immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Category: Sustainability

  • Save energy and CO2 when showering

    Save energy and CO2 when showering

    Hot water needs about as much energy as heating. Up to 80 percent of all hot water is needed for showering alone. But while developments to make heating more efficient and energy-saving have been in focus for years, a lot of hot water still simply flows unused down the drain. But this does not have to be the case! The new Kaldewi shower channel uses the heat of the outflowing shower water to preheat the cold fresh water on its way to the shower fitting. A heat exchanger integrated into the drain thus ensures efficient heat recovery. In the spirit of sustainability, significantly less hot water needs to be added to achieve a pleasantly warm shower temperature. This saves a lot of energy, noticeably lowers costs and reduces the CO2 footprint.

    The new shower channels were designed by the internationally renowned Studio Aisslinger and meet the highest design standards. Patented handling for easy opening and closing of the cover, great flexibility in channel positioning and the wide range of dimensions are further convincing arguments. And with exclusive colours and surfaces, the branded channel becomes a true jewel in the bathroom.

  • Flumroc will melt rock with renewable energy in future

    Flumroc will melt rock with renewable energy in future

    As part of the comprehensive renovation work, the stone wool producer is replacing its cupola furnaces, which were previously operated with coking coal, with an electric melting furnace. Flumroc AG will cover the energy requirements of the electric melting furnace entirely with certified, sustainable electricity from Swiss hydropower. With the conversion of the production process, Flumroc is reducing its CO2 emissions by 80 percent and thus massively improving its ecological footprint. “For the future, we need climate-friendly solutions in all areas – including industry. Our customers, our environment, the Flums site and our company all benefit from the renewal,” says Flumroc managing director Damian Gort. The commissioning of the plants is expected to take place in the summer of 2023. Only a small part of the total energy demand will still be covered by fossil fuels.

  • Federal Council enacts ordinance amendment to implement the solar offensive

    Federal Council enacts ordinance amendment to implement the solar offensive

    With the amendments to the Energy Act, Parliament facilitates the approval of large-scale photovoltaic plants and establishes a subsidy for them with a one-time payment of up to 60 percent of the investment costs. These facilitations apply until these new large-scale photovoltaic plants allow a total annual production of a maximum of 2 terawatt hours (TWh) throughout Switzerland. The amendments to the Energy Act are limited until 2025.

    The amendments to the Energy Ordinance, the Energy Promotion Ordinance and the Electricity Supply Ordinance adopted by the Federal Council on 17 March 2023 concern the implementation of Article 71a of the Energy Act (production of additional electricity from large-scale photovoltaic plants). DETEC had conducted a public consultation on this from 5 to 16 December 2022. The Federal Council has now laid down the following principles in the ordinance:

    Expansion threshold 2 TWh: The threshold of 2 TWh is determined by the production of the legally approved projects. The cantons shall report to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) on an ongoing basis on the planned projects and their status from the time of the public invitation to tender to the time of commissioning. The SFOE maintains a publicly accessible and continuously updated list of this information.

    Exclusion of crop rotation areas: Installations on crop rotation areas are excluded from the scope of Article 71a. This prevents these PV systems from competing with food production.

    Building permit: The building permit must be issued by the canton. This requires the consent of the siting municipality and the landowners. As part of the building permit, the canton must also stipulate the conditions regarding dismantling. A permit from the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations or the Swiss Federal Office of Energy is required for the electrical connection. The cantonal licensing authority coordinates with the federal authorities.

    Amount of the one-off payment: An application can be submitted if a legally binding building permit has been issued for the project. The maximum amount of the one-off subsidy is 60 percent of the eligible investment costs. In order to benefit from the subsidy, at least ten percent of the expected production of the entire planned plant or 10 gigawatt hours must be fed into the grid by the end of 2025. The deadline for full commissioning of the plants runs until the end of 2030. For those projects that do not meet these criteria, the normal one-time compensation for photovoltaic plants is available. Grid reinforcements: The Federal Electricity Commission is responsible for approving the remuneration for the necessary grid reinforcements for large-scale photovoltaic plants. These costs are part of the system services of the national grid company Swissgrid.

  • BFH researchers develop sustainable binder for wood-based materials

    BFH researchers develop sustainable binder for wood-based materials

    The sustainability of wood-based materials such as plywood or wood fibreboard is largely determined by the binder used. Formaldehyde-based binders, as they are mainly used today, are responsible for the majority of CO2 emissions from wood-based materials. Moreover, their formaldehyde emissions are often considered problematic. Research into the development of mineral binders has therefore been going on for several years, including at BFH. Compared to a formaldehyde adhesive, these binders have almost 80 percent lower CO2 emissions. A new mineral binder for the production of wood-based materials is being developed by researchers at the BFH’s Institute of Materials and Wood Technology IWH in a recently launched Innosuisse project. In the project, the researchers are working together with the Swiss company Omya International AG, a leading global supplier of calcium carbonate minerals.

    Less than 20 per cent binder
    The development by BFH and Omya International AG is initially intended for the production of mineral-bonded plywood. The finished boards are to contain less than 20 per cent binder and have the mechanical properties of conventionally produced plywood for interior use. The binder should be able to be cured with heat, which will enable a fast manufacturing process and thus make the product competitive.

  • 5. Global Real Estate Run- act locally, act globally

    5. Global Real Estate Run- act locally, act globally

    On 30 and 31 March 2023, the 5th Global Real Estate Run will take place, an event dedicated to promoting innovation, sustainability and energy efficiency in the real estate and construction industry. Participants can jog or walk a freely selectable distance of 6 km within a 48-hour time window. The organiser will plant a tree for every kilometre completed.

    The event format is ideal as a fun team event and is aimed at tenants, owners and real estate professionals who want to get moving for a more generation-friendly real estate and construction industry.

    “We believe that every individual has a contribution to make towards a more generationally friendly future. The Global Real Estate Run is an opportunity for the real estate and construction industry to come together and make a mark together,” says Mario Facchinetti, initiator of the event.

