Category: immoNews

MoneyPark wins Zug pension fund

MoneyPark can add another mortgage partner to its portfolio: it will sell and manage mortgages for the Zug pension fund in the future. "In particular, we promote energy-efficient buildings and offer special conditions for sustainably built or energy-efficient properties," said the head of asset management at Zuger Pensionskasse, Fabian Steiner, in a press release from MoneyPark.

MoneyPark is thus expanding its range of over 150 providers to include "another important player", it says there. "With access to over 150 financing providers, including a range of pension funds that is unrivaled in Switzerland, we offer our customers the broadest range of mortgages in Switzerland," says Stefan Heitmann, CEO and founder of MoneyPark.

Investing in the mortgage asset class will not only benefit mortgage borrowers, but also insured persons, emphasizes MoneyPark. The Zuger Pensionskasse can safely and sustainably diversify its investment portfolio and, unlike bonds, expect a positive return.

February 2021
Schneider Spannagel Architects is now called LUMO

The Schneider Spannagel architects' office in Döttingen has had a change in management to review its market presence. After the age-related resignation of a member of the management, the company's appearance was checked. The result was a complete redesign of the brand with a new name and a new, modern logo: LUMO Architekten AG . The down-to-earth architecture firm Schneider Spannagel became LUMO Architects, understood as a contemporary, agile studio.

In amedia release from the advertising agency Megura AG in Baden, which was entrusted with the “total renovation of the brand presence”, it is said that the new name LUMO stands for “light, uncomplicated, modern, open”. That corresponds to the values and working methods of the office as well as the architectural style of the realized buildings.

In addition to the new name and logo, including a new website, Megura also designed letterheads, signage and the like. The lightness and joy of experimentation of the new company, according to Megura, is evident in digital media: The reduced logo allows the distinctive four letters to move around the room, so that new combinations are created over and over again.

LUMO Architects is staying at the old headquarters of the company, which was founded in 1973 and has been redesigned and expanded several times, in Poststrasse in Döttingen.

February 2021
Masshardt takes over the management of the energy foundation

Beat Jans had headed the Swiss Energy Foundation, founded in 1976, since the end of 2015, SES informed in a press release . Now the long-standing SP National Council has been elected President of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, Jans is therefore stepping down as President of the Board of Trustees of the SES, explains the SES.

The Board of Trustees has elected Nadine Masshardt to succeed Jans. The Bernese SP National Councilor will take up her new post after her maternity leave in mid-February, explains the SES. In the communication, the President-elect is described as "a competent energy and environmental expert as well as a highly respected and committed full-blooded politician". In addition, she is certified as having “valuable experience from the NGO world” from her involvement in the WWF Berne section.

The Swiss Energy Foundation is committed to promoting a humane and environmentally friendly energy supply in Switzerland. Among other things, the SES advocates the rapid phase-out of fossil and nuclear energy and the rapid and considerate expansion of renewable energies. Under the leadership of Nadine Masshardt, the SES is "ideally equipped for the energy policy challenges of the coming years", says the press release.

January 2021
LafargeHolcim joins MIT's climate consortium

LafargeHolcim is a founding member of the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium ( MCSC ). The construction company announced this in a press release . The School of Engineering at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology launched this alliance on Thursday. It consists of academic staff from across the institute and 13 influential industry leaders from various industries. LafargeHolcim represents the construction industry there.

The aim of this association of executives from various industries is to accelerate the implementation of specific and large-scale scalable solutions to combat climate change. The MCSC wants to reduce costs and the barriers for the use of the best available technologies and processes, it says on its website . The aim is also to accelerate the decommissioning of CO2-intensive energy generation and material production plants, to direct investments where they are most effective and to quickly transfer the best implementations from one industry to the next.

