the world
use high tech tools to reduce the impact of
adverse weather conditions on roads from
highway networks to city streets. The city of
Lincoln in Nebraska, USA utilizes weatherfocused Intelligent Transportation System
technology to alert motorists of changing
weather conditions on its 600­-meter Harris
Overpass bridge. The system consists of
Vaisala's road weather technology that
monitors the bridge and triggers alerts on
variable message signs when the bridge is wet,
covered in snow, or when ice begins to form on
its surface. The data generated also helps road
maintenance crews by facilitating quicker, more
accurate decisions. Solutions like this reduce
maintenance costs while keeping motorists
safe and traffic flowing.
11
Efficiency through
Industrial Measurements
I
n addition to weather observations,
Vaisala offers a comprehensive
range of industrial measurement
technologies for a variety of
industries. The instruments measure
and monitor the surrounding
environmental conditions reliably and
precisely ensuring efficient, safe, and
high quality operations as well as
energy savings.
Extending the Service Life
of Bridge Cables
Reliable and accurate measurement
instruments help to improve process
efficiency, minimize energy usage, and
ensure high product quality. Our
products measure humidity, hydrogen
in oil, dew point, carbon dioxide,
moisture in oil, and pressure.
The Taizhou Bridge is an important
crossing on the Yangtze River in
China, at almost three kilometers in
length; it is the world’s longest threetower, two-main-span suspension
bridge. The Jiangsu Province
Communications Planning and
12
Managing moisture contamination
in oil filled high-voltage power
transformers, for example, makes it
possible to prevent deterioration and
damages while boosting performance
and extending the lifetime of the
equipment.
Design Institute Limited Company rely
on Vaisala’s measurement instruments
to monitor the bridge’s lifelines
– the non-replaceable main cables.
During their service life, the main
cables are exposed to high winds,
adverse weather, vapors, and etchant
gas – all of which will, over time,
reduce their strength and cause
erosion. Dehumidification is vital to
the maintenance of the main cables,
so Vaisala’s humidity and temperature
sensors are a critical part of the whole
system. Maintenance teams have
real-time visibility into critical areas
and can conduct in-depth analysis to
ensure accurate decision-making in
maintaining the bridge’s cables.
Vaisala Headquarters
Boast Gold Level LEED
Certification
Getting the Best
out of HVAC
O
ptimizing energy consumption
and indoor air quality are
important for example in schools,
warehouses, concert halls, office
buildings, and hospitals. Good
indoor air quality also increases
human comfort, productivity and
well-being. Both aspects can be
achieved by combining humidity,
temperature and carbon dioxide
measurements with demand
controlled ventilation. By controlling
the ventilation according to the
actual carbon dioxide level, rather
than the number of people
occupying the space, the indoor air
can be kept fresh and the energy
consumption optimized. Outside
temperature, wind conditions and
solar radiation also impact the
distribution of heat inside buildings.
Integration of frequent weather
measurement data enables the
building automation system to
become attuned to changing
weather conditions. For example, if
the heating system is engaged on an
overcast day and the sun comes
out, the system may calculate that
the effects of solar radiation will be
sufficient for heaters to turn off
early and save energy. For many
customers, the integration of
weather data enables more
efficient and optimized usage
of HVAC systems.
Vaisala's head office in Vantaa, Finland
achieved the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) for New
Construction Certification when taken
into use in 2011. Designed to be as
energy efficient and self-sufficient as
possible, the building received Gold
Level LEED scores in both energy
efficiency and in the use of water
resources. Over 700 m2 of photovoltaic
panels have been installed to generate
approximately 15 percent of the
building's electricity consumption. In
addition, an extensive geothermal
power system produces the energy
needed to warm and cool the building
throughout the year. Vaisala’s own
instrumentation is heavily in use to
get the most out of the building
automation. The rooms are equipped
with instruments measuring
temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide
and volatile organic compounds, which
automatically direct the HVAC system.
Presence sensors monitor rooms and
hallways to turn on lights only when
needed, and pyranometers trigger
automated sun screens to reduce the
need for cooling in the summer.
LEED is an internationally recognized
green building certification system.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building
Council, LEED sets strict sustainability
requirements in building design,
construction, operations, and
maintenance solutions.
13
Sustainability
Takes Us Forward
Being a sustainable company is important to Vaisala.
Compared to its size, Vaisala has a tremendous responsibility
to the international community when it comes to measuring
the weather and the environment.
D
ue to the nature of its business,
Vaisala's operations are
inherently sustainable. Its
technologies are used to improve the
safety and daily life of people
everywhere. The company provides
its customers with the means to
influence and better understand their
environment and reduce uncertainty.
Many of Vaisala's products also
reduce the environmental impact of
its customers' operations. Optimizing
the use of de-icers on roads and at
airports during the winter, for
example, decreases the amount of
chemicals in the environment
without compromising safety.
Sustainability at Vaisala is embedded
in our strategy and enables us to
create value for our customers
beyond commercial targets. Vaisala
works with its suppliers and partners
to ensure all products are sourced
and manufactured to the highest
ethical standards and follow all
applicable regulations.
Our corporate targets are interlinked
with those of our sustainable
business agenda, aiming for growth
with good profitability, without
sacrificing our ambitions to be the
safest, most reliable and sustainable
partner for our customers. Vaisala is
a signatory and active member of the
UN Global Compact, the world’s
largest corporate citizenship
initiative aiming to align business
strategies with its ten principles in
the areas of human rights, labor,
environment and anti-corruption.
weather and environmental
measurement.
Vaisala has an important role to
play when it comes to securing our
customers performance. Our
products and systems support
decision-making across transportation authorities,
meteorological agencies, industrial
environments, hospitals and
pharmaceutical companies, to name
a few. Quality and safety are our
greatest priority and we are an
active partner to our customers. To
succeed in this task, it is important
to have the right people in the right
place and to be curious, to look
beyond the engineering and
programming work, and understand
the science behind the technology.
Industry Leadership
through Our Personnel
At the heart of Vaisala, are its
personnel. Our people are dedicated
professionals who take their work
seriously. Our experts are working
on scientific challenges and issues
that go beyond the business side of
14
www.vaisala.com/sustainability
Working together for
a safer tomorrow.
3
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Office contact details:
www.vaisala.com/contact
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C210026EN-E ©Vaisala 2015
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reserved. Any logos and/or product names are trademarks of Vaisala Oyj or its individual partners.
The reproduction, transfer, distribution or storage of information contained in this brochure in any
form without the prior written consent of Vaisala is strictly prohibited.
The papers used for the printed report are Curious Matters 270 g/m2 and Galerie Art Volume 150 g/m2.
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