    The participation fee for individuals is free, for teams it is CHF 37 per person. In return, the team receives a tree planting certificate for each tree that is walked in the team. The event now has over 4000 participants from around 57 countries and is supported by various companies that are committed to a more sustainable real estate and construction industry.

    The event is an example of how tenants, owners and real estate professionals can play a part in reducing environmental impact and creating a more generation-friendly future.

    Interested parties can register now at www.globalrealestaterun.com and look forward to a sporty and fun activity.

  • Milestone of transparency on greenhouse gas emissions of the real estate industry

    Milestone of transparency on greenhouse gas emissions of the real estate industry

    With a share of 23.9%, real estate is the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland after transport and industry. There is therefore no way around sustainable real estate to achieve the net-zero climate targets. However, you can’t tell by looking at real estate whether it is environmentally friendly or not. Labels and ratings were therefore created early on to provide information about the sustainability of real estate.

    Comparability is central
    What initially contributed a lot to the promotion and better understanding of the sustainability of real estate has meanwhile become a problem itself. The variety of labels and initiatives in the sustainability field overwhelms many market participants. Moreover, the individual ratings can hardly be compared with each other. Some ratings include several dozen indicators, so that in the end it is no longer clear what they are trying to express at all. Moreover, many investment vehicles in the real estate sector are now labelled as sustainable and apply ESG criteria, but there is no clarity as to how sustainable the respective properties are.

    The trend is towards disclosure of environmental indicators
    However, investors are demanding increasingly precise information and want to be able to compare different investment products not only in terms of returns or risks, but also in terms of sustainability. The trend today is therefore towards direct disclosure of environmental indicators, such as energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, the AMAS and KGAST associations obliged or requested their members to publish the most important key figures in the annual reports of real estate funds and real estate investment foundations with a closing date from the end of 2023.

    Why do we need a standard?
    However, calculating these key figures is anything but simple. Different values can result for the same properties, depending on the calculation method. Standardisation is therefore necessary. REIDA has taken on this task and developed a standard for determining the most important environmentally relevant key figures in the real estate sector. According to this REIDA standard, a benchmarking was carried out in 2022 with 3984 existing properties or 36 property portfolios, which have a total of almost 23 million m2 of energy reference area.

    What was measured?
    Only consumption values measured in real terms were recorded and balanced. This is a big difference to other surveys, where in many cases no consumption data is available and which therefore mostly operate with calculated values (estimates based on benchmarks). For each of the real estate portfolios, the degree of coverage is also shown together with the results. This describes the proportion of properties in the portfolio for which measured energy consumption data are available. On average, the coverage rate for all 36 portfolios is 83.1%. The disclosure of the degree of coverage also serves transparency, but is still not widespread. An analysis of the annual reports of listed real estate funds by pom+Consulting in 2022, for example, showed that only 25% of them contained quantitative information on the degree of coverage.

    Benchmarking results and their classification
    The average energy consumption in the REIDA benchmarking portfolio is 97.4 kWh per m² of energy reference area. The range is between 59 and 146 kWh/m². Special situations are probably responsible for portfolios at the lower end of the values – e.g. that single tenants purchase a lot of energy themselves, which according to the current methodology is not yet taken into account in the energy indicator. In an online survey by the University of Lausanne, which analysed 66 portfolios of institutional investors with a good 31 million m² of building space, a somewhat higher value of 105.5 kWh/m² of energy reference area was reported for the reference year 2020 – but without using a uniform calculation methodology.

    The share of renewable energy in the REIDA CO2 benchmarking is 25.8% on average, with a range of 13% to 54%. On average, the greenhouse gas emissions of the portfolios that participated in the REIDA benchmarking amount to 13.1 kg CO2 equivalents per m² energy reference area. In addition to carbon dioxide, the benchmarking also takes into account all other greenhouse gases, such as methane or nitrous oxide, and calculates CO2 equivalents (CO2e) from them. The REIDA portfolio 2022 thus achieves a very good value – with a range between 4.1 and 22.4 kg CO2e/m². The sample surveyed by the University of Lausanne achieved an average value of 19.6 kg CO2e/m². Again, due to the lack of a uniform calculation method, a direct comparison is only possible with reservations.

    Specification of uncertainty ranges
    Another achievement of the REIDA benchmarking is the specification of uncertainty ranges. This is because the consumption and emission values used as well as the calculations are always subject to uncertainties (e.g. inaccurate measurement sensors, small conversion uncertainties from lettable area to energy reference area). These uncertainties are aggregated for each portfolio and shown at the level of the key figures in the form of an uncertainty range, which indicates how reliable the key figure is. The uncertainty range is given as twice the standard deviation, which means that the actual value lies within the specified uncertainty range with a probability of 95%. For the indicator of CO2e emission intensity, the individual portfolios show uncertainty ranges from 0.3 to 5.8 kg CO2e/m².

    New standard for ESG reporting in Switzerland
    With the CO2 benchmarking, REIDA sets a new standard and thereby achieves a milestone in the ESG reporting of real estate in Switzerland. The standard will not only be continuously improved in terms of methodology and data quality, but will also cover aspects of environmental sustainability that have so far been excluded. One of the most important tasks will be to cover not only the operating phase of real estate, but also its entire life cycle, and in particular to incorporate the issue of grey energy. The addition of ratings and certificates – which have limits in terms of transparency and comparability – as well as the transition to direct reporting of the actual key performance indicators are thus in full swing.

  • Spherical spheres at Expo 2025 in the Swiss pavilion

    Spherical spheres at Expo 2025 in the Swiss pavilion

    From April 13 to October 13, 2025, the next World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan. Under the motto “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, Switzerland will present itself as an efficient and leading innovation hub and will show concrete examples from business, science and research. Nüssli, together with Manuel Herz Architekten and Bellprat Partner, won the tender for the design, construction and dismantling of the Swiss presence and is implementing the pavilion in lightweight construction and with a touch of magic. The team is completed by Robin Winogrond Landscape Architects, Studio AA-Morf, and Kyoto Design Lab.