"I am committed to building a net zero future and driving innovative and sustainable building solutions that are beneficial for people and the planet," LafargeHolcim's CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted in the press release. “Given the urgency of today's climate crisis, no single organization can tackle it alone. That's why I'm proud to join the MIT alliance of like-minded industry leaders and academic partners to jointly advance our climate protection efforts. "

January 2021
Wind energy project on the Chroobach is making progress

The Chroobach Windenergie project community consists of the two regional energy suppliers Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Schaffhausen AG ( EKS ) and SH POWER . Your goal is to exploit the potential for wind energy on the Chroobach. In total, it wants to produce 25 to 27 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity there per year, according to a press release . That is roughly twice as much electricity as is currently used by the population of the upper part of the canton each year.

In 2019, the federal government approved the cantonal structure plan for wind energy. With the establishment of the wind energy area on the Chroobach in the municipality of Hemishofen, he laid an important basis for the project. According to the information, the planning work has been successfully advanced since then. The next step is to apply for a partial revision of the land use planning to the municipality of Hemishofen. The project community is already in dialogue with the community to discuss the next planning steps.

The project community also wants the local population to participate in the new project. It should be able to participate in the wind farm with a wind share. The project group intends to publish further details on this "shortly".

January 2021
Schneider Electric procures green electricity for VELUX

The VELUX Group and the electrical engineering group Schneider Electric will enter into a partnership with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for renewable energies. According to a media release , Schneider Electric will support the VELUX Group with procurement as a full-service purchasing consultant.

As it is also stated there, the VELUX Group has committed itself to achieving its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2023 and climate neutrality by 2030. In addition, the company is working on halving CO2 emissions in its entire value chain by 2030. At the same time, it will offset the group's entire historical carbon footprint, which dates back to its founding in 1941, through forest protection projects. These would be identified and managed by the WWF.

When concluding a PPA, a company undertakes to purchase electricity over the long term at an agreed price. This helps the operators of wind and solar systems with their investments. Because PPAs can be deposited as security at banks and insurance companies.

"We are committed to contributing to a sustainable future", says Jörn Neubert, Senior Vice President of Supply of the VELUX Group. “We are proud to be among the first companies in the world and to be the first company in the construction industry to take responsibility for past and future CO2 emissions. The partnership with Schneider Electric is an important part of that. "

January 2021
EKZ achieves good operating results with stable sales

EKZ draws a positive balance for the 2019/20 financial year with stable sales, expansion of the production of renewable energy, especially in wind power, and an operating result that has enabled a profit distribution of CHF 41.3 million to the canton and municipalities for the first time. According to the press release, the operating result (EBIT) was CHF 61.3 million and the company's result, i.e. total income minus total expenses, was CHF 88.2 million.

EKZ's electricity sales remained stable in the first half of 2020 despite the lockdown. The lower sales among traders and the closure of shopping centers have been compensated for by shifting to higher sales in home offices. The EKZ supplies around 315,000 households and businesses with renewable energy.

The production capacities from renewable energy were expanded. The EKZ in Switzerland relies on the expansion of solar energy and domestic hydropower. The Dietikon river power plant was put back into operation. In Spain and Portugal the investment focus was on solar energy, in France and Germany on electricity production from wind power. With above-average wind conditions, 496 gigawatt hours of electricity were generated from wind energy, reports the EKZ.

Other focal points of the shopping center were charging solutions for tenants, apartment or house owners as well as the prosumer area. These are electricity consumers who are producers themselves at the same time as their own solar systems.

EKZ has been involved inPrimeo Energie AG since January 1st to work together in energy sales for energy supply companies and business customers.

January 2021

Alain Baumgartner complements the management team at Zug Estates

Alain Baumgartner, MRICS, has been Head Real Estate Portfolio Management and member of the extended management team at Avobis Group AG in Zurich since October 2019. Before that, he worked for over 10 years as a portfolio manager at Swiss Life Asset Management AG, most recently as Head Portfolio Commercial / Centers and Deputy Head of Portfolio Management. Mr. Baumgartner holds a MAS Master's in Advanced Studies in Real Estate Management from the HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Zurich.

