immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Energie

  • Coop and Energie 360 ° are building charging stations in shopping centers

    Coop and Energie 360 ° are building charging stations in shopping centers

    According to a press release , Energie 360 ° will start construction work at the first Coop locations this autumn. The charging stations are built both at Coop sales outlets and in shopping centers. The Zurich-based energy and mobility service provider plans to equip 20 of the around 100 planned Coop locations by the end of the year. The other charging stations will follow by mid-2023.

    Martin Kessler, Head of Mobility at Energie 360 °, is quoted in the communication: “Our goal is to make electromobility easily and widely available. No region in Switzerland should have to wait longer than the other. ”This means that in the implementation of the joint Energie 360 ° and Coop project, all regions – from Basel to Ticino and from Geneva to St.Gallen – will be right from the start should be taken into account equally.

    Salome Hofer, Head of Sustainability / Economic Policy at Coop: “With the electric charging stations, we want to meet the needs of our customers for charging options at our sales outlets and at the same time promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”

    The construction of the charging stations, which is now starting, was preceded by a two-year pilot phase. Then Coop decided to work with Energie 360 ° and its subsidiary swisscharge.ch .

    The charging current offered at the stations – 22 kilowatts of alternating current – comes mainly from ecological production, emphasizes Energie 360 °. Depending on the charging strength of the electric car, it charges energy for up to 150 kilometers in one hour. The electricity price is the same at all Coop charging stations. The charging stations are integrated into the swisscharge.ch network, which includes over 48,000 charging options across Europe.

  • Axpo and EKZ secure supply in Stäfa

    In the communities around Stäfa, the demand for electrical energy has been consistently high for years. Axpo and Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich ( EKZ) have therefore taken extensive measures to ensure that the region continues to have a reliable power supply, according to the joint media release from the two energy providers

    EKZ built, tested and commissioned the new Stäfa substation in just two years. The new system is much smaller and significantly more powerful than the old, around 45-year-old system. It is also less prone to failure than the outdoor switchgear, which has since been dismantled, because all high-voltage circuits are in the building. The total cost of renovating the Stäfa substation is around 8 million francs. This includes the renaturation of the area freed by the demolition of the old substation with ponds, hedges and a wet meadow. The Stäfa substation is connected to the Axpo high-voltage network via two 110-kilovolt lines.

    As part of the Axpo and EKZ project, Axpo is laying the 110 kilovolt line between the Brunnenwisli area and the cable that has already been laid in front of the Stäfa substation. The open-air pipeline has so far run on this section along a forest area, so that there is an increased risk of failure due to kinked or uprooted trees in the event of strong storms. gba

  • Hightech Zentrum Aargau was successful in the e-mobile rally

    Hightech Zentrum Aargau was successful in the e-mobile rally

    Beat Christen and his co-pilot Peter Morf from the Hightech Center Aargau ( HTZ ) have successfully completed their first participation in the Wave Trophy , according to a media release. The e-mobile team Mission Innovation Aargau covered 1818 kilometers without breakdowns in eight days in its Tesla Model S P85D. The start was in Brugg-Windisch, the final in Entlebuch. In the overall ranking, it came second out of around 30 participating teams. It also won the audience award given by students.

    This year's route led along the Grand Tour of Switzerland through all four language regions and over nine Alpine passes. The teams did not only advertise electromobility in action, but also during their planned stays in 23 towns and at a further 23 stops, according to the announcement. Most of the information meetings with authorities, schools and the population were well attended. Interested parties could follow the travel blog of the two drivers on the HTZ website.

    Because the motto of this year's Wave rally was “Energy Tour”, numerous energy projects were also visited, including the first floating solar power plant in the Alps on the Lac des Toules in Valais and the wind turbines on the Rengg Pass in Entlebuch. "Renewable energies go well with e-mobility and the Wave has shown that this combination works," said Peter Morf, co-pilot and head of energy technologies and resource efficiency at HTZ, quoted in the communication. Only the “consistency of the various charging systems” is “still a challenge,” says pilot Beat Christen.

  • Federal government continues electricity saving program

    Federal government continues electricity saving program

    The ProKilowatt office received a total of 16 applications for the 2020 competitive tender for programs. According to a press release , twelve of them received funding approval. The programs with the best cost-benefit ratio, i.e. with the cheapest kilowatt-hour saved, were awarded the contract. These programs range from energy saving measures for companies in the food and feed industry to energy optimization in data centers.

    In addition, nine new projects were selected at the beginning of July. In this way, the Federal Office of Energy supports, among other things, the renovation of ventilation systems in a food company and the replacement of motors in industrial production processes. This year the Federal Office of Energy has awarded applicants CHF 29 million in funding.