    Swiss ideas, experience and know-how in Japan
    “We are very proud to continue our long tradition as implementation partner of the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka. Despite this long Expo experience, however, the Swiss Pavilion with its pneumatic, spherical construction will also provide us with some sticking points,” says Andy Böckli. Stefan Sekiguchi adds: “To successfully realize the architectural design together with Japanese service providers and according to the applicable guidelines in Japan requires getting to know the country and its people. That’s why we work with our local partner and can benefit from valuable knowledge.” Arnau Bellprat is looking forward to the challenges in the global environment. “In our Spheres, visitors should be able to immerse themselves in an immersive, narrative and fantastic world. They should have a sensory and emotional experience that they will remember for a long time – we call it a biographical note.” Architect Manuel Herz is particularly interested in pneumatic construction, which allows for a building of minimal weight and has a long tradition for pavilions at World’s Fairs. “We are taking an architecture that has been used before for iconic Expo buildings and reinterpreting it.”

    Pavilion embedded in nature
    The concept for the Swiss pavilion focuses on sustainability. Spheres and modular structures made of recycled recyclable materials, as well as plants that overgrow, enclose and sequesterCO2 from the building, make up the single-story barrier-free architecture and contribute to a minimal ecological footprint. The scenography takes up the light exterior appearance of the building and stages the contents in the exhibition with light and color. In the five spheres of the pavilion, visitors experience how Swiss innovation is created from the nutrients of nature as well as with Switzerland’s humanistic tradition and a little magic. They can help shape, explore and ultimately take Swiss innovation out into the world in the form of plant seeds. In the pavilion, they will also meet the mythical figure of Heidi, who acts as a link to the host country, Japan. The care and preservation of nature are also important common concerns that link Japan and Switzerland.

    Cooperation and local support
    The topic of sustainability is taken seriously in the Swiss Pavilion and carefully implemented with academic support. With researchers, lecturers and students from the Kyoto Institute of Technology – in particular with the KIT Design Lab of the Faculty of Architecture – the social, economic and ecological footprint of the appearance is to be analyzed and improved over its entire lifespan.

  • Feld school in Azmoos wins architecture prize

    Feld school in Azmoos wins architecture prize

    The Feld school in Azmoos has won first place in this year's Constructive Alps architecture prize, the Federal Office for Spatial Development ( ARE ) reports in a statement . It represents Switzerland in the competition organized jointly with Liechtenstein. Constructive Alps recognizes sustainable building and renovation in the Alps. With the competition, the two countries want to promote the implementation of the Alpine Convention for the sustainable development of the mountain region.

    The Feld schoolhouse was built on the site of the old schoolhouse in Azmoos. It offers space for more than twice as many children as the old school building on the same built-up area. The socially and ecologically sustainable timber construction also impressed with its own photovoltaic system, among other things.

    The second prize was awarded jointly to the headquarters of the heating specialist ÖkoFEN France in Saint-Baldoph and the Ghiringhelli residential development in Bellinzona. Third place went to the renovated Falkenhütte in Hinterriss in the Austrian Karwendel Mountains.

    Switzerland will hold the presidency of the Alpine Convention in 2021/22. The internationally binding agreement between the eight Alpine states and the European Union has set itself the goal of developing the Alps into a model region for climate protection and adaptation to climate change. Under the aegis of Switzerland, the focus was on climate, sustainable mobility, Alpine towns, sustainable construction and modal shift.

  • New reuse pavilion at the FHNW Campus Muttenz

    New reuse pavilion at the FHNW Campus Muttenz

    In the spirit of the annual theme "Constructive Futures – Beyond Concrete", the students of the third year course of the bachelor's degree in architecture, under the direction of Professors Ursula Hürzeler and Shadi Rahbaran, dealt with the reuse of components. The starting point for this was the floor-to-ceiling wooden ramp, which was attached to the front facade of the Swiss Architecture Museum S AM as an urban intervention as part of the exhibition "Access for All – Architectural Infrastructure Buildings São Paulo" 2021. This ramp was dismantled again after the end of the exhibition and the components should now be used for a new purpose.

    Architectural competition for students
     For this purpose, an architecture competition was held among the students in the 2021 autumn semester. The task was to design a place to stay in the park that was protected from the wind and sun, for use and free use by the university and the district. The winning project "Silvestris" that emerged from the competition was selected for further development and implementation. The students then developed the design idea together and in the spring semester of 2022 went into more detail in an interdisciplinary elective course. At the same time, the structural design, the static dimensioning, the development of the node connections and the execution planning were carried out by the Institute of Civil Engineering under the direction of Prof. Dr. Simon Zweidler, head of the construction laboratory. From the design to the manufacture of all steel nodes, digital fabrication was used in a pioneering way: After the complete 3D modeling, the surfaces required for the fold were calculated by software and the developed surface was cut from the solid sheet by laser; the subsequent three-dimensional bending was also carried out fully automatically.

    Static Challenges
     In the course of this detailed planning, various structural and static challenges had to be mastered. The limits of the reusability of components also became apparent; In this specific case, the old wood did not have the strength required for the new arena and the planned intensive use and duration. This led to the decision to build the statically relevant components with construction wood intended for this purpose with the appropriate strength and to use some of the old wood for secondary components. This resulted in a valuable learning process regarding the complexities and challenges of reusing components. However, the original structure of the ramp is still reflected in the dimensions of the elements and the shape of the new arena.
    The arena created in this way should offer various possible uses. The roof made of light fabric creates a shady place to stay, which can not only be used for teaching and teaching at the university, but also provides space for performances and also invites residents in the neighborhood to use and help shape it. The winning project and all other project proposals developed by the students are also on public display in an exhibition in the porch of the campus building.