January 2021

Swiss cities are getting smarter

Thanks to digitization, networking, participation and efficiency, a smart city should contribute to a higher quality of life and more sustainability. This is how most Swiss cities explain the concept of the Smart City, according to a study by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW).

The ZHAW carried out the study for the first time this year and was supported by several partners. A total of 84 Swiss cities and municipalities took part. According to the results, more than half of them rate the topic of smart cities as important or very important and are actively involved in it. At the end of 2020, however, only 23 cities had a developed smart city strategy. According to the ZHAW, this number is likely to increase in the coming years. For example, a strategy is already being developed for seven cities.

The ZHAW has examined the development of intelligent cities using nine dimensions. The cities surveyed had a total of 329 existing projects in these dimensions. Most of the projects – 98 in total – are part of the Smart Governance dimension. City apps or chatbots, for example, make it easier to access information relevant to administration. This category also includes digital building permits or the digital notification of relocation.

There are also 76 projects in the Smart Energy and Environment dimension. Certification as an energy city was mentioned here particularly often. Many projects aim to promote renewable energies and conserve resources. But intelligent power grids and lighting systems are also in focus in several cities.

According to the ZHAW, most smart city projects are initiated within the administration, by energy suppliers or by politics. The cities are often based on other cities at home and abroad. However, many cities would like more support overall from the federal government and the cantons.

January 2021
Swiss Energypark achieves record production

Last year, the Swiss Energypark achieved a production record for the generation of energy from wind power, hydropower and solar power. The amount of energy is stated in a press release as 127 gigawatt hours. In mathematical terms, this corresponds to the consumption of 28,200 households.

The Swiss Energypark, founded in 2016 on the initiative of Bern-based BKW Energie AG and the cantons of Bern and Jura, produces electricity in the Juvent wind power plant, the Mont-Soleil solar power plant and the La Goule hydropower plant on the Doubs. The region, which corresponds to the supply area of La Goule, was able to cover 86 percent of its needs with local renewable energy from sustainable sources, according to the announcement. Such a quota is unique in Switzerland at this level.

In the communication from Energypark and BKW it is pointed out that the supplied region is suitable as a test field for future developments in energy supply. Because the energy mix of wind power, hydropower and solar energy leads to the compensation of underproduction in one of the sectors. The stable high-pressure weather in 2020 increased solar power production, while the yield from hydropower decreased due to the temporary low water of the Doubs.

The Juvent wind power plant generated almost 85 gigawatt hours in 2020, which is the highest value ever achieved at a location in Switzerland and corresponds to the consumption of around 18,900 households. The forecasts made during construction in 2016 were exceeded by 20 percent.

January 2021
Landis + Gyr informs about new goals

On the occasion of an investor's day on Wednesday, Landis + Gyr confirmed the previous outlook for the 2020/21 financial year ending at the end of March. According to its press release , the Zug-based company continues to expect net sales of between 1.3 and 1.4 billion dollars. In addition, it continues to expect an improved EBITDA margin in the second half of the year compared to the first.

In the first half of the current fiscal year (to the end of September 2020) sales had dropped 27 percent to $ 623.5 million. Customers had suspended or slowed down the installation of meters due to the pandemic. But there have been no major cancellations. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Landis + Gyr's second largest UK market is "particularly worrying".

Landis + Gyr has defined new medium-term goals for the period up to 2023. The company is aiming for "organic sales growth in the low single-digit range". In addition, it is committed to a “progressive” dividend development. The 2019-2022 share buyback program remains suspended. The partnership with Google will accelerate the transition to cloud-based services.

In addition, Landis + Gyr announces the 100% acquisition of Rhebo , a German provider of cybersecurity solutions. On Monday, the company announced that it is by partnering with one of the largest energy suppliers Britain, EDF has secured a major contract. It stipulates that Landis + Gyr will deliver a further 650,000 of them by June 2025 after the first order of 500,000 intelligent electricity meters of the latest generation.

