Category: Energy

Cross-generational district "Parco San Rocco", old people's home "Marigold Hotel"

The Coldrerio retirement home in the New Intergenerational District bears the signature of Architetti Tibiletti Associati Studios, winner of the 118 participants in the competition. Her project “Marigold Hotel” proposes a solution that takes into account both the needs of the third and fourth age as well as our new way of life, more individual than in the past and with weak family ties, therefore with a lower inclination to care for the elderly, often left alone. Thinking about the architecture of new retirement homes means taking into account socio-demographic change and the growth of the elderly population, as well as developing the need to develop prevention and active aging in order to promote the preservation of the autonomy and physical independence of the elderly for as long as possible.

The Casa San Rocco di Morbio Inferiore Foundation, in agreement with the municipalities of Coldrerio and Vacallo, has set itself the goal of creating two generation houses for the elderly and expanding the Morbio Inferiore location to a total of 259 beds. The three generation houses will be part of the future “Parco San Rocco” and offer services that are not only accessible to residents, but also to the public. They transform retirement homes into a place of care and well-being for all age groups: from childhood to fourth age. Of the three future houses in the park, the only one that has already defined the spaces and services is that of Coldrerio.

The project
The location of the competition, where the future “Marigold Hotel” will be built, is located near one of the three historical centers of Coldrerio, which are characterized by a number of public and school buildings. The intervention area is located in a green, central and valuable area, even if it is currently without identity and recognizability. It includes the parish hall, the kindergarten as well as the elementary school and sports equipment. Some existing public and private buildings will have to be demolished for the construction of the New Intergenerational District.

The design concept includes the creation of a meeting room for the community, a connection between these new public buildings
blici, in synergy with each other. This meeting room is defined by the harmonious arrangement of three volumes, the retirement home, a multi-purpose center and a home for self-sufficient elderly people, which are built in such a way that they can be integrated into the urban situation by repairing their parts. The aim is to put a whole back together that enhances the place, to create a square and a garden that help improve the quality of life in the neighborhood and promote social integration.
le and cross-generational.

The new district caters to a wide audience of users (students, singles, families, early retirees, retirees, people with reduced mobility, etc.). The sector includes a new old people’s home with 79 beds on the ground floor, which is characterized by publicly accessible services (bakery, multipurpose rooms, outdoor terraces, hairdresser, doctor’s office, etc.), on the upper floors from the guest rooms a center for health prevention (exercise room, special equipment , Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry) and an Alzheimer’s ward with its own garden; a new multi-purpose center, the ground floor of which houses the party and event room, the youth center, the kindergarten and, on the upper floors, the after-school services, the playroom and the classrooms for the afternoons
School, multi-purpose rooms and administrative rooms; Finally, the sector includes a new independent structure with 8 apartments for the elderly, sharing a laundry and multipurpose room, open to the garden and facing the new mineral square, characterized by a piece of water that flows into the Located in the middle of the new building.

The green areas
Particular attention has been paid to the maintenance of the outdoor areas by including elements to carry out activities for all ages: near the stationery, the green space is dedicated to relaxation and accessible to all; On the other hand, near the primary school, equipment and games for children are offered in the green area. The green area in front of the new multi-purpose center is dedicated to the conference area. Finally, the area next to the retirement home will include pools for garden and vegetable gardens.

These 4 green spaces are linked by a path that creates a link between the different generations, encouraging the cross-generational nature of the sector.

Energy considerations
The buildings meet the Minergie standards and take sustainability criteria into account. ■

Architetti Tibiletti Associati SA. From left Stefano Tibiletti, Marco Torri, Elisa Cherubini, Catherine glasses Tibiletti, Tobias Biegger, Benedetta De Rosa, Davide Gatti, Giovanna Grandi, Laura Martinez dell’Olmo, Carlotta Fumagalli, Maddalena Corti.

Coldrerio Intergenerational Quarter: Plan of the external layout.

December 2020
New large storage system should help stabilize the network

CKW and Axpo are responding to the expansion of volatile renewable energies. In 2021 you will be implementing a battery storage system in Rathausen which, according to a CKW announcement , can be used for three different markets at the same time for the first time. On the one hand, the system can provide electricity when it is needed, thereby breaking the peak loads. On the other hand, it should help Swissgrid to keep the voltage in the grid stable. Ultimately, it helps to quickly balance out differences between the supply of electricity and demand at any time.

The system consists of two large batteries, each weighing 50 tons, and each housed in a 12 meter long container. It has an output of 6.25 megawatts. That is enough to supply 15,000 households with electricity for one hour.

The system will be installed from mid-2021 and integrated into CKW's medium-voltage network.

December 2020
Living history – the Palazzo Poncini is being renewed

The history of this majestic building began in 1845 when the parish priest of Agra, Don Alberto Poncini, decided to build the family house on a spacious plot with a large garden. The use remained unchanged for several decades until, in the first half of the 20th century, the Palazzo Poncini was converted into a hotel that housed relatives who visited the patients of the nearby sanatorium of the “Deutsche Heilstätte” foundation, where tuberculosis was treated became. Agra, the highest town of the Collina d’Oro (550 meters above sea level), is characterized by an ideal air for heliotherapy treatments, the therapeutic concept of which was based precisely on the air quality and the sun. Treatments abandoned after the discovery of penicillin by deciding to close the sanatorium and convert the nearby hotel into a vacation home for young people until it was finally closed in the early 1980s.

The rest is current: a few years ago the architects Bruno Huber and Angelo Renzetti, both established specialists, fell in love with the place and decided to take over the property, which was practically intact in its original form, with its grandiose structures and agricultural buildings. Outbuildings where everything was made at the time to provide guests with natural products. In fact, on the hillside downstream of the building, there are important areas where fruit and vegetables were grown, while a large heated greenhouse ensured production year-round.

Back to the origins
At this point, the desire of the two Ticino architects to get closer to nature becomes a project to revitalize the Palazzo Poncini according to the most modern living standards while at the same time keeping intact the external structure, which is now a protected architectural asset. Work has already started and 18 apartments are under construction, all of which differ from each other because they are derived from the original structure. And all in direct contact with nature. Indeed, the palace will be surrounded by gardens following a new vision of native greenery, in which spices and medicinal plants visible from the balconies and windows will be grown, albeit for purely decorative purposes. Residents also have access to a large communal leisure area with swimming pool and summer kitchen, where they can spend their free time with friends.