  • Creating livable buildings of the future with foresighted planning

    Creating livable buildings of the future with foresighted planning

    Was ist eigentlich ein „lebenswertes Gebäude“? Früher waren Häuser einfache Gebäude, in denen Menschen vor allem geschlafen und gegessen haben. Heute muss ein Gebäude mehr können: „Wir wollen uns darin wohlfühlen, zur Ruhe kommen, ohne Barrieren fortbewegen und am besten nachhaltig leben. Es schafft nicht nur einen Raum, sondern muss zu den Nutzern und deren Bedürfnissen passen – und zwar heute und in Zukunft. Erst dann sprechen wir von einem lebenswerten Gebäude“, erläutert Sören Eilers.

    Gebäude werden in der Gegenwart für die Zukunft errichtet
    Dabei haben sich die Anforderungen allein in den vergangenen 15 Jahren stark gewandelt: Die Denkweise der Menschen hat sich verändert, zudem herrschen regionale Unterschiede, wenn es um die Frage geht, was ein zeitgemäßes Gebäude ausmacht. Werden mancherorts nur noch Passivhäuser errichtet, so liegt der Fokus andernorts beispielsweise auf freien Lernkonzepten und offenen Räumen. Für Planer und Architekten bedeutet das, dass sie weit vorausdenken müssen. „Gebäude werden in der Gegenwart für die Zukunft gebaut, für die nächsten 30 bis 50 Jahre Nutzungszeit“, erklärt Marco Sperling. „Wir müssen in unserer heutigen Planung also bereits die Nutzungsmöglichkeiten für in ein paar Jahrzehnten bedenken. Dabei ist jedoch fast immer das Budget der limitierende Faktor.“

    Damit nicht genug. Neben den vom Auftraggeber gesteckten Rahmenbedingungen gibt es diverse gesetzliche Anforderungen, Normen und Verordnungen, die einzuhalten sind. Dabei sind sich die unterschiedlichen Regelwerke längst nicht immer einig. „Es gibt in Deutschland fast nichts, das nicht geregelt ist. Die Rahmenbedingungen der Auftraggeber sind oft verhandelbar, bei gesetzlichen Vorgaben ist das weitaus schwieriger“, weiß Sperling aus Erfahrung. Damit am Ende alle Wünsche, Bedürfnisse, Anforderungen und Vorschriften unter einen Hut gebracht werden können, ist eine intensive Abstimmung mit allen Beteiligten unerlässlich: „Der Abstimmungsbedarf wächst ständig und ist sogar in Zertifizierungsprozessen verankert. Das ist auch durchaus sinnvoll, damit es am Ende ein gutes Gebäude wird. Es gilt in jedem Fall: Je besser die Abstimmung von Beginn an, desto besser das Ergebnis!“ So werden im Idealfall alle fachbeteiligten Planer für Haustechnik, Statik, Tragwerk etc., die Verarbeiter, aber auch Nutzer und Auftraggeber sowie deren Interessensvertreter eingebunden.

  • Surselva gets a test facility for wind and solar energy

    Surselva gets a test facility for wind and solar energy

    The Federal Office for Armaments wants to set up one of the first small wind and solar systems in Switzerland in the Alpine region next to the middle station of the former military transport cableway above Medel, armasuisse informs in a press release . The test system is intended to test “the suitability of a hybrid system for generating sustainable energy in alpine terrain”, it says there.armasuisse Immobilien has now submitted a corresponding planning application. It can be viewed from August 29th to September 28th at the Municipality of Medel.

    The planned small wind turbine with bifacial solar panels is scheduled to go into test operation next autumn. Armasuisse expects a yield of 27 megawatt hours per year for the wind turbine, for the wind flower the estimated annual yield is 35 megawatt hours. Based on the evaluations of the actual results planned for the fourth quarter of 2024, armasuisse wants to decide whether a total of nine hybrid systems will be installed in the La Stadrea area in Surselva. The location offers "good conditions both in terms of existing and no longer used infrastructure, as well as in terms of wind conditions and solar radiation," writes the Federal Office.

  • EWA-energieUri creates a new solar community

    EWA-energieUri creates a new solar community

    EWA-energieUri is realizing the Uri solar community in Schattdorf. As the Uri energy provider announced , it wants to set up a photovoltaic system on the roof of the Uri Foundation for Disabled Persons, in which interested private parties can also participate. They can now reserve individual square meters of the facility for a fixed price of CHF 339. In return, they receive solar power for over 20 years.

    The plant is to generate a total of 49,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year on 260 square meters. That is 165 kilowatt hours per square meter, around 4 percent of the consumption of an average household. Commissioning of the plant is planned for spring 2023. Interested parties can already reserve their share at meinurstrom-sun.ch .

    "The Uri solar community is an attractive product for producing and purchasing solar power easily and easily, even without your own roof," Werner Jauch, CEO of EWA-energieUri, is quoted as saying in the press release.

  • The Binding Prize for Biodiversity 2022 goes to Stadtgrün Bern

    The Binding Prize for Biodiversity 2022 goes to Stadtgrün Bern

    Out of 22 projects submitted, Stadtgrün Bern’s “Nature needs the city” project won the Binding Prize for Biodiversity, which is endowed with CHF 100,000 and is being awarded for the second time. The project, which was organized as a theme year, was so successful because Stadtgrün Bern and its nature and ecology department came up with a fresh and attractive campaign package

    institutions, organizations and people for a common goal – the promotion of biodiversity.

    Everyone pitched in
    In addition to several municipal authorities, the Natural History Museum, the Bern Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, a wide variety of organizations, but also many private balcony gardeners and garden owners took part. The measures included ecological upgrades in public spaces and private areas as well as over 50 events such as guided tours, exhibitions and concerts.

    From knowledge to action for private individuals
    Seven city walks with 80 information boards, combined with an interactive city map and supplemented by artistic interventions, showed what valuable urban nature looks like. The "Biodiversity Garden" and "Biodiversity Balcony" campaigns encouraged private individuals to redesign their gardens and balconies. "KlimaBalkon" showed how biodiversity, improvement of the local climate and quality of life are related. A practical handbook provided the necessary background knowledge. "We are delighted to be able to award 'Nature needs the city' to a project that has managed to reach a broad population with a systemic and integral approach," says Peter Lehmann, Vice President of the award jury.