January 2021
Ecocoach launches load management for charging stations

Ecocoach is now offering e-mobility load management, the technology company from Schwyz informs in a message. The ecoChargingCoach can manage charging stations regardless of their manufacturer, is explained further there. Real estate operators and companies can use the system to reduce the load on their network connections from charging stations and thus save costs.

In the basic version, the ecoChargingCoach can manage up to ten AC charging stations, writes Ecocoach. In the future, the technology company wants to expand its e-mobility load management to include DC charging stations.

"The ecoChargingCoach is a particularly future-proof and flexible energy management solution for charging stations", Benjamin Friedrich, Senior Business Area Developer at Ecocoach, is quoted in the press release. The system is compatible with various technologies and with the products of various other providers, explains Friedrich. As a result, the ecoChargingCoach is "universally applicable for residential, industrial and commercial buildings".

January 2021
According to ENSI 2020, nuclear facilities were safe

In an initial assessment, ENSI announced that the nuclear power plants (NPP) in Switzerland were “safely operated” in the past year of supervision. The number of reportable incidents in 2020 was slightly below the average of previous years, according to a media release . Despite the pandemic situation, ENSI was present in the NPPs. All systems would have complied with the safety requirements.

Since pandemic plans were already in place before the coronavirus occurred, the operators were prepared for the current situation. Annual major revisions have been adapted to it. ENSI is convinced that you have nevertheless complied with the legal requirements.

The Mühleberg NPP has been shut down for good since September 15, 2020. The decommissioning of the research reactor at the University of Basel has now been completed to the point that no more reportable incidents can occur.

Most of these incidents, eight in total, concerned the Beznau NPP . On December 7th, both reactor blocks were shut down after an inspection required by ENSI and restarted on December 21st. Further clarifications on one aspect are still ongoing.

January 2021
Annual review 2020 of the SVSM

You, our members, are much more directly and substantially affected by the corona pandemic. Numerous location and economic promotions have had to experience that years of development work can become practically meaningless within a few weeks because of the lockdown or because of regional easing. Suddenly completely different factors were decisive for shopping, leisure and travel behavior, primarily the question: What is still allowed where? In such a situation – in which, in my view, federalism is reaching its limits – location and economic development can hardly exert any influence. To make matters worse: where the industry is struggling to survive, there is neither time nor energy, let alone money, left over to secure and promote regional location advantages. But right now it is important to think long-term, invest and expand on what has been achieved.

In these special times, we would like to thank you all the more for your loyalty to our association – even if you could not benefit from all the services to which you are entitled as part of your membership in 2020. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, UPC Switzerland and the electricity works of the Canton of Zurich EKZ, for their commitment. We very much hope that we can hold a half-day event as a new format in autumn 2021. Our general assembly in spring will also take place virtually this year. We will send you all relevant information and documents in the next few weeks. Of course, we will also keep you up to date on our annual program, including with our newsletter.

January 2021
Nomoko launches the «Praedia» platform for an exclusive group of real estate experts

Digitization has arrived in the real estate industry. With the advent of various real estate platforms, the industry took the first steps by making individual real estate portfolios digitally available. Nomoko is now taking a big step into the future: The goal of creating a central platform and community for various players in the real estate industry that searches the market, identifies and analyzes investment opportunities and accesses detailed real estate information. The participants in the “Real Estate Shapers Switzerland” program receive early access to the beta version of the platform and to an exclusive community of innovative, digitally-savvy real estate developers and investors. During the course of the year, the platform will be opened to all properties and investors.
Digital image of the physical world
Future users can expect a digital and detailed image of the physical world, a so-called “digital twin”. All real estate data available today are linked and harmonized. By bringing together relevant spatial data such as location information, real estate prices, building or zoning law data and Nomokos 3D visualizations, real estate projects can be decisively optimized by investors and developers. “A holistic and overarching approach is required for the sustainable creation of value in a digitized real estate industry. With the digital twin and the creation of an open ecosystem, Nomoko has the potential to finally bring the real estate industry into the digital age, ” says Daniel Kündig, former President and Honorary President of the SIA.

