immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Category: immoNews

  • ABB supplies electric propulsion for luxury yachts

    ABB supplies electric propulsion for luxury yachts

    ABB and Oceanco have decided to collaborate in the field of sustainable marine propulsion. Initially, ABB will supply two 2.5 megwatt Azipod units as well as drive and control units for a super yacht from Oceanco, according to a media release .

    According to the company, the Azipod system from ABB is based "on a controllable drive system, the electric drive of which is installed in a nacelle below the ship's hull". It can reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent compared to conventional shaft drives.

    This first delivery is the start of a more intensive cooperation with Oceanco, as ABB writes in its press release. The company expects the sustainable electric powertrain market to grow to more than $ 10 billion by 2025.

    “We are very pleased to have signed this first contract with Oceanco and look forward to future cooperation. As an important basis of our relationship, our two companies are united by the claim to sustainably develop our business, ”said Thomas Hackman from ABB Marine & Ports.

  • MoneyPark opens its real estate platform

    MoneyPark opens its real estate platform

    MoneyPark's real estate platform is "consistently built on big data technology", explains the Zurich-based fintech company in a press release . According to her, MoneyPark has now activated theplatform for the general public. Originally what their use was reserved for MoneyPark customers.

    Potential buyers or sellers as well as owners of a property can access detailed information about the desired property via the platform, is explained further in the communication. Buyers and sellers also have the opportunity to seek advice from MoneyPark's mortgage and real estate specialists. "The new platform is not only a milestone in MoneyPark's still young company history, but above all a huge gain in transparency for every property seeker, owner and seller", Stefan Heitmann, founder and CEO of MoneyPark, is quoted in the press release.

    With its real estate platform, MoneyPark wants to bring "more movement into the Swiss real estate market, which has been static for decades and has not been very innovative," according to the announcement. The company started in 2012 with the aim of facilitating access to the real estate market. “With our new platform offering, we can reach out to our customers much sooner and much longer and help them to fulfill their dream of owning a home,” says Heitmann.

  • PriceHubble expands in the Netherlands

    PriceHubble expands in the Netherlands

    PriceHubble is now also present in the Netherlands. At the same time as opening its new presence in Amsterdam, the Zurich-based property valuation specialist is starting a strategic partnership with Yellowtail Conclusion, according to a press release. PriceHubble supports players in the real estate sector with their investment decisions using innovative technologies such as machine learning and big data analytics.

    Thomas Berghaus heads the new company PriceHubble Netherlands BV "The real estate market in the Netherlands has been growing for years and the strong influx will further reinforce this trend, especially in the area of residential property development," Berghaus is quoted in the press release. “That is why this location is one of the most attractive in all of Europe. "Our digital product solutions help Dutch brokers, intermediaries and banks to successfully open up the market and create transparency."

    PriceHubble and Yellowtail want to jointly develop new service concepts for mortgage advice with the help of digital real estate valuation. "We are therefore proud", says Yellowtail Managing Director Matthijs Mons, "that we can support PriceHubble in entering the Dutch market".

  • Visualization solutions – welcome helpers in the pandemic

    Visualization solutions – welcome helpers in the pandemic

    In order to master the challenges, digital visualization solutions can be welcome tools. A simple application as well as a quick and uncomplicated implementation are decisive for the selection. With overcrowded appointments, it is certainly not an easy task to give yourself the necessary time for this. In addition, there is an almost unmanageable number of solution providers , which make a well-founded selection difficult. From virtual inspections, to digital live tours with or without robots, to interactive 3D tours or digital twins, there are a variety of PropTech solutions that allow companies to break new ground and adapt to changing needs. If you choose the right provider , this not only leads to a new customer experience and benefits, but also brings significant increases in efficiency as well as cost and CO2 savings.

    Even if the pandemic brings with it great challenges, it also offers an opportunity to go on a discovery tour and explore new ways. Find out which path will lead you into the future and get an overview of quality-tested visualization solutions for the real estate and construction industry .

    Overview of visualization solutions: https://proptechmarket.net/visualisierung

  • Biomass plant produces electricity and gas

    Biomass plant produces electricity and gas

    A team of researchers from the Group of Energy Materials ( GEM ) in Sion, which is part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ), conducted a two-year study on the optimal configuration of biomass systems. As EPFL is now reporting , they have developed a method by means of which local biomass flows can be integrated into power grids and gas pipelines.

    Your system can be used to generate and store electricity and natural gas. It can be particularly useful in conjunction with other local but weather-dependent renewable energy systems such as solar panels and wind farms by closing any gaps in electricity production. Their models were calculated on the basis of a Danish and an Italian case study.