The architect Bruno Huber explains to us: “The new residential address aims to propose a type of house that is characterized by a strong bond with nature, which is very present in Agra. The architectural intervention is not limited here to the realization of the artifacts, but also extends to an integrated concept of the coexistence of nature and buildings ». The palace rests on the old core of Agra and opens up to the valley and the fields that are planted with vines and vegetables, all strictly organic. The connection with nature will not only be visual: a free shop offers the opportunity to buy vegetables and fresh fruit produced on the property zero kilometers away, as well as honey produced in the nearby fields. The same goes for wine: interspecific vines are planted that require very few treatments, and the grapes are vinified on site for the palace.

In the green with maximum comfort
Bruno Huber again: “The Palazzo not only wants to be tied to the strong nature that surrounds it, but also to act as a bridge between the past and the future, and under the guise of the past a heart beats that looks to the future of life”. Starting with the parking lots, all underground and with charges for electric cars. Directly from the parking lot you have access to the cellars, which become real pantries next to the garage. And when you think about the future of food supply, there are some cold rooms in the entrance hall in combination with the residential units for receiving the “grocery delivery”: the courier places the purchases in the air-conditioned compartment of the person who placed the order. After returning after work, shopping is done.

The ecological sustainability will also be maximized and a centralized collection for composting is planned, which will then be reused in the vegetable gardens and in the two old restored greenhouses for the production of the first fruits. The building, insulated according to the strict regulations in force, is heated by a heat pump and in summer the floors are cooled to ensure a high level of comfort in all seasons. Very low energy consumption is expected, which will have a positive effect on the cost of the condominiums.

The remodeling of Palazzo Poncini is part of a larger renovation project of the entire annexed property, in which the old rural structures are being renovated. The first phase, which will end in connection with the building, will be the creation of a small “charming” hotel with 18 mini-apartments. In the other volumes is the wine shop with wines made in the hills. The area is dedicated to catering for tastings and dinners or events related to the production of Collina d’oro wines. ■

Bruno Huber in brief

Bruno Huber completed his architecture studies at the Polytechnic Zurich in 1982. After several stages in Switzerland and abroad, he joined his father Alex, with whom he worked until 1992. He later opened an independent studio with his brother Matteo, urban architect. and continues its activity by participating in numerous national and international competitions. He was a member of various international architecture juries and has created industrial, administrative and residential buildings in Europe, Australia and the USA. Bruno Huber Architetti also deals with aspects of interior architecture and design.

December 2020
New elementary school and gym

The new elementary school will be built in an area that is now the soccer field, playground and kindergarten. The name of the project that won the first prize for design
and that sees as head of the Bonetti and Bonetti architects studio in collaboration with the architect Fabio Regazzoni is «Pivot», for the specifications described below.

The project manages to precisely organize a now rather fragmented space that is intelligently reconfigured thanks to a convincing arrangement of volumes that can create high-quality public spaces.

The intent of the designers was to reaffirm the public value of the sector and restore correct relationships with the large scale of the landscape (the “promontory” with the church and the great)
free noro in the west) and with the small scale of the more immediate context: the network of pedestrian paths towards the hill, the kindergarten and the core, the slope in the north.

The project
The fitness studio building on Kantonsstrasse announces the public sector and acts as a fulcrum – a “fulcrum” – between the two proposed reference areas: the arrival area with parking spaces and the one in relation to the large emptiness of the ground floor, that houses the school square.

The new primary school, more distant and more discreet, redesigns the foot of the promontory on which the Kindergarten and the Church of S. Biagio are located, while the new urban warehouses help complete the eastern front of the arrival square and form a fifth towards it the private buildings near the competition site.

The long and narrow building of the new school extends over two levels and, thanks to its low height, offers a clear view of the core and the church.

The school square offers a generous horizontal area that extends over the entire length of the site from north to south. The paved play area and a green area that is open for various purposes find their place in this room. A pedestrian ramp leads to the kindergarten in the direction of the hill to the north.

The high school building, which looks like a structure suspended from eight columns, is organized on two levels to respond to different needs: that of the football club on the ground floor and that of the school in the basement. The decision to bury the gym limits the volumetric impact of the construction while allowing a harmonious relationship with the school and the adjacent schools
Centon canton road. This volume with a sleek and abstract language enters into a dialogue with the size of the landscape and against the backdrop of the Magliaso promontory dominated by the church of San Biagio.

The building is expressed in a powerful structure that lifts a roof to reveal part of the ground floor to the public. This creates a spacious portico in which the football bar and access to the fitness studio are located. In the basement there is the gym, changing rooms, storage rooms and all contents closely related to the gym.

The city warehouses are located on the eastern edge of the arrivals area. The building consists of a simple volume that directs its entrances to the square in continuity with the existing one. The vehicle is accessed via an independent connection to the cantonal road.

The school consists of a repeating reinforced concrete structure that defines a modular opening into which a window is inserted, made up of a large solid glass element and a narrow opening panel. The frames are made of metal.

Energy considerations – Minergie
In view of the large areas of glass and the heavy presence of people, a system with full air heating and internal temperature control was proposed. The calf
Passive heat due to the strong presence of people, devices and, to a small extent, the solar contribution makes a significant contribution to compensating for the total heat losses. In the summer months, solar heat can be disadvantageous and requires careful balancing and control, which is achieved through a low energy transfer factor of the glass (g <0.30) and controlled sun protection according to the orientation of the facades and solar radiation.

The project includes covering with photovoltaic modules on an indicative surface of around 750 m2.

The acoustics of the rooms are regulated by special sound-absorbing elements that also contain the LED lighting. ■

December 2020
Switzerland must accelerate the energy transition

Switzerland has set itself less ambitious goals for the energy transition up to 2020 and is likely to achieve them. This is shown by the third monitoring report by the Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ). After that, the new renewable energies achieved an electricity production of 4186 gigawatt hours in 2019. The SFOE writes in a press release that the target of 4400 gigawatt hours in 2020 is within reach. But if the guideline value of 11,400 gigawatt hours is to be achieved in 2035, the annual additions must amount to an average of 451 gigawatt hours, one and a half times as much as in the past decade.