    Desealing and ecological upgrading of urban areas
    Another important part of the project was upgrading the public space. In Bern West, various asphalt surfaces were broken up and planted with native flora. Among other things, amphibian ponds were built, lawns were upgraded to meadows, wild hedges were planted, borders were left standing and heaps of stones and branches were created in parks and on green strips along roads.

    Lasting effect
    "Nature needs the city" was an integral and inspiring part of the overarching biodiversity concept of the city of Bern and brought many stakeholders into contact with ideas and partners. The project will therefore have a lasting effect beyond the theme year 2021. The "Berner Biodiversity Handbook" published for the theme year is already considered a standard work with an impact far beyond Bern.

    Great joy at the city of Bern
    The city of Bern is extremely pleased about the important award. "The award recognizes the great commitment of Stadtgrün Bern for the theme year, which has set a lot in motion for natural diversity in Bern," says Marieke Kruit, municipal councilor and director of civil engineering, transport and urban greenery for the city of Bern.

  • Gold für das Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement von Energie 360°

    Gold für das Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement von Energie 360°

    Seit über zehn Jahren ist Nachhaltigkeit im Kern der Unternehmensstrategie von Energie 360° verankert. Mit einem systematischen Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement setzt sich das Unternehmen anspruchsvolle Ziele und berichtet in ihrem Nachhaltigkeitsbericht transparent und nachvollziehbar über deren Erreichung.

    Die externe Bewertung von EcoVadis beweist nun, dass das Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement von Energie 360° weit fortgeschritten ist und seine Wirkung entfaltet. Jörg Wild, CEO von Energie 360°, zum Resultat: «Wir sind stolz darauf, dass unsere Massnahmen im Bereich Nachhaltigkeit bereits im ersten Rating mit der Goldmedaille ausgezeichnet wurden. Energie 360° hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, bis 2040 ausschliesslich erneuerbare Energie zu liefern. Dazu entwickeln wir unser Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement laufend weiter und schaffen Transparenz.»

    Energie 360° erreichte in den bewerteten Bereichen Umwelt, Arbeits- und Menschenrechte, Ethik und nachhaltige Beschaffung total 69 von 100 Punkten. Die Bewertung spiegelt die Qualität des Nachhaltigkeitsmanagements wider und zeigt auf, zu welchen Themen bereits Richtlinien, Massnahmen und eine Berichterstattung über Kennzahlen etabliert sind. Die detaillierte Scorecard von Energie 360° kann über die EcoVadis-Plattform angefragt oder hier heruntergeladen werden.

    EcoVadis ist der weltweit grösste Anbieter von Nachhaltigkeitsratings und hat bereits über 90 000 Unternehmen bewertet. Die Methodik beruht auf internationalen Nachhaltigkeitsstandards und wird von einem wissenschaftlichen Gremium von Experten überwacht.

  • Galileo cooperates with solar manufacturer Pagra from Poland

    Galileo cooperates with solar manufacturer Pagra from Poland

    Galileo and Pagra have signed a partnership agreement for the Polish market. According to a press release , the Zurich-based platform Galileo, which specializes in renewable energies, and the photovoltaic provider Pagra from Rogaszyce in Poland want to join forces to reduce the energy bills of companies in Poland.

    Galileo, which traded as Galileo Green Energy GmbH until mid-July, has acquired a 35 percent stake in Pagra as part of the partnership, with the option to further increase its stake after 24 months, according to the partnership announcement.

    “Pagra is a dynamic company that is at the forefront of the energy transition in Poland. It develops very effective power supply solutions for business customers in Poland,” Ingmar Wilhelm, CEO of Galileo, is quoted as saying. These customers are suffering from the sharp rise in wholesale prices, as price volatility is high and supply security is low, Wilhelm continued. Galileo will support Pagra in expanding its business across Poland and will complement its technical and energy competencies.

    Since 2020, Pagra has been offering photovoltaic roof systems in south-west and central Poland and is now expanding its activities throughout Poland. Business customers are offered the opportunity to save on investment costs by concluding a long-term electricity supply contract based on a photovoltaic system financed by the installer. This solution is called Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS).

    "We see a growing interest in this solution from both private companies and public institutions," Kornel Dybul, President of Pagra, is quoted as saying.

  • Biochar makes the Swiss more sustainable

    Biochar makes the Swiss more sustainable

    The Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival ( ESAF ), which is held every three years, will take place in Pratteln from August 26th to 28th this year. Subsequently, Industrielle Werke Basel ( IWB ) will process the 245 cubic meters of sawdust used for the sawdust rings and the wood chips from other areas of the festival site into around 8 tons of biochar, IWB informed in a statement . Around 20 tons of CO2 are stored long-term in this biochar. The project is part of the federal government's sustainability strategy.

    Sawdust is in itself a climate-friendly material because it is CO2-neutral, explains IWB. However, the conversion into biochar further improves the CO2 balance. Because the biochar obtained in the pyrolysis process in the absence of oxygen and at temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius removes the CO2 from the atmosphere over the long term. As a "welcome by-product", the pyrolysis also produces waste heat, which IWB feeds into the district heating network.

  • Implenia wins complex real estate projects in western Switzerland

    Implenia wins complex real estate projects in western Switzerland

    Alternatives beyond the results of last year's strategy review should be considered, particularly given the changed economic and market environment. The goal of the review is to create a more focused, agile group with a significantly lower absolute cost base that can deliver sustainable returns to all stakeholders and provide superior service to clients.

    Renovation of the headquarters of an international organization in Geneva
     Implenia has had the privilege of completely renovating the historic headquarters in Geneva for an important international organisation. The project will last about two and a half years. The work includes, among other things, the adaptation of the facades and the security installations to the current standards, a complete redesign of the general rooms and the 1,200 workplaces and the modernization of the technical equipment and installations.