January 2021
Privera is reorganized for the year 2021

Privera combines the two complementary services “Letting Management” and “Trading” in the new “Marketing Switzerland” area. Marcel Frick, previously Head of Letting Management Switzerland, is in charge of the newly created organizational unit and thus combines the marketing expertise of the two departments. The rental management, as well as the trade, however, continue to act as an independent strategic service line of Privera.
In addition, the Center Management division was renamed Retail & Site Management as of January 2021. This better reflects the diverse range of services in the area. The management of shopping centers also includes retail marketing, the coordination of tenants' associations and the management of complex areas that include retail, office and residential space. Dieter Sommer says: "We are convinced that these adjustments will help both our customers and our company."

January 2021
Energie 360 ° is working on a power-to-gas solution

Energie 360 ° and the gas storage company RAG Austria are working on making solar energy available all year round. Both are jointly pursuing the innovative power-to-gas project Underground Sun Conversion – Flexible Storage . It started in December 2020 has a term of two and a half years and is supported by the European Commission promoted . Field tests are already underway at the RAG research site in Pilsbach, Upper Austria.

In this project, excess renewable energy, such as solar power in summer, is converted into hydrogen, explains Energie 360 ° in a press release . This is then stored together with carbon dioxide in natural underground storage at a depth of over 1000 meters. There, microorganisms combine hydrogen and carbon to form renewable methane gas. This energy can be used in the event of supply gaps, for example in winter. The advantage over pumped storage power plants or batteries lies in the much higher storage capacity and, at the same time, less surface area, according to Energie 360 °.

In Switzerland, the two companies cooperate with the University of Bern , the University of Applied Sciences in Eastern Switzerland and the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ). "We are working together on the solution to one of the greatest challenges facing the energy system of the future: How do we advance volatile renewable energy sources such as sun and wind and at the same time offer year-round security of supply?", Says Andreas Kunz, Head of Energy Systems at Energie 360 °.

January 2021
The city of Zug is becoming even more digital

The city of Zug has introduced a new app called eZug, according to a media release . This is a digital platform for residents. They can use this to identify themselves to city authorities, request and receive official documents and keep them safe or forward them. This is currently possible, for example, for certificates of ability to act, identity cards, certificates of repute, certificates of residence or extracts from debt enforcement. Over time, new services should be added continuously. For example, a parent portal is to be integrated into the app by summer. There parents and teachers of the city schools should be able to communicate with each other.

“The launch of eZug shows that we are speeding up the implementation of our smart city strategy. With eZug we are laying an important foundation stone for other planned e-government applications, ”said Mayor Karl Kobelt in the message.

The core of the app is the eID + technology developed by Procivis AG in Zurich and successfully used by the Canton of Schaffhausen since 2018. Residents who already use the existing ZUGLOGIN infrastructure can have the information they have entered there transferred to the new app.

January 2021
Axpo implements alpine solar systems with partners

The large-scale solar system originally initiated by Axpo on the Muttsee dam is becoming the AlpinSolar joint project between Denner, Axpo and IWB . As everyone said in a press release of the same name, the energy suppliers Axpo and IWB will install and commission the largest alpine solar system in Switzerland in the summer. Almost 5,000 solar modules are to produce around 3.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year on the south-facing dam. Discounter Denner will take it off for 20 years.

At 2500 meters above sea level, a lot of renewable energy can be generated even in the winter months. Since the system is installed on an existing dam, it is particularly environmentally friendly. This is another reason why AlpinSolar is “a system that the energy transition needs”.