The final energy consumption per capita is similar: the reduction target of minus 16 percent by 2020 compared to 2000 was already achieved in 2016. By 2019, minus 19.1 percent was achieved. But if the benchmark for 2035 of minus 43 percent is to be achieved, then the average annual decline would have to be minus 2.2 percent. In the past decade it was only minus 1.4 percent.

The Energy Perspectives 2050+ published at the same time by the SFOE came to the conclusion that if Switzerland continued with the existing practice, it would fall far short of its climate target in the long term. Switzerland has committed itself to reducing its CO2 emissions to net zero by 2050. But with a “keep it up” it comes to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 30 percent compared to 2020.

However, the Energy Perspectives 2050+ assume that Switzerland can achieve its climate target with the technologies that are already available or currently being developed. The investment requirement would be only 8 percent higher than a continuation of the previous practice, according to a BFE announcement . If the current practice were retained, a total of CHF 1,400 billion would have to be invested in energy infrastructure, systems, devices and vehicles by 2050. If the net zero climate target is to be achieved, it would be a good 1,500 billion Swiss francs.

December 2020
The first free space solar system from EKZ is on the grid

EKZ 's Algibicos solar power plant near the southern Spanish city of Murcia started operations on Tuesday, according to a media release . This means that the Zurich-based energy company's first large open-space solar power plant has gone online.

On an area of 85 hectares, it will produce a little over 90 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. This corresponds to the annual consumption of more than 20,000 households. With over 300 days of fine weather, the area was one of the sunniest in all of Europe. In addition, the yield is increased by movable solar panels that are oriented towards the sun.

"Compared to Swiss systems, around twice as much electrical energy can be generated," said Jean-Marc Degen, senior project manager at EKZ Renewables, in the press release. In addition, plants of this size are hardly feasible in Switzerland. The meanwhile low production costs and the sunny location enabled profitable operation, even without state feed-in tariffs.

November 2020
The cantonal institute for economy and trade is renewed

In the context of architecture competitions for school subjects, we are often confronted with projects that prove the architectural development of the post-war period. Sometimes they are interesting objects, others less so, even if the questions that arise are the same.
How do you react to an architecture that is so close to us in times and ways of thinking? This is how you solve energy gaps without distorting your face. What are the best ways to expand the spaces without losing the original concept and features?
These are some of the questions architects Corecco and Canevascini faced in order to solve what they really like about these architectures, what gaps to fill, and what transformations may have cracked the architectural balance.
The buildings and the landscape
The former Bellinzona barracks, designed by architects Jäggli, Brunoni, Beretta-Piccoli and Tallone in the early 1950s and converted into a business school in the 1980s, has various valuable elements that serve as design cornerstones. The most general is found in the high quality landscape of the place where the complex has been carefully inserted and strengthened over time by interventions of absolute value, among which the public bathroom stands out, the great work of architects Aurelio Galfetti, Flora Ruchat, Ivo Trumpy.
A river route, an extensive green area defined by public buildings, the view of medieval Bellinzona and the north-opening landscape of the valley form the background to the surroundings of the institute. Then there is the possibility of strictly assembling the volumes individually, but to be softened by the slight oscillations of the angles that define the concatenation. Finally, the compositional and structural accuracy of the individual parts, the tracing of details or constructive solutions that give the whole thing continuity, even with extremely different volumes. For example, think of the shape of the roof: two partitions that do not touch and form a light cut; Solution adopted and suitable both in the main building and in the outbuildings. This severity is also a facade theme that is repeated with different but similar rhythms along all of the main views.
Here are the answers to the first questions. Intervening in these buildings must be done with respect, defending their volumetric integrity and the appearance of details. Do not destroy the individual parts of the complex to accommodate the new spaces required – even if some of them are of lesser value – and do not transform the open but refined structural aspect of the facades.
These assumptions initially lead to an energetic renovation of Block A, the main building of the complex. It is mainly solved internally thanks to the creation of a system
modular insulated and functional for the passage of the facility and for shelves and cupboards that are useful for classrooms. The thickness of this element corresponds to the need to dissolve the thermal bridge of the building elements of the facade inwards. The part of the window has a new design compared to the original, which corresponds to the need for natural ventilation of the premises according to the new thickness of the profiles.
The project
The three phases of the project, the refurbishment of two existing blocks and the addition of a new building, were carried out while the school remained active and the more than 1,300 students did not have to be evicted. This is a condition set by the competition. The extension, now in the final phase of construction, is a long body lifted off the ground and connected to the main block by the two stairs between the ground floor and the first level. The location clarifies the design of the parking spaces and the service buildings, which are now arranged in a disorderly manner, and ultimately brings the school along the river, no longer as a back, but as a privileged background.
The structural rigor, which is externally emphasized by the blades supporting the panel and the vertical rhythm of the facade elements, is the solution that architecturally connects the new building with the existing one. The fundamental difference is the pronounced horizontal dimension as opposed to the verticality of the elevations of the original complex.
The main level mainly houses 12 classrooms to the west and work, break (for students and teachers) or service rooms to the east. A large multi-purpose room is planned in the north, which will serve as the main meeting room within the entire school complex. Large traffic areas connect the new rooms with dimensions that are suitable for the high number of users.
The renovation and expansion took place in three steps at a total cost of 34.4 million francs: in the first phase the classrooms and the institute (block A) in the second phase the offices and the documentation center (blocks D and P) and the third level with Expansion.
Materials Constructively, the architecture of the extension is resolved by a reinforced concrete structure that is isolated on the outside and supported by upturned pillars at the level of the entrances to the ground floor. The language of the building is resolved in the main elevations with large glass surfaces that look towards the floodplains of the river, while in the top views the cladding reflects what was done for the front elements of the floors in zinc-titanium foil, which in the Color oxidized is dark. The rhythm of the main façades mixes solid glazing with opaque doors that can be opened for ventilation, making the change of interiors with different contents homogeneous and abstract.
Energy standards
The renovation work met the requirements of the Minergie building standards. It was not possible to apply for certification as a single point was not paid for, controlled ventilation. The extension instead has Minergie standards and certifications. ■