    Implenia won the project as general contractor in a competition based on a previous mandate as overall planner and a new building that had already been built for this international organization. The aim of the project is to preserve the historical heritage while maintaining high architectural quality. The refurbished building is designed to meet strict sustainability requirements and was planned using BIM. The execution is done with Lean Construction.

    PULSE – two new buildings for production and research in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne
     As total contractor, Implenia is constructing two new four-storey buildings for production and research in bio-pharmaceuticals, life sciences and other sectors in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne for the client, which belongs to the EPIC Suisse AG group. The two buildings are connected by two shared basements. They are being built as a shell and the areas will be partially fitted out according to the wishes of the future tenants. The new buildings will be built to the Minergie standard and BREEAM-good certification is being sought. The project was planned with BIM and executed with Lean Construction. The work, which will start in the summer of 2022, will take around two and a half years. You can find more information about the project at discover.pulse.swiss.

  • Implenia wins two large and complex real estate projects in western Switzerland

    Implenia wins two large and complex real estate projects in western Switzerland

    New Kyoto office building in the Green Village in Geneva

    The Swiss Life Investment Foundation has commissioned Implenia as general contractor to construct the Kyoto office building in the new Green Village district on the grounds of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. The project has a total volume of more than CHF 60 million and will be around
    take two years. Implenia's Real Estate Division has been commissioned to develop the Green Village district, and Implenia's Buildings Division has already realized the Montreal residential building. The Kyoto office building has ten floors, including the ground floor, which will be partially converted at the request of the future tenant. Sustainability plays into the development of the Green
    Village plays a central role, so the new building is aiming for SNBS certification. The project was planned with BIM and executed with Lean Construction.

    New residential and commercial building on Alleestrasse in Biel

    As the general contractor, Implenia is constructing two new replacement buildings with five full floors in the Brühlstrasse Süd area in Biel for the client Meili Unternehmungen AG. A total of 105 rental apartments and service areas on the ground floor facing the street are planned to a high architectural standard. The project resulted from a study commissioned by Meili Unternehmungen AG and won by the architects Bart & Buchhofer AG. The solid construction with a rear-ventilated wooden facade is created with geothermal probes, a heat pump and a large-scale photovoltaic system. The project has a total volume of CHF 42 million and will last around two and a half years.

  • Circular companies postpone Earth Overshoot Day

    Circular companies postpone Earth Overshoot Day

    This year’s Earth Overshoot Day is July 28, the Global Footprint Network said in a statement . It calculates the day each year when human demand exceeds the resources the planet can replenish in a full year. Over the last 50 years, the so-called Overshoot Day has moved up and down the calendar.

    Circular companies counteract this development. Two German and one Swiss company are mentioned as examples in the communication. The construction company Eberhard from Kloten ZH has developed a method with which mixed rubble can be broken down into new and recyclable secondary raw materials. A circular concrete developed by Eberhard could be used worldwide to delay Earth Overshoot Day by 2.4 days, according to the statement.

    As further examples of circular companies, Global Footprint Network lists the water technology company Aqseptence Group from Aarbergen in southern Hesse and the Cologne-based company Interzero , which specializes in waste recycling. “Circular solutions give companies the best chance to be successful in a foreseeable future,” said Mathis Wackernagel of the Global Footprint Network. According to her, such companies are more likely to remain valuable than companies that ignore climate change, resource scarcity and resource security.

  • EPFL student turns plastic waste into bricks for building

    EPFL student turns plastic waste into bricks for building

    For her master’s thesis in civil engineering, Selina Heiniger developed a method for the more sustainable production of building material. According to a press release from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ), she uses plastic waste, concrete that has already been used and terracotta bricks that have been made small.

    In her master’s thesis, Heiniger wanted to tackle two related challenges: reducing environmental pollution from plastic waste and developing construction methods that use fewer raw materials.

    She developed bricks made from recycled plastic – polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) – as well as crushed terracotta bricks and recycled concrete. Their bricks are designed to interlock, so no mortar is required. Initial tests are encouraging, but the invention is still in the prototype stage. If successful, Heiniger’s work could make a significant contribution to reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint.

    Heiniger graduated from high school in the canton of Bern and then enrolled at the EPFL to study civil engineering. At first she only studied part-time, as she also worked in a civil engineering company in Lausanne.

    Selina Heiniger’s master’s thesis was jointly developed by Corentin Fivet, head of EPFL’s Laboratory for Structural Exploration in the Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Yves Leterrier, a senior scientist at EPFL’s Laboratory for Advanced Composites Processing in the Faculty of engineering, supervised.

  • Implenia again achieves a good rating for sustainability

    Implenia again achieves a good rating for sustainability

    In the Sustainalytics sustainability ranking for 2021, the construction and real estate company Implenia from Opfikon was rated very well again. Compared to the previous year, the group gained 1 point to 85 points in the overall ranking, according to a press release . The construction company was thus able to consolidate its top position in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) among the 65 companies analyzed in the construction & engineering sector.

    The construction company also made it into the top 5 percent of the companies evaluated in the ESG Risk Rating. Implenia even came first in the ESG Risk Rating peer table.

    “We are pleased that Sustainalytics ranks our commitment to environmental, social and governance issues and our management of the risks associated with these areas as particularly strong in an industry comparison. We put our heart and soul into our work every day to achieve our ambitious 2025 sustainability goals and are proud to be developing and building more sustainably bit by bit,” Anita Eckardt, Chairwoman of Implenia’s Sustainability Committee, is quoted as saying in the media release.

    Sustainalytics is an Amsterdam-based company owned by Morningstar Inc. of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and provides data and ratings on corporate environmental, social and governance responsibility.

  • Energie 360° starts construction of the Tiefenbrunnen energy network

    Energie 360° starts construction of the Tiefenbrunnen energy network

    The Zurich-based energy supplier Energie 360° will start building the Tiefenbrunnen energy network on July 25. According to a press release , by 2030, 5,300 residents in Tiefenbrunnen will be using renewable energy from Lake Zurich. Energie 360° is investing CHF 60 million in the new energy network.