Nevertheless, “due to the lack of framework conditions, such systems are hardly economically feasible today”, regrets Axpo CEO Christoph Brand. “Nevertheless, we decided, together with strong partners, to implement this lighthouse project” and “to set an example”. "We see the project as an important contribution to the discussion for the upcoming legislative revisions."

IWB, the energy supplier for the canton of Basel-Stadt, has a 49 percent share in the project. It goes well with the company, says IWB CEO Claus Schmidt, because "the expansion of electricity production from solar energy also in Switzerland" is part of its own strategy.

January 2021
Zurich adapts real estate strategy to growth

Liegenschaften Stadt Zürich (LSZ) acts as the owner, investor and manager of buildings in the city that are rented to third parties. Now LSZ has redefined its strategy to take the city's growth into account. “This growth is gratifying and confirms the policy of the city council. At the same time, however, it also poses a challenge, for example in relation to the increasing need for space for urban infrastructure and non-profit living, ”City Councilor Daniel Leupi is quoted in a communication from the City of Zurich , head of the finance department.

In the context of the fields of action residential, commercial / special real estate and land reserves / building rights, priorities are to be set in the future. This includes the preservation of small businesses, the transparent leasing of both residential and commercial space, digitization and ecological sustainability.

In addition, land reserves, which will not be finalized until the next few years, are to be opened for temporary use. This would create free spaces, "which are also used very actively culturally and not commercially and thus contribute to a colorful and diverse city," says von Leupi.

January 2021
IWB takes a stake in Agro Energie Schwyz

IWB continues to grow with renewable energies. According to its own information, it joins the heating network of Agro Energie Schwyz AG ( AES ). Since 2006, it has built a modern network of over 100 kilometers in the Schwyz valley basin with state-of-the-art production facilities. A wood-fired thermal power station , an ORC system and a biogas system supply around 1,500 customers. The aim of AES is to build and operate a regional, independent and CO2-neutral energy supply in the region. The operator also attaches great importance to local added value.

IWB takes over shares from the largest shareholder, the Profond pension fund. Profond was looking for an investor with proven expertise in heat supply and a credible ecological focus. With this investment, IWB is following its strategy of decarbonising the heat supply, also outside the canton of Basel-Stadt.

"Agro Energie Schwyz is an innovative, rapidly growing company with a clear focus on renewable energy supply," explains IWB CEO Dr. Claus Schmidt choosing his company. "As the operator of the largest Swiss district heating network, IWB can contribute its vast experience in the heating network and at the same time expand its leading position in renewable heating."

January 2021
Siemens frees the Monte Rosa Hut from lead

The 2883 meter high Monte Rosa Hut in the Valais Alps has been equipped by Siemens Switzerland with new batteries to store the self-generated solar power. The new hut, which was inaugurated in 2010 and replaced the old one from 1895, with its modern building services – also from Siemens – is a so-called high-tech hut. In the campaign that has now ended, the 48 old lead batteries with a total weight of 8.6 tons, which had reached the end of their useful life, were replaced by 14 lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP) with a capacity of 215 kilowatt hours , according to a media release. Installation and removal took place in cooperation with Air Zermatt AG .

The Monte Rosa Hut is largely energy self-sufficient. A photovoltaic system is built into the south side of the hut. There are also thermal solar collectors. All data on building performance such as the solar power generated or the battery power have been fed into the Siemens building navigator since 2010. Because all technical systems are digitized, they can also be controlled remotely.

The energy self-sufficiency of the hut is to be increased with the new battery solution, according to the Siemens announcement. The generator set for bad weather will also be relieved. With the new system, the energy supply of the Monte Rosa hut should be secured at any time of day and in any weather condition.

January 2021
Schlieren will be electric in the future

The city of Schlieren has purchased its first electric garbage truck. One of the three refuse vehicles in Schlieren has reached its useful life and needs to be replaced, according to a message . Since the city has been relying on e-mobility when purchasing new vehicles for reasons of sustainability since 2020, an electric model was also selected for the new refuse vehicle. This is being built by Designwerk Products AG in Winterthur.