November 2020
deltaVERDE

premise
deltaZERO is “a group of designers from the fields of architecture and urban planning who want to build buildings and cities for the man of the 21st century”. The group is a leader in the planning of zero-emission buildings in Switzerland and has developed a number of self-advertised prototype buildings to directly test the systems proposed in the studio's projects.
In 2008 the deltaZERO building in Paradiso proposed a new standard for low-energy buildings of the future, which is characterized by flexibility and transparency. This was followed by deltaROSSO, a prototype building, a rental building for mixed residential and administrative purposes, which was awarded the special prize of the Swiss Solar Agency in 2019 for the best multi-family house with positive energy
Now the "test bench" is represented by the DeltaVERDE complex, in which the properties already proposed in the previous prototypes are further developed.
properties
The complex with 5,000 m2 and 86 parking spaces is characterized by two habitable volumes that stand on a base that serves as a garage, storage and technical room.
The property, which belongs to the shareholders of deltaZERO, benefits from a building permit that has grown in the judgment.
In accordance with the DeltaZERO philosophy, the building was developed in such a way that it has the following features:
– Respect for the environment, therefore no higher emissions into the atmosphere and energy production than consumption
– higher than consumption
– Maximum flexibility thanks to a modular design concept with the resulting possibility of changing the destination and partitions according to market requirements; Thanks to the removable radiant floor with deltaZERO concepts, transformation is easy at any time
-high living comfort with ventilation
continuous, large hot and cold radiation surfaces with consequently reduced temperature delta in the distribution
ne, filtered and ionized air, home automation
location
Chiasso is a town a few kilometers from the Lugano and Como lakes and close to its numerous tourist attractions. It is the ideal place for those who want to live in peace and at the same time want to be connected to local and international transport and service networks.
deltaVERDE is located in Via Sottopenz, only a few steps away from the historic center and in the middle of the green of the Penz hill park with its shady and relaxing paths that offer opportunities for relaxation in nature.
The location is strategic from a logistical point of view: in a few minutes on foot you can reach the train station, the central square of the municipality and all services. The location therefore meets the requirements of a young clientele who want a life without constant use of the car, even when the motorway is nearby.
innovation
Integration of energy saving and energy generation technologies.
Implementation of new concepts aimed at ensuring the flexibility of the destination and the use of the spaces according to the constantly changing needs of the contemporary user.
The most modern technological systems contain no emissions and no consumption, maximum flexibility and high comfort and consequently guarantee the stability of the commercial value of the property in the long term.
Positive energy
deltaVERDE produces more energy than it consumes thanks to:
-A construction that pays attention to mass and optimal thermal insulation
– energy generation with two reversible heat pumps
– Solar collectors and photovoltaic modules integrated into the building envelope
Comfort
– optimal lighting guaranteed by large windows
– clean air thanks to ventilation
Continuation with air filtration and ionization
– Summer cooling and dehumidification
– thermal activation of the roof mass
– Home automation and the ability to quickly adapt the electrical system to the needs of the user thanks to the removable raised floor
flexibility
Choosing a construction system that makes it possible to divide the spaces according to the needs of the user and adapt them to the needs of residence and work in constant transformation throughout the life cycle of the building.
The rooms can therefore accommodate apartments, offices or mixed solutions and can easily be modified; Each floor can be divided into a flexible number of units as required.
Low costs
Despite the exceptional properties of the building in terms of technology, comfort and materials used, we intend to bring to the market, through a linear and modular project, residential and / or administrative spaces of the highest quality in a building with positive energy, the cost of which is the average local market correspond . This design philosophy leads to a long-term preservation of the value of the building, despite the climate change and the changes in user needs, which are characteristic of our society in a rapid and constant transformation. ■

November 2020
Surface right: its importance for public housing

CASSI (the section of the Italian part of Switzerland of the umbrella organization of the Swiss housing cooperatives) in cooperation with
works with the Ticino regional group from Espace Suisse to spread more knowledge and awareness of the important, still little-known topic of surface law in relation to public housing in our canton.
The instrument of surface law could give new impulses for the development of various and innovative projects and also positively influence territorial development.
with important economic, but also social effects.
In the long term and under certain conditions, renting a property, a property to be built or already built could bring benefits to society as a whole, including future generations. It could encourage the creation of affordable housing, not only to create living space, but also to stimulate neighborhood and business activities, as has already been noted in many places in Switzerland.
The application of the Surface Law, if necessary, in conjunction with the use of capital from the "Fonds de Roulement" (fund fed by Confederation loans) to grant loans at a subsidized interest rate for social housing operators Promote the development of housing projects, especially renovation in this time of change. Housing projects that may be characterized by a mix of generations could foster a sense of solidarity and mutual help and make it easier to organize daily life so that citizens help one another, support one another.
less dependent on the help of the already overburdened state to cope with the crisis.
The vacancies have reached record levels, the value of land remains high and the number of affordable apartments in the metropolitan areas remains insufficient. An increasing number of families, even belonging to the middle section of the population, are unable to find adequate housing solutions or invest in a house due to the high costs. A larger number of households might consider investing in real estate when developing public utility projects using the building rights. Since the capital is not required to purchase the property, the initial capital to carry out the project – the renovation of an existing building or construction – would be significantly less and therefore more families could afford it. If families could spend less on rent, they would have more money to invest in something else and therefore would do more to run the economy, especially the local one.
As a rule, these are public institutions or parapublic
the patricians or parish councils to give theirs
Property. Also hereditary or pro
Historic building owners might consider this tool. Even owners who are emotionally reluctant to sell the property may be interested in finding a finish, i.e. those who rent the property for an extended period and invest their capital in renovation and / or construction.
It is important to know that the owner of the fund can set restrictions in order for the project to be carried out to have certain characteristics. For example, if a municipality decides to give its own property under the Surface Act, this could not only require that the apartments be of public use, not for profit, but that a percentage must also be present.
of apartments for self-sufficient elderly people, large families or economically weak population groups. The municipality could also mandate that the building be built to high energy standards or that the rooms on the ground floor have public functions or more.
Each of these restrictions clearly affects the canon of surface law as it restricts the freedom of those who carry out the project. Constraints are therefore crucial elements in determining the amount of rent; The more there are, the lower the fee due. The constraint community collects less, but it is also thanks to borrowed capital that solutions are found to problems that it would otherwise have to solve with taxpayers' money. This will be one of the topics of the next meeting organized by CASSI with the Ticino regional group Espace Suisse, which will take place next spring: surface law, calculation of its value and financial support.
Not only the amount of rent is a determining element when signing a surface right contract, but also the duration, which must meet the conditions of reversibility, that is, the value recognized for the building and the condition in which it must be found You at the end of the contract that the owner will resume its use.
The great advantage for the municipalities or for any other owner is that after the contract expires, the availability of the property to the public institution or to the heirs and thus to future generations. Retaining ownership is a huge investment in the future and a forward-looking decision. Future generations
The real estate will have real estate to meet their needs, not just housing that has changed over time.
In urban centers, real estate costs are very high and will continue to rise as land is a non-reproducible asset. Certainly it is and will remain difficult for the medium-sized population to access it in the near and medium term. Large centers such as Zurich and Geneva invest in the purchase of real estate and then pass this on to public utility companies in the form of building rights, which build housing there at affordable costs. They do this because they understand that it is important to maintain a mix of populations in cities, as it is thanks to this that the cities stay alive. And it is important to be able to keep a middle section of the population in your cities as they pay taxes.
Closer cooperation between the public and private sectors, including on non-profit housing projects, could also lead to interesting results in Ticino, both in urban areas and in the valleys. The communities in the peripheral areas could be integrated
They want to promote these types of projects that could help revitalize areas that are marked by severe demographic decline, resulting in a reduction in activity and life. Combined with the development of services, including in the technological field, these projects could help revitalize peripheral centers and make them attractive.
A record to close. If the public body makes its property available in the surface right, it must also take into account the law on public contracts. For more information, write to info@cassi.ch or visit the website www.cassi.ch.
In the Events section, the interventions of the speakers Federica De Rossa, professor at the Institute of Law, are published
from the University of Italian Switzerland and Daniele Graber, Lic.Iur Dipl. Ing. HTL di
VIALEX Rechtsanwälte AG.
It is possible to: do more – live better – by spending less. ■