    “Our goal was to develop an effective approach to grid balancing that relies more on renewable energies,” explains study leader Maria Perez Fortes. “Electricity is consumed when the supply is high (to store it as gas) and generated when the supply is low.” This is why the team decided to use reversible solid oxide cells, “the only technology that seamlessly between Can switch electricity and gas generation ".

    The GEM scientists specialize in this technology, which can both store electricity as methane (Power2Gas) and convert the methane back into electricity – with high yields in both directions. As stated in the communication, their method could optimize electricity and gas distribution networks and their coupling, ensure a continuous power supply and enable utilities to manage their systems more efficiently.

  • Frauenfeld gets wood power plant

    Frauenfeld gets wood power plant

    The energy and mobility service provider Energie 360 ° from Zurich and the Swiss company Zucker AG are jointly building a wood-fired thermal power station in Frauenfeld. From June 2022, it will supply electricity for around 8,000 households as well as heat for the sugar factory and the Frauenfeld West heating network. For this purpose, the two companies will found Bioenergie Frauenfeld AG. In a press release of the same name, they emphasize that this wood-fired thermal power station is "climate-positive".

    Wood gas is obtained from wood in a thermochemical process. This gas drives engines that produce renewable electricity from it. This thermochemical process produces recyclable biochar. This means that around 9,000 tons of CO2 stored in the wood would not be released each year, but instead permanently withdrawn from the atmosphere.

    The heart of the power plant will be supplied and installed by the Tyrolean company Syncraft. According to the press release, their proprietary and patented technology is one of the most efficient in the industry.

    "On the one hand, our company wants to diversify," says Guido Stäger, CEO of Schweizer Zucker AG, "on the other hand, we are making our production processes more sustainable. From 2022, the wood-fired power station will contribute to both goals. "

  • Pandemic strengthens real estate market

    Pandemic strengthens real estate market

    Almost all of the 74 experts surveyed by EY for the Real Estate Investment Market Switzerland 2021 trend barometer rate the attractiveness of the Swiss real estate market as attractive to very attractive, EY informs in a message on the trend barometer. Compared to last year, the attraction to investors has even increased slightly again, it is said there. Only 15 percent of those surveyed expect a decline in investment volume. In the 2020 trend barometer, the corresponding value was 17 percent.

    “On a global level, we see a lack of investment alternatives, high investment pressure and increasing economic uncertainty as drivers for the real estate asset class,” Claudio Rudolf, author and head of Transaction Real Estate at EY in Switzerland, is quoted in the press release. Specifically, Rudolf names the pandemic and Brexit as the drivers for volatility. “Against this background, investors recognize a safe haven in the Swiss real estate market that is more resistant to crises than in other countries,” says the real estate expert.

    However, the barometer also shows differences within the sectors. "While the developments in the different real estate sectors were more closely correlated in the past – according to the motto 'the tide lifts all boats' – the corona pandemic is making the real estate market more differentiated," explains Daniel Zaugg, Head of Real Estate at EY in Switzerland. Sectors that are less risky, such as residential real estate, are likely to benefit from increased risk aversion among investors, the press release said. The barometer for office properties in central locations and the holiday hotel industry sees good opportunities for a quick recovery from the pandemic. Business hotels, office properties in the periphery and shopping centers, on the other hand, do not see any good chances of recovery in the long term either.

  • Lausanne bans combustion engines from 2030

    Lausanne bans combustion engines from 2030

    The city of Lausanne presented its climate plan for 2050 on Thursday. Its motto is “0% CO2, 100% solidarity”. The climate goals are to be flanked by strong social measures, for example for tenants and users of public transport. As stated in a communication from the city administration, they want to lead “a real debate” on the most important goals and measures with “broad-based consultations and participatory processes”.

    From 2030, Lausanne will ban all vehicles with internal combustion engines from the urban area. In the course of this, the city administration is proposing a significant reduction in local public transport tariffs as well as an expansion of the pedestrian zone in the center and main bicycle routes from every point of the compass into the city center.

    In addition, the annual renovation rate for old buildings is to be increased from 1 to 3.3 percent. Gas and oil heating systems are to be replaced gradually. In order to achieve CO2 neutrality of buildings by 2050, investments of 1 billion Swiss francs are necessary. At the same time, studies would be carried out, for example to analyze the effects of a building renovation policy on rents. Strong social measures must ensure that climate policy is supported by the entire population.

    The area of the leaves of trees is expected to grow by 50 percent by 2040. "The resilient city of the 21st century will then be lavishly landscaped," says the message. Overall, direct greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall by 49 percent by 2030 and by 71 percent by 2040. The goal of zero emissions is to be achieved in 2050.