At its meeting on January 13, the city council approved the expenditure of 775,000 francs. The municipal parliament approved the budget for the procurement of the refuse vehicle on December 16, 2020.

According to the announcement, the first electric refuse vehicle in Schlieren offers several advantages in operation. On the one hand there is the CO2 reduction. But the operating costs also pay off. Because the energy costs for electricity are much cheaper compared to diesel. The maintenance and repair costs are also less expensive than with diesel, because there are fewer wearing parts with electric motors than with burn-out motors. In addition, there were no HVF charges – the heavy vehicle charge – or road traffic charges. With a service life of ten years, the electric vehicle is therefore much cheaper than a diesel-powered vehicle, according to the city council's justification.

January 2021
BKW renews substations in Oberaargau

BKW is renewing its aging substations in the Bernese communities of Huttwil, Niederbipp and Bannwil, the energy service provider informed in a message . The reason given there is the increasing energy demand in Oberaargau. Various companies are planning to expand their capacities here, writes BKW.

BKW plans to invest around CHF 11 million in the renewal of the three substations. The work will be carried out jointly with the subsidiaries AEK and onyx , as the systems also supply the areas of these subsidiaries, according to the announcement. The areas around Niederbipp, Densingen, Bannwil, Herzogenbuchsee and Huttwil are to be equipped with “state-of-the-art network technology” by 2023, writes BKW.

The work in Huttwil is about to be completed, the energy service provider continues in the message. Here the 50 kilovolt system was renewed and housed in a new building. Work in Niederbipp has been going on since August last year. The old 16 kilovolt system will be replaced by a more powerful new one. A new 50 kilovolt switchgear is to be installed in Bannwil.

January 2021
Ludicious Zurich Game Festival ceases operations

The city of Zurich and the Pro Helvetia cultural foundation will no longer continue the Ludicious Zurich Game Festival, according to a media release . The event was considered to be one of the largest gaming festivals in German-speaking countries. It consisted of a combination of presentations, panel discussions, seminars and awards ceremonies. The event last took place digitally in July 2020 due to the corona pandemic.

The city of Zurich intends to support Swiss game developers in the future in other formats, according to the announcement. Meanwhile, Pro Helvetia wants to get involved in the presentation of Swiss developers at international conferences.

“I am very sad to see Ludicious disappear after years of growth. At the same time, we are aware that we have helped to bring the Swiss game developers together and to support them, ”said Ludicious President Chris Bergstresser as quoted in the press release.

January 2021
ETH model paves the way for the energy transition

At the Energy Science Center ( ESC ) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ), an interdisciplinary research group is working on the Nexus-e platform. It is intended to help answer the fundamental questions that the energy transition that has been adopted will raise for politics, business, science and society now and in the years to come. The project is supported by the Federal Office for Energy .

As a video from ETH shows, Nexus-e is supposed to map the entire complex Swiss electricity system. “In order to find solutions for the future, you need more flexibility,” project manager Marius Schwarz is quoted in an article by the ETH. "With Nexus-e we want to provide a platform with which we can model different scenarios and thus facilitate the transformation of the energy sector in the coming decades."

This transparent platform is supposed to be a kind of toolbox. Its flexible modules are intended to represent the Swiss economy as a whole and the electricity market as well as the electricity market, investments in decentralized and centralized energy systems, network security and network expansion.

It also serves as a modeling infrastructure that is continuously used in research and teaching. This will make it a modeling platform for interdisciplinary research within the university. But it should also be used outside as a test environment and further developed. "We are therefore open to new collaborations in the academic field, but also with political decision-makers or representatives from industry," said ESC director Christian Schaffner.

January 2021
Lidl is planning branches for the future

Lidl Switzerland had already committed itself in 2014 to make the operation of its branches more sustainable, informs the retail company in a message . After all, the energy consumption of 150 Swiss Lidl branches corresponds to that of a medium-sized city in the country. The savings potential is correspondingly large.