November 2020
Emmi tests hydrogen trucks

Emmi has put two hydrogen trucks from Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility into operation, according to a press release . The company will now test this in logistics. It works together with the Association for the Promotion of Hydrogen Mobility Switzerland .

Emmi transports around 8,000 pallets from A to B every day to supply its customers in Switzerland with fresh dairy products. The company currently has 140 vehicles in use for this, which cover 9.3 million kilometers annually. Emmi has shifted some of its transports to rail. However, this environmentally friendly means of transport is limited in various ways. On the other hand, Emmi sees great potential in the switch to hydrogen trucks.

Compared to conventional diesel trucks, the hydrogen trucks can save around 70 to 80 tons of CO2 per year, the company states in the press release. Instead of CO2, these vehicles emit water vapor.

Emmi will refuel the two hydrogen trucks at the H2 filling station network of the Hydrospider company from Opfikon, which is currently being expanded in Switzerland. This provides 100 percent emission-free hydrogen. According to the information, one tank of fuel is sufficient for a range of up to 400 kilometers. The environmentally friendly fuel also enables auxiliary units such as the cold room to be operated.

November 2020
Film about the Knonauer Amt energy region celebrates its premiere

The Knonau office is “ten years ahead of its time”, said Government Councilor Dr. Martin Neukom in August on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Knonauer Amt energy region. “A driving force for the energy transition,” said Andrew Darrell, a member of the New York Sustainability Advisory Board. He thought that the world should find out about this pilot project, writes the “Affolter Anzeiger”. Together with the Swiss Pro Evolution Foundation and WWF Switzerland , he initiated a film about the exemplary work of the Knonauer Amt energy region. It premiered on Thursday. Its title: ” Full of energy into the future – a region relies on renewables “.

The film reports on the initiatives that the 14 communities in this region in the canton of Zurich have undertaken and are undertaking to curb climate change: the energy-saving house in Stallikon, where children can experience energy in a playful way, the planned solar power plant above the A4, the Circular economy of the biogas plant in Rickenbach, the above-average number of CO2-neutral wood district heating plants. In 2010 the municipalities integrated the key project Energy Region Knonauer Amt into the location promotion. Their goal is to generate 80 percent of their energy needs by 2050 themselves and with renewable energies.

Numerous experts have their say in the film, including Andreas Fischlin, member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) and professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ). “We have the same CO2 concentration as 3.5 million years ago,” he warns. At that time, there was a tropical flora and fauna in Switzerland. ETH professor Anton Gunzinger advocates greater use of local energies. That ensures more independence and that more money stays in the regional cycle: “We need more tax offices in Switzerland!”

November 2020
EKZ supplies the Limmat Valley with a further 80 megawatts

With the facility in Oberengstringen, the electricity works of the canton of Zurich (EKZ) put their third substation in Limmat Valley into operation. The Limmattal is now supplied by the three substations Schlieren, Dietikon and Oberengstringen. The new substation with an output of 80 megawatts will gradually be put into operation by next February.

"This means that we are very well prepared for the steadily growing energy demand in the region", Hans-Peter Häberli, Head of Construction and Systems at EKZ, is quoted in an interview . The economic upswing in the Limmattal with the settlement of new companies, a large data center and the Limmattalbahn is causing the demand for electricity to rise sharply. Häberli: “We have generally seen strong increases in load in the Limmat Valley over the past few years. In the future, the energy demand will be driven by the Limmattalbahn and the establishment of a data center in the region. The Schlieren substation, which previously supplied the region with energy, must therefore be relieved. Its capacity would soon no longer be sufficient. "

The electrical energy is converted in the new substation. In the case of Oberengstringen, EKZ takes over the electricity with a voltage of 110 kilovolts from the Axpo high-voltage network. The energy is converted to 16 kilovolts with two 40-megawatt transformers, according to the EKZ website. After that, the electricity would be further stepped down until it is fed into the grid for end users such as housing estates.

The connection of the new plant is to take place gradually by February. According to Häberli, Oberengstringen will then be fully connected to the Axpo high-voltage network. The communities of Ober- and Unterengstringen, Weiningen and parts of Schlieren are then supplied.