    The implementation of this policy will change the city radically, so the city leaders. In order to be successful, it must become a collective project and should not leave out any population groups.

  • Bluefactory implements an innovative energy and water concept

    Bluefactory implements an innovative energy and water concept

    The Bluefactory Friborg-Freiburg AG will implement an exemplary concept at the location of its low-carbon innovation quarter in the middle of Freiburg from spring. It is supposed to control their energy and water flows. She developed it together with the energy supplier Groupe E and SINEF AG , which focuses on water, energy and industrial pipelines. According to a statement from Groupe E, the first phase of implementation is estimated at CHF 11 million. The concept can also be used in other quarters.

    For this purpose, the supply networks to be created should optimally use the local natural resources – Pilettes source, geothermal energy, sun – and the facilities located in the vicinity such as water storage tanks, sewer pipes, cable ducts and the district heating network. All of this is aimed at a circular economy. It is intended to reduce the district's energetic and ecological footprint and promote biodiversity. Last but not least, users should also feel comfortable with it.

    Groupe E will implement an energy concept based on the principle of heat exchange at low temperatures. The thermal energy comes directly from the ground, from the Pilettes source, as well as from rainwater and sewage. Peak loads are covered by the nearby Freiburg district heating system. Photovoltaic systems provide the daily electricity.

    The concept for water management developed by SINEF AG enables the reintroduction of a more natural water cycle in the city center. Rainwater, for example, is collected and wastewater is cleaned on site. Collected water is used for flushing toilets, cleaning and irrigation. Urine-based fertilizer is produced on site.

  • Jasmina Ritz promotes the idea of the Limmatstadt

    Jasmina Ritz promotes the idea of the Limmatstadt

    According to Jasmina Ritz, the Limmat Valley and the idea of the Limmat City is more than just the route between Baden and Zurich. The managing director of Limmatstadt AG , now based in Schlieren, pointed out in an interview in the customer magazine "blue" of the electricity works of the canton of Zurich ( EKZ ) that the change from an agglomeration area to a coherent urban area has long been taking place there. "We accompany this change, bundle resources, combine the advantages and strengths of the individual communities into a common Limmat city", Ritz is quoted as saying. It names four important cornerstones for the realization of the idea of transforming the many municipalities – which are not to be merged – into a city on the Limmat: Networking of municipalities and politicians, the economy and the population. As a second point, Ritz mentions the positioning of the region with a common face, the development of the region as well as image promotion and the creation of a supra-regional awareness.

    From Jasmina Ritz's point of view, the Limmattalbahn is very important for the desired cohesion. The managing director is quoted as saying that it is not just a huge commitment to the federal and cantonal region. The railway networks the communities and is the backbone of urban development, "Without the tram, the Limmat Valley would have been just an agglomeration", Ritz is quoted as saying in "blue".

    This growing together and a shared cross-border vision was made possible by the development in the Limmat Valley. In the past, this was only perceived as an industrial location and a traffic axis. But a common city on the Limmat with its numerous municipalities would have much more economic and political weight. Limmatstadt AG is setting a cultural and economic agenda for the entire region. The regional magazine "36 km" – named after the length of the Limmat between Zurich and Baden – draws attention to regional products or recommends the best hiking trails, bike routes and the like. The daily newsletter “punkt4 Limmatstadt”, in which the activities of the companies are exclusively present, contributes to the “branding strategy”, ie the anchoring of the name Limmatstadt in the consciousness. Ritz: "There is no other region."

  • EZL increases the proportion of biogas

    EZL increases the proportion of biogas

    Energie Zürichsee Linth introduced a proportion of biogas in its basic gas supply years ago, the utility company informed in a press release . Now EZL has increased this share to 20 percent biogas, it says there. For the customer, however, this is not associated with a price increase. He simply gets “an ecologically better product” with the same heat output.

    In the catchment area of EZL, customers could also “drive in a particularly environmentally friendly way,” explains the utility company in the press release. All filling stations here offer 100 percent biogas. At a current price of CHF 1.05 per liter, customers would benefit “twice”, writes EZL. On the one hand, the price is around 30 percent below that of gasoline. And on the other hand, they are CO2-free on the road with biogas.

    EZL operates its own plant for processing biogas at the Obersee wastewater treatment plant in Schmerikon SG. According to the company, the biogas produced there is enough for more than 500 vehicles with an annual mileage of around 15,000 kilometers a year.