    From July, work on the construction of the lake water catchment and the underground energy center is to begin. The energy center is being built under the parking lot at the Zürichhorn. According to the information, the first lines of the heating network are to be laid in the coming year. From 2024, the first of a total of 400 properties will be connected to the new heat supply.

    The Tiefenbrunnen network is an important building block on the way to becoming a climate-neutral city. Zurich aims to reach net zero by 2040. Heat from the lake represents a “climate-friendly, secure supply alternative” to heat from gas heating.

    After completion of the energy network and the resulting replacement of fossil heating, Zurich will save 6,500 tons per year. That is as much CO2 as 290,000 trees could filter out of the air every year.

    Energie 360° wants to shut down the gas network wherever climate-friendly heating solutions will be created in the next few years. Further energy networks using lake water are being developed for Zurich-Lengg, Zurich-Wollishofen and Thalwil.

    “The City of Zurich is driving the transformation forward consistently and quickly together with its energy supply companies,” Silvia Banfi Frost, Energy Commissioner for the City of Zurich, is quoted as saying in the press release.

  • EU funds two Holcim cleantech projects

    EU funds two Holcim cleantech projects

    The building materials producer Holcim , based in Zug, is receiving investments from the European Union’s innovation fund for two of its cleantech projects. The company did not provide any information in its press release about the amount of the subsidy. The funds are to flow into two measures for the capture, use and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Germany and Poland.

    Accordingly, the EU is participating in Carbon2Business, part of the West Coast 100 project in Schleswig-Holstein. At the Holcim plant in Lägerdorf, separated carbon is converted into synthetic fuels for the mobility sector and as a feedstock for the chemical industry.

    The EU is also supporting Holcim’s Go4ECOPlanet project in Poland. It aims to create a continuous carbon capture and storage chain, ranging from the capture of CO2 at the Kujawien (Kujawy) site to its storage in the seabed of the North Sea. The vision for Go4ECOPlanet is to be a net-zero carbon footprint facility by 2027.

    “Holcim is committed to playing a leading role in the decarbonization of our sector. As the recipient of two cement decarbonisation grants, I am delighted with this clear commitment from the EU,” Miljan Gutovic, head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, is quoted as saying in the media release.

    Both projects are part of Holcim’s net zero strategy, which aims, among other things, to operate at least one climate-neutral cement plant by 2030.

  • New building in Rotmonten: A green oasis for St. Gallen

    New building in Rotmonten: A green oasis for St. Gallen

    The construction work for the replacement building in the area of Ludwigstrasse and Seeblickstrasse in the Rotmonten district in St. Gallen is in full swing. Compared to the old superstructure, the living space will be doubled: A total of 50 rental apartments – from 1.5 to 6.5 rooms – will be built in three buildings and three terraced single-family houses. The settlement thus offers diverse living space for mixed-age living in a natural environment.

    The garden city in a modern way
    At the beginning of the 20th century, the St. Gallen architect Adolf Gaudy created a green and yet urban structure in Rotmonten with his development plan. With the new development with extensive green areas, the AXA Investment Foundation is realizing a project that follows Adolf Gaudy’s idea of the garden city and is developing it further: “The mixture of contemporary residential and living space as well as extensive green areas are just 2.3 kilometers from the city center Central to the concept of Staufer & Hasler Architects and convinced us in the competition. Shapes and elements typical of the quarter were also incorporated and implemented in a contemporary way,” says Jan Biedermann, Development Project Manager at AXA Investment Managers.

    Cross-generational meeting places
    The heart of the new residential complex is a 70-year-old linden tree, embedded in the native and naturally planted garden courtyard. Together with the adjacent playground for children, this forms a meeting place for all ages. On these social areas, residents should have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. The apartments are all aligned with a view of the meeting places or green areas.

    Ecological construction
    The attic is designed in an element timber construction for an efficient and ecological construction method. This offers good sound insulation and ensures a comfortable room climate. The buildings are heated with geothermal heat pumps. In addition, the exhaust air from the apartments is collected and fed into an exhaust air heat pump for each house, which supplies energy for hot water. The entire building complex is Minergie-Eco certified.

  • Swiss Prime Site selects four start-up ideas

    Swiss Prime Site selects four start-up ideas

    Swiss Prime Site , a listed real estate company based in Zug, has identified and promoted four start-ups in its accelerator program that are rethinking existing business models in the industry: DuraMon from Zurich, Novalytica with offices in Bern and Zurich, Proximi from Helsinki and Spotr from Den Hague.

    The participants had to develop relevant use cases for the real estate company and its subsidiaries, which lead to sustainable processes , improved efficiency and sustainable growth. Finally, the jury selected these four start-ups that were able to present themselves to the board of directors. The aim is a sustainable cooperation.

    DuraMon believes in safer, more affordable and sustainable construction and repair solutions that reduce concrete infrastructure maintenance costs and carbon emissions. Novalytica supports companies in the development of clearly defined data strategies in order to generate business-relevant insights and tools.

    Capable of relating any application to a specific location, Proximi’s platform provides tools for geofencing, delivers mobile content, automates IoT devices and integrates third-party interfaces. The start-up Spotr uses numerous image sources from people to satellites to analyze entire building portfolios in minutes.

    “The Swiss Prime Site Accelerator is very well designed,” Yurena Seguí Femenias is quoted as saying by DuraMon. The experts asked the right questions and gave “informative and tailor-made advice”.

  • Photovoltaics accelerate growth

    Photovoltaics accelerate growth

    The share of solar power in the total electricity consumption in Switzerland has reached almost 6 percent, explains Swissolar in a statement . The association of the Swiss solar energy industry relies on the solar energy statistics published by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy . According to her, the expansion of photovoltaics in 2021 rose by 43 percent year-on-year to 683 megawatts. In total, systems with a total capacity of around 3.65 gigawatts have been installed. They produced a total of 2.84 terawatt hours of solar power in 2021.