November 2020
Fehlmann-Areal gets photovoltaic facades

Around ten years ago, BGP built six pavilion-like residential buildings in various sizes on the Fehlmann site in Winterthur. The Zurich architecture office informs in a message that the area development has now been completed with two more buildings. From a distance, the new buildings are indistinguishable from the old superstructures.

On closer inspection, however, an important difference becomes clear, explains BGP. The facades of the buildings erected in 2010 were made of black enameled glass panels. Instead, electricity-producing photovoltaic modules were installed in the new buildings. This means that the facade can take on “a multitude of tasks”, according to the announcement. Specifically, protection, climate regulation, representation and identification are mentioned there.

Before building the development, BGP had measured the electricity demand in the existing buildings. According to the announcement, it had the distribution to be expected for a residential development with peaks in the morning and in the evening. These peaks could be better covered with modules integrated into the facade than with a system installed on the roof, explains the architecture office. In addition, a photovoltaic system was installed on the building roofs. The building complex is also equipped with charging stations for electric cars.

November 2020
EWA – energieUri receives quality label

The association has developed the quality label vsas-certified.swiss in order to promote the profitability, product quality, specialist knowledge and safety of its member companies, writes the Association of Switchgear and Automatic Systems Switzerland ( VSAS ) on its Internet portal. EWA – energieUri has successfully passed the extensive audit to award the certification. This means that the Uri energy supplier is the first company in Switzerland to be awarded certification, writes EWA – energieUri in a press release.

"We build switchgears of all sizes for customers all over Switzerland", Kilian Huwyler, Head of Switchgear Construction and Automation at EWA, is quoted in the press release. "The spectrum ranges from house panels to complex switchgear for industry." This year, the Uri-based energy service provider looks back on the company's 125th anniversary.

November 2020
Lidl halves footprint

Lidl has exceeded a self-imposed environmental target. By 2020, the company wanted to reduce its relative CO2 emissions by 35 percent compared to 2013, Lidl Switzerland explains in a press release . Ultimately, however, the CO2 emissions were reduced by 53 percent. Lidl emphasizes a change in its own transport area as a particularly effective measure. Here, the company plans to only use trucks powered by bio-liquefied petroleum gas by 2030.

Lidl Switzerland has introduced a CO2 management system in which the company’s annual CO2 emissions are recorded, the communication further explains. Building on this, the company derives measures to reduce emissions. The remaining emissions are offset.

This is the fifth time that Lidl Switzerland has met the conditions for certification with the Swiss Climate Label CO2-neutral, according to the announcement. According to her, Lidl Switzerland is the first company of its kind in Switzerland whose branches and goods distribution centers are all certified according to the ISO 50001 energy efficiency standard.

November 2020
Energy Lab aims to deliver innovations for the energy transition

The NTN Innovation Booster Energy Lab will officially start its work in January 2021. However, such a dynamic has already emerged that the first of a total of 50 planned projects have already been launched, writes the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences in a media release . They should lead to innovations in the efficient generation, storage and use of renewable energies that are also marketable.

The consortium of over 200 members is strategically managed by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In addition to the Central Switzerland Innovation Park and NEST – the research and innovation platform of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute and the water research institute of the ETH Domain – numerous other institutions, all Swiss universities of applied sciences and ETH Zurich . The Energy Lab is being funded by the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse with CHF 1.5 million for an initial period of four years.

More than 200 companies are already connected via the Central Switzerland Innovation Park, "and the trend is increasing", the message goes on to say: "Because the Energy Lab is an open network in which interested parties can contribute at any time."

"The challenges are so complex that they can no longer be resolved with individual measures, but only in large-scale cooperation between industry, politics, science and society," the project manager and professor at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Ludger Fischer, is quoted in the communication . "The solutions will offer concrete added value for the economy and can therefore be implemented!"

November 2020
Algorithms help manage power loads

The simultaneous activation of many electrical devices creates enormous network loads. Since up to 60 percent of the grid usage costs for the energy supply companies are calculated from these load peaks, they have a vital interest in avoiding or at least smoothing them out as far as possible. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts ( HSLU ) has now found a solution together with partners, according to a press release.

What is needed is “an intelligent and efficient energy and load management, with the help of which energy can be shifted”, Andrew Paice is quoted in this communication . He is the head of the HSLU Building Intelligence Research Center called iHomeLab . His team developed the prototype of such a system together with the HSLU Competence Center for Thermal Energy Storage, the Vilters-Wangs electricity company and business partners Asgal Informatik and Semax . The Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion Innosuisse supports the project.

The artificial intelligence developed by the teams and its algorithms use the data from intelligent electricity reading devices, so-called smart meters. The researchers used it to calculate thermal models of buildings. The algorithms “identify power-consuming devices such as heat pumps, boilers or e-mobiles and power-producing devices such as photovoltaic systems,” explains Paice. Then maximum power consumption, switch-on and switch-off times and energy consumption per day are combined with temperature and weather forecasts. This enabled precise predictions to be made.

With these project results, the two companies involved in the project could now offer energy suppliers a service that would help them save costs – without the need for additional investments in their distribution networks.

November 2020
Switzerland signs international declaration for e-mobility

According to a press release by the Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ), Switzerland signed an international declaration for the zero-emissions target in transport on Thursday as part of the Global e-Mobility Forum 2020 . This declaration is entitled " Katowice Partnership for E-Mobility ". She was born in December 2018 at the World Climate Conference in Katowice, Poland. Today it consists of 44 states and around three dozen sub-national administrative units, city associations and non-governmental organizations.

According to the organizers, 38 countries from five continents as well as organizations and alliances had already joined this declaration, as well as 1,500 cities and regions and 1,200 companies. Overall, they represented over a third of the world's population. Switzerland did not sign the declaration at the time because of the “pending legislative and political work”, according to the SFOE in the communication.

However, in December 2018, the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications ( DETEC ) and “numerous Swiss players” launched the Electromobility Roadmap 2022 “very successfully”. The aim of this roadmap is to increase the share of electric vehicles in new registrations to 15 percent by 2022. "Nothing stands in the way of signing the 'Katowice Partnership for E-Mobility'."