New branches are to be implemented as early as this year with the help of an innovative energy concept, the communication further explains. "It is very important to us that our future locations are future-proof and sustainable with regard to building materials, energy consumption and technology", Reto Ruch, Chief Real Estate Officer of Lidl Switzerland, is quoted there. Lidl Switzerland is working with Empa to develop this energy concept.

In a first step, the two partners will analyze the energy consumption of the existing branches. As a result, optimization measures should then be derived from this. At the same time, Empa and Lidl want to test alternative energy systems with the help of computer simulations. "Our goal is to help Lidl Switzerland with our research work to further improve sustainability, continue to reduce emissions in the future and optimize energy management," explains Empa researcher Curdin Derungs in the press release.

January 2021
Dietikon chooses architecture project for school expansion

The winner in the architecture competition for the expansion of the Wolfsmatt school complex in Dietikon has been determined. The Zurich architectural office Bünzli Courvoisier was awarded the contract by the Dietiker city council. On the one hand, according to the media release, the design “In the green” was convincing by retaining the basic idea of a pavilion school with arcades between the units and a structurally enclosed playground. On the other hand, the offer was also among the cheapest, it is said.

The school house expansion has become necessary because of the increasing number of students. The Wolfsmatt facility was built in 1962 and has become too small. Today, according to the announcement, it has to be expanded to include two more primary class trains, group, daycare and multi-purpose rooms as well as a gym. The extensions will be built to the south of the existing facility. This should also create a new access. From a landscape point of view, the current figure of pavilion buildings and surrounding open spaces will be preserved and logically supplemented, according to the announcement.

The contract for the general planning team under the leadership of Bünzli Courvoisier Architekten AG is to be awarded in a referendum in 2022. If approved, construction is to begin in 2024. The model for the project can be viewed in the foyer of the town hall from now until February 12th.

January 2021
BKW takes over German engineering company

The BKW Group has strengthened its engineering network in Germany with the takeover of R&P Ruffert GmbH , the energy service provider from Bern informs in a message . The company, which was founded in Limburg in 1976, has additional locations in Erfurt, Halle, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. In addition, the engineering company specializing in structural engineering has project offices in Berlin, Koblenz, Frankfurt, Leipzig and Nuremberg.

The annual turnover of R&P Ruffert GmbH is put at a “lower double-digit million amount”. No information is given there about the purchase price. The approval of the takeover by the German antitrust authorities is currently pending.

After the takeover, R&P Ruffert GmbH is to be incorporated into the BKW subsidiary BKW Engineering . BKW informs that the management will remain with the previous owners and managing directors. With the takeover, she wants to "expand the competencies of her network and strengthen her position in the competition with multidisciplinary market leaders", says the press release.

January 2021
Plug'n Roll builds e-charging network for the canton of Zurich

Following a public tender, the canton of Zurich decided in favor of the e-mobility provider from Repower as the installer and later operator of the charging infrastructure on the canton's own property. According to a media release , the vehicle fleet in the canton of Zurich is to be converted to non-fossil vehicles by 2030.

Plug'n Roll of Repower has signed with the Canton of a framework agreement. Because it has not yet been established exactly how many charging stations will have to be built for electric vehicles. The partners expect 880 charging stations to be required by 2025. According to the announcement, a total of 765 of these are to be set up with a charging capacity of three to 22 kilowatts. There are also 115 fast charging stations with a charging capacity of 22 to 150 kilowatts. In the canton of Zurich, a total of 1,000 to 1,450 charging stations are expected to be required by 2030.

Plug'n Roll should not just build up the charging network. The Zurich government council has awarded the contract for the procurement and management of the charging stations. The overall order, which is to be fulfilled by 2025, includes delivery, assembly, commissioning, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of the stations as well as the administration of the energy billing, according to the message from Repower.

January 2021