    However, in order to close the gap created by the planned phase-out of fossil fuels and nuclear power, solar power production would have to be increased to 45 terawatt hours per year, says Swissolar. This goal can be achieved by using almost 40 percent of the currently existing roof areas by 2050. In an 11-point plan , Swissolar sets out how solar production can be increased to 25 terawatt hours by 2035. “This would mean that the water reserves in the reservoirs would be sufficiently large even in late winter and spring, despite the nuclear phase-out,” the statement said.

    For 2022, Swissolar is expecting further growth of 25 to 30 percent to 850 to 900 megawatts. Without bottlenecks in personnel and material, the increase could be even higher, believes Swissolar. The association demands reliable framework conditions for this. “Anyone who is now aligning their professional career with solar energy wants to be sure that the politically induced ‘stop-and-go’ of the last decade is a thing of the past,” Swissolar Managing Director David Stickelberger is quoted as saying in the statement.

  • A milestone in the Swiss real estate industry – SSREI is recognized as a portfolio assessment tool

    A milestone in the Swiss real estate industry – SSREI is recognized as a portfolio assessment tool

    SSREI wird von GRESB B.V. als Portfoliobewertungstool und Bestandsgebäudezertifikat anerkannt – ein Meilenstein in der Schweizer Immobilienbranche. Das Real Estate Assessment von GRESB und SSREI sind zwei komplementäre Nachhaltigkeits-Benchmarks für Immobilienportfolios. 

    Während GRESB einen ESG-Ansatz verfolgt, d.h. sein Benchmark als Managementinstrument konzipiert ist und auch Aspekte der guten Unternehmensführung thematisiert (Arbeitsbedingungen, Lieferantenmanagement, Geschäftsgebaren, etc.), fokussiert SSREI rein auf die Immobilienqualität, dies aber ausführlicher und umfassender. So schliesst SSREI nebst dem Umweltschutz und der gesellschaftlich-sozialen Verantwortung auch die Wirtschaftlichkeit mit ein (EES-Ansatz). 

    Wo die beiden Instrumente inhaltlich kompatibel sind, anerkennt GRESB den SSREI. So akzeptiert GRESB die SSREI-Verifikation als Bestands-Zertifizierung (BC1.2), sofern bestimmte Voraussetzungen erfüllt sind. Zudem gilt die Anerkennung auch für die Portfolio-Analyse und weitere spezifischen Anforderungen, welche sich thematisch überschneiden. 

    Die entsprechende technische Umsetzung der Anerkennung erfolgt bereits mit dem GRESB-Abschluss 2022. Wir freuen uns über diesen wegweisenden Entscheid, von dem wir überzeugt sind, dass er die Transparenz und Vergleichbarkeit am Schweizer Markt weiter fördern wird. 

  • Schindler elevators and technology at CapitaSpring in Singapore

    Schindler elevators and technology at CapitaSpring in Singapore

    Schindler elevators serve the 51 floors of the office and serviced apartment building in Singapore’s financial district. Thanks to facial recognition and turnstiles controlled by QR codes, you can move around the building without contact. The Schindler PORT transit management solution optimizes visitor flows and waiting times and thus also energy consumption. Autonomous cleaning robots are also connected to the building’s elevators and access systems.

    Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group in collaboration with Carlo Ratti Associati, the CapitaSpring building is now part of the Singapore skyline. His “green oasis”, a garden 100 meters high, sets new standards for office design. The building has been awarded the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award – one of the highest sustainability awards in Singapore.

    “This is an exciting project for us in Singapore, where the sustainability of existing and new buildings is becoming increasingly important,” said Robert Seakins, Schindler Executive Committee member responsible for Asia Pacific. “Schindler technology is instrumental in enabling people to move around this new landmark seamlessly, efficiently, and safely.

  • Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    The Swiss National Science Foundation ( SNSF ) is funding a five-year project by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) to research CO2 binding in cement. As part of the SNSF Advanced Grant, the scientists working with project manager Barbara Lothenbach will receive 2.2 million francs for their research project, according to a press release .

    The grant replaces funds from the European Research Council of the European Commission , to which Swiss researchers currently have no access.

    With the help of the funding, the Empa experts will carry out basic research in the field of CO2 binding in cement together with partners from the Finnish University of Oulu.

    The background to the project called Low Carbon Magnesium-Based Binders is that the cement industry releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. At the same time, concrete is considered a beacon of hope for binding CO2 and thus as a potential reducer of climate-damaging greenhouse gases if it is based on magnesium and not on lime as is usually the case.

    Starting in 2023, the researchers will find out how stable magnesium concrete is in the long term, how it can best be produced on construction sites and how temperature, pH value and other factors affect the molecular level.

  • Groupe E begins construction work for the Neuchâtel site

    Groupe E begins construction work for the Neuchâtel site

    Groupe E has started construction work on a new operations center on the Sécherons II business park in Boudevilliers, in the municipality of Val-de-Ruz, the Friborg energy supplier informs in a press release . An administration building, a warehouse, a car wash, a yard for recycling and an underground car park are to be built here. The company put the investment volume at around CHF 22 million in October 2020.

    Groupe E wants to design the new building as a “prime example of sustainability and environmental protection,” according to the statement. Around 950 square meters of solar modules on the roof and south facade, charging stations for electric vehicles and a bicycle rental system are planned for this purpose. A heat pump will heat the rooms, and Groupe E will use a free-cooling system for cooling. Rainwater is also to be collected and used in the car wash. In addition, a 10-meter-wide green border strip will be laid out around the building as a retreat for animals.

    Immediately after completion, Groupe E plans to relocate the company’s employees, who are currently based in Neuchâtel Corcelles-Cormondrèche and responsible for the operation and expansion of the electricity network in the canton of Neuchâtel, to Boudevilliers. According to the announcement, Groupe E supplies around 33,000 customers with a total of 458 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. Via the subsidiary Vuilliomenet Électricité AG based in Boudry NE, Groupe E also offers services in the canton of Neuchâtel in the field of building technology or electrical systems and home automation.