  • City of Zurich liquidates Fernwärme Zürich AG

    City of Zurich liquidates Fernwärme Zürich AG

    The waste incineration plant Josefstrasse has reached the end of its service life and will therefore be shut down on March 31, the civil engineering and waste disposal department of the city of Zurich informed in a message . The area managed by the Josefstrasse plant will in future be supplied with district heating from the Hagenholz plant via a new connection line, it said.

    The Josefstrasse cogeneration plant has been operated by the City of Zurich together with Energie Baden-Württemberg AG ( EnBW ) since 2011. The municipal service department ERZ Disposal + Recycling Zurich was responsible for operations. EnBW was responsible for the procurement of waste in neighboring countries. The two partners founded Fernwärme Zürich AG (FWZ) for the joint operation of the waste-to-energy plant.

    With the closure of the Josefstrasse plant, the two partners are now ending their cooperation. As previously contractually agreed, the City of Zurich is therefore buying up EnBW's 40 percent stake in FWZ. The notification puts the purchase price at 480,000 francs. Following the complete takeover by the City of Zurich, the FWZ is to be liquidated.

  • Limmatstadt AG is now based in Schlieren

    Limmatstadt AG is now based in Schlieren

    The Limmatstadt AG location promotion organization has moved from Zurich to Schlieren. With the new year she is now based in JED , the former NZZ printing company. From the new premises within the Coworking Space Branch Collab on the ground floor of JED, managing director Jasmina Ritz and her employees will continue to campaign for the Limmattal location and are now even closer to the pulse of the region, as a message shows .

    In JED with anchor tenants such as Zühlke and Halter , innovations are promoted and jobs are created. The Coworking Space Branch Collab also contributes to this with its flexible workspaces and as a platform for collaborative work. The companies and entrepreneurs based in JED as well as Limmatstadt AG benefit from the easy accessibility via the Limmattalbahn (Wagonsfabrik stop).

  • Implenia is building on the Empa campus in Dübendorf

    Implenia is building on the Empa campus in Dübendorf

    Implenia is implementing the first stage of the new Empa campus in Dübendorf. According to its media release , the construction company will build a laboratory building, a multifunctional building and a multi-storey car park for the Federal Water Supply Agency (Eawag) from spring 2021. Completion is planned for autumn 2023. The order volume is around CHF 56 million.

    This winning project by sam architects emerged from a two-stage overall performance competition. In the press release, Implenia describes its architectural language as “functionally elegant and elegantly reserved”. All new buildings are to receive a Minergie-P-Eco certification.

    "We are very pleased that we are able to carry out another interesting project for Empa Eawag with the research campus", Jens Vollmar, Head Division Buildings at Implenia, is quoted in the press release. "We are thus building on the longstanding relationship that we were able to develop, for example, with the successful implementation of the Chriesbach Forum, also in Dübendorf."

  • Aventron and HIAG found solar company

    Aventron and HIAG found solar company

    Aventron and HIAG team up: Their new joint company, HIAG Solar AG, wants to expand the production of solar power on the roofs of HIAG properties in the long term. HIAG holds 49 percent of the joint venture, aventron 51 percent. Aventron CEO Antoine Millioud finds an “optimal connection”: “HIAG has very large roof areas in Switzerland and aventron has proven expertise in the planning, implementation and operation of high-performance solar systems.”

    As stated in a press release from HIAG, HIAG Solar AG wants to become a major solar power producer in Switzerland in the medium term and gradually expand its capacity. 65,000 square meters of space are currently available for photovoltaic modules. They should generate around 10 mega-watt peak power.

    The aim is to produce 10 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. This corresponds to a CO2 equivalent saving of 4.2 million tons. The first four systems are already being planned. They should start operating this year and next.

  • Repower is investing in German wind farms with partners

    Repower is investing in German wind farms with partners

    At the beginning of the year, Repower expanded its portfolio of wind turbines in Germany, the Graubünden energy supplier informed in apress release . Specifically, Repower has taken over the Berlar wind farm in North Rhine-Westphalia. The plant with five turbines and a total output of 7.5 megawatts is expected to produce around 14.4 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. The notification does not provide any information about the purchase price.

    According to the announcement, the Graubünden energy supplier already operates a number of wind farms in Italy and Germany. The new acquisition is to be integrated into the German Repartner Wind GmbH. The company is wholly owned by Bündner Repartner Produktions AG , which is 51 percent majority owned by Repower. The trucks hold the largest minority share with 10.39 percent.

    Via Repartner Produktions AG, Repower wants to offer its shareholders “access to diversified, renewable electricity production”, according to the announcement. In addition to Repower and LKW, other Swiss energy companies are involved in Repartner Produktions AG, including Eniva, WWZ and the electricity works of the Canton of Zurich (EKZ).