It brings "no rights and obligations" with it. But the undersigned countries and organizations should promote zero-emission vehicles, set fleet targets and work together internationally. Further goals are the promotion of green public transport, the expansion of an intelligent infrastructure, the improvement of air quality as well as research and development in these areas.

November 2020
Private individuals can participate in large solar systems

Romande Energie customers can invest in their own solar systems without having their own roof. The Vaudois energy supplier wants to build a solar system totaling 1,700 square meters on Bertrand Pittet’s Petite Chamberonne farm in Etagnières, he writes in a press release . He enables his customers to participate. In return, the corresponding share of the production of solar power on the farm would be deducted from their private electricity bills.

Romande Energie wants to attract a sufficiently large number of investors for its Jardin Solaire – sun garden – project by spring 2021. The plant should go into operation before summer.

The Vaudois energy supplier launched a similar project in Mont-sur-Rolle in December 2019. There 37 private customers took part in the Jardin Solaire.

November 2020
Erstfeldertal power plant produces its first electricity

In the canton of Uri, a further 7200 households can be supplied with CO2-free electricity. The hydropower plant of the energy supplier EWA at the entrance to the Erstfeldertal started up on Thursday and produced electricity for the first time. "In two and a half years from the first approval step to commissioning is absolutely unique for a power plant of this size," the chairman of the EWA management, Werner Jauch, is quoted in a press release from the EWA.

Before that, a wide variety of studies and projects had been developed for a good 100 years. “They all disappeared back into the drawer,” writes the EWA. And this project, too, “stood on a knife's edge several times”. Speed was now of the essence because in a month's time the national subsidy contributions to the power plant would have expired. That would have failed the project. “We believed it was feasible and we succeeded in putting the power plant into operation more than a month before the deadline,” said Jauch.

Around 45 companies from Uri were involved in the construction, explains Peter Dittli, Vice President of the Board of Directors of KW Erstfeldertal AG . 75 percent of the total investment of 37 million francs remained in Uri as added value. In addition, there would be water interest and tax revenues. And finally, operation and maintenance also secured jobs. All of this is "particularly valuable in economically challenging times," said Jauch. "The corona pandemic shows us how important local production is when the international supply chains collapse very quickly."

November 2020
ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

When building your own photovoltaic system, planning and bureaucracy costs are often more expensive than purchasing the electricity-generating modules. The researcher Franz Baumgartner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences has dealt with this problem. According to a press release , he is using modern technology to reduce planning costs. Baumgartner, head of the energy and environmental technology course at the ZHAW School of Engineering, is quoted as saying: "With small photovoltaic systems on single-family houses, only a fifth of the costs are now attributable to the modules themselves." The planning of the system and the administration are now similarly expensive necessary documentation.

Baumgartner and the ZHAW Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering, in collaboration with the Schlierem-based innovation specialist Zühlke , started at precisely this point. According to the press release, Baumgartner got to know the use of HoloLens glasses in the medical sector and wants to use their advantages in photovoltaics.

“Up to 15 working hours per system are required for the administrative work,” says Baumgartner. Building applications, fire protection plans and approvals help to drive up costs. It is easier to save money with more efficient processes than with cheaper modules. According to Baumgartner, part of the solution could be the HoloLens. During measurements on flat roofs, for example, the HoloLens glasses show the assembly points of planned systems with an accuracy of two centimeters and then create a virtual image of the system.

Baumgartner: "In addition to its potential for documenting the entire process, it has a great advantage: it can measure, plan, offer and demonstrate the system to end customers from a single source." Baumgartner: "Because of the high wages, the system will first pay off in Switzerland."

ZHAW researcher Baumgartner wants to expand its application to all types of flat roofs and covered parking spaces. "We are in the process of formulating a project application for the Federal Office of Energy and have already received positive signals from Bern."

November 2020
Zürich erhält Goldauszeichnung als Energiestadt

Zürich ist im Rahmen des Hackathons Climathon Zürich erneut mit dem Energiestadt-Label in Gold ausgezeichnet worden. Damit fördert der Trägerverein Energiestadt die Umstellung auf erneuerbare Energien und Energieeffizienz. Laut einer Medienmitteilung der Stadt hätten der Ausbau der Photovoltaikanlagen auf stadteigenen Liegenschaften zu dieser Anerkennung ebenso beigetragen wie die Realisierung des Energieverbunds Altstetten und Höngg. Auch die neue Tramlinie Hardbrücke und die weitere Elektrifizierung des öffentlichen Verkehrs hätten ihren Anteil daran.

Zum ersten Mal war Zürich die Auszeichnung als Energiestadt vor 20 Jahren verliehen worden. Seither seien die langfristigen Ziele der Stadt „kontinuierlich angepasst worden“. Dazu gehörten etwa die Verankerung der 2000-Watt-Gesellschaft in der Gemeindeordnung und die aktuellen Bestrebungen in Richtung Klimaneutralität. Grundlage dafür seien die im Masterplan Energie der Stadt Zürich definierten energiepolitischen Schwerpunkte.

November 2020
Intershop is building the AuPark in Wädenswil

The AuPark is to be built in Wädenswil-Au on Lake Zurich in the next few years. It should be a place to live, work, shop, relax, play and be educated, as it says on the AuPark website . A public park is to be created in the middle of the complex as a connecting element and meeting zone for the population of Au. The apartments in AuPark have a view of the Au peninsula and Lake Zurich.

The project is operated by the real estate company Intershop . According to a media release , this applied for the building permit on November 17th. The private design plan for today's industrial area was approved in July. According to Intershop, 231 apartments are to be built. A total of 54 apartments are reserved for affordable living. It is planned to build the buildings according to the Swiss Sustainable Building Standard (SNBS) and with an energy supply from heat pumps. Work is scheduled to begin in autumn 2021 and the first buildings will be ready for occupancy in winter 2024. The new building of the Zimmerberg Cantonal School is also planned. However, this is carried out by the Canton of Zurich and not by Intershop.

November 2020
Public transport should expand photovoltaics

Photovoltaics offers all public transport companies the opportunity to take a large part of their energy supply into their own hands. A new guide from the Federal Office of Transport refers to this. The authority developed it together with the Swiss Association for Solar Energy, Swissolar .