    “This stake is an absolute gain for LKW,” said Gerald Marxer, CEO of LKW, in a separate announcement from LKW on the takeover of the wind farm. "On the one hand, we can increase our own production and, on the other hand, we are investing in renewable production technologies in accordance with our strategy."

  • Dietikon bietet Lichtkunst in der dunklen Jahreszeit

    Dietikon bietet Lichtkunst in der dunklen Jahreszeit

    Mit Lichtkunst der Kulturabstinenz trotzen lautet das Motto der abendlichen Dauerpräsentation „DietikON – Lichtkunst erleben“ vom 15. Januar bis 28. Februar im Stadtzentrum von Dietikon. Die Lichtkunst wird jeweils von 17 bis 22 Uhr das Zentrum erhellen. Das Spektrum der Arbeiten von zwölf Künstlerinnen und Künstlern aus der ganzen Schweiz reicht laut einer Ankündigung von poetischen Arbeiten bis hin zu kräftigen, plakativen Werken.

    „Das Projekt ‚DietikON – Lichtkunst erleben‘ soll Licht in die Stadt bringen und den vielen Menschen Trost und Zuversicht spenden, die sich in dieser dunklen Jahreszeit einsam oder in ihrer Freiheit eingeengt fühlen“, wird Stadtpräsident Roger Bachmann in einer Mitteilung zitiert. Schliesslich habe die Dietiker Bevölkerung im Dezember auf den Chlauseinzug und den Weihnachtsmarkt verzichten müssen. Auch sei die Weihnachtsbeleuchtung im Dietiker Stadtzentrum bescheidener ausgefallen als in den Vorjahren, weil infolge der Bauarbeiten viele Kandelaber fehlten. Deshalb habe ein Projektteam rund um die Standortförderung mit „DietikON“ eine Ausstellung organisiert, die Kunstschaffenden die Möglichkeit bietet, ihre Werke im öffentlichen Raum vorzustellen und so Licht und Trost in die dunkle Jahreszeit zu bringen.

    Der Grossteil der Objekte werde im Aussenraum stehen, heisst es auf der Kulturseite der Stadt Dietikon. Dort sind auch die Standorte auf einem Stadtplan eingezeichnet. Vereinzelt werden auch Schaufenster und Innenräume bespielt. Die wenigen im Innenraum aufgestellten Kunstwerke können, ganz corona-konform, durch Schaufenster betrachtet werden, die Räumlichkeiten müssen dafür nicht betreten werden, heist es dort.

    Gezeigt würden sowohl neu erarbeitete Werke, die einzig für die Stadt Dietikon geschaffen wurden und auch mit den örtlichen Gegebenheiten spielen, als auch bereits bestehende Werke, die durch den neuen Kontext der urbanen Stadtlandschaft eine andere Bedeutung erhalten, wird Cinzia Marti von der Standortförderung Dietikon zitiert.

  • Aare power plant in Klingnau generates more electricity

    Aare power plant in Klingnau generates more electricity

    The Aare power plant in Klingnau produced a total of 202 million kilowatt hours of electricity last year, according to a media release . This corresponds roughly to the consumption of 45,000 four-person households. Production was higher than in the previous year due to slightly higher discharge volumes. At that time, the power plant had produced 186 million kilowatt hours of electricity.

    The Aare power plant in Klingnau is 60 percent owned by the Baden-based energy company Axpo . The remaining shares belong to AEW Energie AG , based in Aarau. The annual costs borne by the partners in 2020 totaled 9.7 million francs, which is slightly below the costs of the previous year (10 million francs). The production costs were around 4.78 cents per kilowatt hour.

    The Board of Directors of Aarekraftwerk Klingnau AG has approved the annual report and the accounts for the 2019/20 financial year, according to the information, at the beginning of the week for the attention of the General Meeting. This will take place on March 12th.

  • Cantonal court rejects objections to the wind farm

    Cantonal court rejects objections to the wind farm

    The Cantonal Court of Neuchâtel gives the green light to the Montagne de Buttes wind farm . It rejected all objections to the Verrivent SA project. The plaintiffs can now appeal.

    In an identical media release, wind farm operator Verrivent and its half owner, the energy supplier Groupe E Greenwatt , welcome the positive signal. "The decision shows how important the Montagne de Buttes project is for the future of an entire region," Verrivent Chairman of the Board of Directors Alain Sapin is quoted in the press release. The other half of the share capital of Verrivent SA is held by Services Industriels de Genève (SIG). It is planned to open up the share capital to the community in the long term.

    According to the notification, this judicial decision follows a decision of the Neuchâtel government council. In May 2019, he dealt with all objections to the public edition of the cantonal map. The wind farm is part of this plan. In addition, the canton decided on December 28, 2020 to reject all appeals filed in June 2016 against building permit applications in the three affected municipalities of Val-de-Travers, Les Verrières and La Côte-aux-Fées.

    The Montagne de Buttes wind farm with 19 wind turbines is to be built on this site. With an annual electricity production of around 100 million kilowatt hours, it should cover 10 percent of the current annual electricity consumption in the canton and save 180,000 tons of CO2 per year. The investments amount to 140 million francs.

  • Winners of the Watt d'Or energy award have been announced

    Winners of the Watt d'Or energy award have been announced

    The Federal Office of Energy awarded its Watt d'Or energy prize for the 14th time on January 7th. The award is intended to publicize exceptional achievements in the energy sector. But there is no prize money.

    The prize was awarded in four categories. In the Energy Technologies category, Adaptricity emerged as the winner. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) is developing software that facilitates the planning and monitoring of distribution networks. In doing so, it helps to make the grids fit for the future of energy.

    In the renewable energies category, ABB and Romande Energie won a power plant in the Alps. On the Lac des Toules reservoir in Valais, Romande Energie operates a hydropower plant that also supplies solar power. The facility is unique for this height. ABB was able to successfully solve the technical challenges encountered during construction.

    In the energy-efficient mobility category, a joint project by the companies Hydrospider , Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, H2 Energy and the H2 Mobility Switzerland association emerged as the winner. The partners want to set up the world's first commercial cycle for renewable hydrogen in Switzerland. This is intended to facilitate the use of hydrogen vehicles.

    There were two winners this year in the building and space category. On the one hand, the Umwelt Arena Schweiz from Spreitenbach AG and René Schmid Architekten AG have won. They convinced with a development in Männedorf ZH. Walter Schmid, energy pioneer and president of the Umwelt Arena Schweiz foundation, and his son, the architect René Schmid from René Schmid Architekten AG, rely on energy self-sufficiency in the association. Specifically, renewable electricity is produced with photovoltaic systems and wind energy systems. Half of this is used by the tenants. The rest is transported to a power-to-gas plant, converted into renewable gas and stored in the natural gas network for electricity and heat production in winter.

    On the other hand, St.Galler Mettiss AG and Beat Kegel won in this category. You have converted an old building into a passive house. In doing so, they relied on a new concept, which enabled the project to be implemented cheaply. The new tenant of the building is the University of St.Gallen .

  • Hypomarket ignores pandemic

    Hypomarket ignores pandemic

    During the first wave of the pandemic, the mortgage market reacted very nervously, writes Comparis in a statement on the current mortgage barometer of the online comparison service. The interest rates for ten-year fixed-rate mortgages rose from 0.98 to just under 1.20 percent towards the end of the first quarter of 2020, it said. The second wave of the pandemic, on the other hand, “has left the mortgage market cold so far,” says Comparis financial expert Frédéric Papp as quoted in the press release.

    According to the Comparis surveys, interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages with a ten-year term were between 1.04 and 1.07 percent in the last quarter of 2020. The interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages with a five- and two-year term remained constant over the quarter under review at 0.90 and 0.86 percent, respectively.

    Specifically negotiated mortgages usually had significantly lower interest rates than these target rates, explains Comparis in the press release. The company HypoPlus, which belongs to the Comparis Group, offers ten-year fixed-rate mortgages from an interest rate of 0.61 percent. In the coming months, "more dynamism can be expected in the mortgage market," predicts Papp. He assumes that competition among providers will intensify in favor of mortgage borrowers.

  • SUSI Partners acquires majority in Genera Group

    SUSI Partners acquires majority in Genera Group

    The Zug-based fund manager SUSI Partners has bought a majority stake in the Italian energy service provider Genera Group through its SUSI Energy Transition Fund. According to a press release from SUSI Partners, this is the first equity investment in the energy efficiency sector. It follows on from a longstanding business relationship between the two parties.

    Genera Holding is headquartered in Rome. It is primarily active in Italy, but is expanding increasingly, also outside of Europe. The participation of SUSI and the associated long-term partnership guarantee financing security for the further expansion of the "already considerable project pipeline".

    The SUSI Energy Transition Fund received capital commitments of 300 million euros in the first closing in July 2020. He invests in sustainable energy infrastructure to finance the energy transition.