As Swissolar writes in a summary of this guide, solar energy can make a decisive contribution to replacing non-renewable energies in public transport. The electricity consumption of all transport companies is currently around 2.7 terawatt hours. In addition, there are 120 million liters of diesel. If all public transport is to be operated in a CO2-neutral manner in the future, it will need around 3.5 terawatt hours of electricity. Of this, 2 terawatt hours, or 60 percent, would already be produced by the hydropower plants of the SBB .

The production of the remaining 1.5 terawatt hours with solar energy would require around 1 square meter of photovoltaic module area per inhabitant in Switzerland. The same area per inhabitant provides the energy required to transport a person 2,500 kilometers by train in one year. As the Federal Office of Energy states in its energeia plus magazine, the potential for solar power in the Swiss transport company's building stock is 67 terawatt hours per year. That exceeds the total current Swiss electricity consumption by 10 percent.

The guide advises small and large transport companies on investment opportunities and approval procedures for real estate, rail technology and infrastructure. He also goes into funding opportunities and personal consumption. It also provides specific official recommendations that support public transport in becoming climate-neutral.

November 2020
BKW launches digital platform for energy suppliers

With its new digital platform Energy Business , the Bern-based energy and infrastructure company BKW wants to give Swiss energy providers support in four areas, according to a press release : cyber security, law and regulation, innovative products for end customers and customer service. For this purpose, it launched the e4u platform at the beginning of November.

The energy suppliers are facing a demanding future, it is said there. “That is why we want to team up with one clear goal: Economic success through scaling, synergies and the use of tried and tested solutions. We believe that we can only achieve this if we work together. ”With this, BKW is committed to a long-term partner strategy with other energy suppliers in Switzerland, she writes in her press release.

In a first phase, BKW is offering service packages on the platform that give other energy suppliers access to their tried and tested skills. In parallel, she is planning various educational activities. In addition, it also offers "individualized advisory services for complex needs".

Both energy suppliers and large end consumers could use the platform to procure their energy in a single system. The platform itself was developed in close cooperation with BKW customers.

November 2020
Climate Foundation Switzerland supports innovative projects

The Swiss Climate Foundation has distributed a total of 1.3 million francs in funding. Small and medium-sized companies that make a contribution to climate protection benefit from this financial support. A total of nine particularly innovative and five major projects for improving the energy efficiency of buildings receive funds from the Climate Foundation. “It is very important to us to promote such innovations more intensively”, their managing director Vincent Eckert is quoted in a press release .

For example, the Ticino company iWin is now being supported with 50,000 francs. It produces windows with integrated photovoltaic blinds. In doing so, it transforms highly glazed buildings into solar power plants. The Zurich-based company Oxara is using the funding for the further development of cement-free concrete from loamy excavated material. FenX , based in Zurich, uses ash and other mineral waste to produce insulating foam for construction that is non-flammable and 100 percent recyclable. FenX receives CHF 200,000 for this.

The supported projects also include the automated insect breeding solution from the Aargau company SmartBreed as well as the Ticino company Ponera . It develops shipping packaging for industrial goods, which is intended to create a circular economy for packaging material. Further funds will go to iWorks AG in Liechtenstein. It shows how public areas can be used to produce solar power.

November 2020
Romande Energie is getting involved in French wind farms

Romande Energie France and the wind farm developer Calycé Développement have entered into a development partnership, according to a press release from the Valais energy supplier. Romande Energie is thus adding 15 wind farms to its portfolio for renewable energies in France. She takes high stakes in them. Most are still in the planning phase.

The contract between the two companies provides for Romande Energie to acquire a 50 percent stake in six early-stage projects. She becomes the one hundred percent owner of seven late-stage projects. She takes on 80 percent of a secured project. Calycé Développement will manage all projects until they are ready for construction. Romande Energie buys 100 percent of a wind farm that is already in operation.

Since 2013 the Romande Energie Group has acquired a number of hydro, solar and wind power plants in France. This added to its hydropower portfolio in western Switzerland. According to the company, these investments served to diversify both their locations and their energy sources. The transaction will be completed in the coming weeks.

November 2020
Repower brings the largest Engadine solar system to the grid

A new wastewater treatment plant is being built in S-chanf. The Upper Engadine ARA is scheduled to start operations in mid-2021. Repower has installed a solar system with an area of 5800 square meters and 3447 solar modules on the roof of the system. The plant has an output of 1.1 megawatts and an expected annual output of 1.45 gigawatt hours. That corresponds to the consumption of 325 households, writes the Graubünden energy supplier in a press release . The system was designed in such a way that it can withstand heavy snowfall. The modules themselves have a total weight of 69 tons.

The system has now been put into operation. Repower has invested 1.7 million francs.

The ARA itself is operated with a combined heat and power unit. This means that electricity consumption on site can be optimized with the aim of using as much solar power as possible on site.

November 2020
Agricultural Center Salez wins architecture award

Constructive Alps is awarded to projects that are convincing in terms of sustainable building and renovation in the Alps. Switzerland and Liechtenstein have now awarded this prize for the fifth time, according to a media release . A total of almost 330 projects were submitted. A jury selected ten entries, of which the first three received a total of 50,000 francs. The Salez Agricultural Center took first place.

The Agricultural Center Salez is one of the projects that show that architecture can combine aesthetics and climate protection, as stated in the communication from the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). The building of the center relies on the simplest possible construction and a long lifespan. Canton and architect Andy Senn would have set new standards in terms of climate efficiency. An assembly hall in Vorarlberg and a mountain inn in Glarus made it into second and third place. In addition to seven recognition prizes, an audience award has also been determined for the first time.

The Agricultural Center Salez consists of a conference center, farm, state farm and orchard. It is operated by the Agricultural Center SG (LZSG) together with the practical trial plots in Flawil. This also has advice centers in Kaltbrunn and Sargans.

November 2020
Groupe E offers solar systems without investment

Property owners in western Switzerland have the option of having solar systems installed on their roofs without having to invest. With My Sun Contracting, Groupe E is launching a product in which the Freiburg energy supplier takes over all investments as well as the other expenses.

According to a statement from Groupe E, customers only pay for the generation of the solar electricity they use themselves. The electricity price is degressive: the more the customers consume, the lower the tariff. Customers can also buy the system on their roof later, for example if they want to benefit from tax advantages.

November 2020