  • AST Swiss Life opens two investment groups

    AST Swiss Life opens two investment groups

    Swiss pension funds can invest in high-quality Swiss properties from AST Swiss Life from February 1 to March 31. The investment foundation is planning to open up its two investment groups, Real Estate Switzerland and Commercial Real Estate Switzerland, worth around CHF 500 million. Payment will be made on May 5th.

    According to a press release , the capital is to be used to reduce the debt capital ratio, to purchase further properties, to implement new construction projects and for ongoing investments in the portfolio.

    The focus of the Real Estate Switzerland investment group is on residential properties in Swiss cities and agglomerations. The Swiss Commercial Real Estate investment group invests in commercial properties with stable returns and stable values in central locations. Both also hold shares in the Glatt shopping center in Wallisellen. Since their launch, both have had “an appealing performance” of 5.63 and 5.10 percent per year, respectively. In addition, the occupancy rate of more than 97 percent is above average for both of them.

  • Construction plans in Zurich North Next step for densification in Neu-Oerlikon

    Construction plans in Zurich North Next step for densification in Neu-Oerlikon

    Zurich's plans for Neu-Oerlikon: This is how the space around the train station should be designed. Red are buildings with a height of 80 meters, orange are those with a height of 54 and yellow are those with a height of 45 meters. Image: Master plan 07/10/2018

    More apartments, more jobs, more shops, more culture. North of the Oerlikon train station, “an attractive, urban-planning center is to be created”, says structural engineering supervisor André Odermatt (SP). To this end, the city council approved a partial revision of the Neu-Oerlikon special building regulations from 1998.

    The new regulations are a "huge opportunity" for Oerlikon, says Odermatt. "We are improving the plans from the 1990s and bringing them to a close."

    The partial revision allows a clear consolidation. Two skyscrapers with heights of 80 and 54 meters are planned on Max-Frisch-Platz. A total of 400 to 500 new apartments are to be built between Binzmühlestrasse and Oerlikon train station. In around half of them, non-profit housing construction is possible, according to the Urban Development Office.

    ABB cedes city property

    The city developed the plans together with the three major landowners, the canton of Zurich and the companies ABB Immobilien AG and AXA Leben. The city can claim some of the profit generated by the rezoning.

    The city receives money from the canton and AXA Leben – how much is not yet public. She would like to use the amount to improve the infrastructures in the neighborhood. ABB Immobilien will provide the city with the property on which Hall 550 is located. "In this way we can secure the existence of Hall 550," says Odermatt. This makes an important contribution to the cultural offerings in Oerlikon. The city is also taking over the property south of it. There she is planning charitable apartments.

    The special building regulations guarantee that with Hall 550 and the former ABB brick building 87T, two buildings from the industrial past will remain. In addition, they should create a greener quarter. Max-Frisch-Platz and a pedestrian zone are being enlarged. Shops and restaurants on the ground floors should keep the streets busy.

    Next, the local council will discuss the new building regulations. They will come into force in mid-2022 at the earliest. Then the owners can start planning their properties.

  • Sphery co-founder speaks at GZA Live Talk

    Sphery co-founder speaks at GZA Live Talk

    The location marketing organization GZA regularly introduces personalities from the greater Zurich area in its Live Talk series. In the next episode on January 18, Anna Martin-Niedecken, co-founder and CEO of Sphery , will be a guest on the series. She will talk to Reto Sidler, head of communications at GZA.

    Sphery develops computer games in which players have to perform physical activities. The goal is to combine games with sports. The start-up's games are based on innovative training concepts. During her appearance at the GZA Live Talk, Martin-Niedecken will explain, among other things, how games can revolutionize the fitness and health industry. She will also talk about the greater Zurich area as a location for innovative start-ups in the gaming sector.

    Martin-Niedecken is a sports scientist and, in addition to her work at Sphery, is also a senior researcher at the Zurich University of the Arts . In September she was selected from a list by digitalswitzerland , “BILANZ”, “Handelszeitung” and “Le Temps” among the 100 most important people in Switzerland who are driving digitization in the country.

    Interested who want to follow the sequence Talk GZA live, online can register . Registered participants will also be able to ask questions during the event.

  • Battery project aims to make sea transport more sustainable

    Battery project aims to make sea transport more sustainable

    The Current Direct project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in maritime transport by up to 482,000 tons of CO2 equivalents annually, explains Blackstone Resources in a press release . The Zug-based battery expert is one of a total of 13 partners who launched the Energy as a Service project. The European Union supports Current Direct through its Horizon 2020 research program.

    Blackstone Resources is contributing lithium-ion battery cells produced using 3D printing to the project. According to the announcement, state-of-the-art materials are used in their production, which reduce the costs of production. In addition, the materials used can be recycled.

    Overall, Current Direct aims to halve the cost of battery-powered ship propulsion systems. The Energy as a Service model also relieves ship owners of their capital costs. Current Direct thus offers “energy companies, institutional investors and state actors a mechanism to participate in the green transformation of the European merchant and passenger fleet,” writes the Zug-based battery expert.

  • Implenia and Hochtief are building tunnels in Hamburg

    Implenia and Hochtief are building tunnels in Hamburg

    Implenia and the Hochtief construction group will jointly build the 2.2-kilometer-long Altona noise protection tunnel. According to a press release from Implenia, the project on the A7 motorway in Hamburg has an order value of around 580 million euros. Allotment gardens as well as green spaces and parks are to be created on the cover of this tunnel. In addition, the two neighboring districts of Othmarschen and Bahrenfeld will be connected to each other again.

    The work between the A7 junctions Othmarschen and Volkspark is expected to begin in April 2021 and be completed by 2028. Implenia will manage the project commercially in a joint venture with Hochtief. Hochtief is the technical lead. Implenia's share of the total order volume is 35 percent.

    As Christian Späth, Head of the Civil Engineering Division at Implenia, explains, his company was able to identify numerous optimization options in the bidding process that has been running since 2019. “Among other things, we brought forward parts of the implementation planning and gradually incorporated the results from more than 30 coordination dates into the calculation. In this way we were able to significantly minimize the project risks for everyone involved. "

  • NeoVac uses the app from eCarUp for charging stations

    NeoVac uses the app from eCarUp for charging stations

    NeoVac now uses the NeoVac my Charge app to bill the consumption-based costs for e-charging stations in apartment buildings and areas. According to a media release , the specialist for building and environmental technology based in Oberriet is reacting to the increasing demand for e-charging stations in buildings.

    The app was developed by eCarUp AG from Zug. The young company offers a comprehensive software solution for setting up charging infrastructure. Its backend enables billing, monitoring, load management and maintenance of e-charging stations.

    With its Switzerland-wide service network, NeoVac prepares the consumption-based energy and water bills for over 400,000 apartments every year. The Rheintaler company has set itself the goal of offering a solution for every billing-relevant measuring point in a building. "The number of new registrations of electric vehicles is increasing significantly and tenants are asking for more and more charging options," says Pascal Welti, Head of Energy Consulting at NeoVac. That's why his company has now launched an app for it.

    It enables drivers of electric cars to activate charging stations and pay for the electricity they use. In addition, the charging data is transferred directly to the NeoVac myEnergy app. There, users receive an overview of their personal consumption and a directly accessible energy cost bill.

    NeoVac also offers complete solutions for e-mobility infrastructure projects with a nationwide sales and service network. In addition, charging stations could "also be controlled depending on the PV system, battery storage or heat pump". This increases self-consumption and the profitability of photovoltaic systems.

  • Meyer Burger receives German funding

    Meyer Burger receives German funding

    Meyer Burger wants to produce heterojunction solar cells at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen site in Saxony-Anhalt, the technology group from Thun informs in a press release . A new facility is to be set up there for this purpose. Saxony-Anhalt and the Federal Republic of Germany support Meyer Burger's plans with grants of up to 22.5 million euros. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems had certified that Meyer Burger's technology had significant environmental benefits.

    "We are pleased about the environmental aid in a significant amount", CEO Gunter Erfurt is quoted in the message. "It proves that our heterojunction technology is not only more efficient, but also more environmentally friendly than conventional solar cell technologies."

    The company was able to receive the positive notifications about the donations as early as the end of 2020, the communication further explains. An annual production capacity of 1.4 gigawatts is stated there as a prerequisite for the payment. The expansion of capacities to the required 1.4 gigawatts is to be financed with borrowed capital and implemented as quickly as possible. Meyer Burger writes that the group is confident that it will be able to meet this requirement.

    Meyer Burger plans to produce 0.4 gigawatts of solar cells in Bitterfeld-Wolfen this year. They are processed into solar modules at the Freiberg site in Saxony.

  • Corona gives visualization solutions a boost

    Corona gives visualization solutions a boost

    From 3D tours with and without robots to drone recordings and automated interior design, there are a variety of PropTech solutions that have become irreplaceable, especially in times of Corona. Get to know these tools and use them to optimize your sales, rental, management and construction processes! Click on the banner and register free of charge for the online seminar on January 7, 2021 at 9 a.m.

    https://proptechmarket.net/tpost/ogldb6kce1-reconnect-visualisierung-in-der-immobili