    A total of 50 million francs is available to the federal government for calls for tenders for projects and programs in 2020. The deadline for submitting the third project round of the year and for programs to promote energy-efficient household appliances expired on September 4th. The applications received are currently being examined. The applicants will receive the funding notices in mid-November. Applications for the 2021 competitive tenders can be submitted from the beginning of November. The submission deadlines for projects are February 5, April 23 and September 3, 2021.

  • Energy suppliers rely on cooperation

    Energy suppliers rely on cooperation

    Increasing digitization and cross-sector cooperation are opening up new business areas for energy supply companies in Switzerland. According to the results of the 2020 municipal utility study by the consulting firm EY and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management , 80 percent of energy providers see great synergy potential in telecommunications, 71 percent in the housing industry and 69 percent in the heating industry. According to a press release , the survey was carried out in Switzerland and Germany, among 49 EVUs across Switzerland.

    According to a media release from EY, the potential for cooperation has increased once again from the EVU's point of view: in 2019, only 50 percent saw great synergy potential in telecommunications and 67 percent in the housing industry. The heating industry was not queried at that time.

    When looking for promising business models, EVUs would look even more outside the box in the future, says Benjamin Teufel, Head of the Energy Sector in Switzerland. “The housing industry, in particular, lends itself to being a cooperation partner: decentralized and climate-friendly energy solutions are becoming increasingly important.” As EY explains in another article , platform transactions based on digital data are conceivable for the housing industry. "Stadtwerke are predestined to be the operator of these platforms," it says there.

    A total of 71 percent of the EVU expect to be able to act as platform operator in decentralized electricity generation, 67 percent in electromobility and 71 percent in the area of smart metering, i.e. the use of intelligent electricity meters. Accordingly, the 2020 municipal utility study also shows that 84 percent of energy suppliers consider smart metering to be the most important technology in digital transformation. "As a data hub, the smart meters will lead to numerous new applications, products and business models," Teufel is quoted as saying.

    In the article “How municipal utilities can benefit from smart metering in the future”, EY explains: “The more companies use smart meter data for their business and the more these services can be networked with one another, the stronger the platform business will grow. Typically, the platform operator, in this case the municipal utility, participates in the transaction proceeds. "

  • Decommissioning and disposal funds show profits

    Decommissioning and disposal funds show profits

    The decommissioning and disposal funds ( STENFO ) to be accumulated by the operators of nuclear facilities are intended to cover the costs of decommissioning Swiss nuclear power plants and the disposal of radioactive waste, explains the Federal Council in a communication . At its meeting on September 18, it approved the annual reports of the two funds for the 2019 reporting year. The two funds currently have a total of CHF 8.492 billion. At the end of 2018, the fund amounts had totaled 7.492 billion francs.

    The decommissioning fund currently has CHF 2.724 billion available for the decommissioning and demolition of the nuclear facilities and the disposal of the radioactive waste generated. The funds exceeded the target amount of CHF 2.525 billion targeted for the end of 2019 by CHF 198.8 million, writes the Federal Council. A return on investment of 12.26 percent resulted in a profit of CHF 297.9 million in the fund's income statement.

    The disposal fund set up for the costs of disposing of radioactive waste showed funds of 5.768 billion Swiss francs at the end of 2019. The fund was thus quoted at 615 million francs above its target amount of 5.153 billion francs, informs the Federal Council. Compared to the end of 2018, a profit of 666.8 million francs was posted. It resulted from a return on investment of 13.09 percent.

  • Energy suppliers rely on cooperation

    Increasing digitization and cross-sector cooperation are opening up new business areas for energy supply companies in Switzerland. According to the results of the 2020 municipal utility study by the consulting firm EY and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management , 80 percent of energy providers see great synergy potential in telecommunications, 71 percent in the housing industry and 69 percent in the heating industry. According to a press release , the survey was carried out in Switzerland and Germany, among 49 EVUs across Switzerland.

    According to a media release from EY, the potential for cooperation has increased again from the EVU's point of view: in 2019, only 50 percent saw great synergy potential in telecommunications and 67 percent in the housing industry. The heating industry was not queried at that time.

    When looking for promising business models, EVUs would look even more outside the box in the future, says Benjamin Teufel, Head of the Energy Sector in Switzerland. “The housing industry in particular lends itself to being a cooperation partner: decentralized and climate-friendly energy solutions are becoming more and more important.” As EY explains in another article , platform transactions based on digital data are conceivable for the housing industry. "Stadtwerke are predestined to be the operator of these platforms," it says there.

    A total of 71 percent of EVUs expect to be able to act as platform operators for decentralized electricity generation, 67 percent for electromobility and 71 percent for smart metering, i.e. the use of intelligent electricity meters. Accordingly, the 2020 municipal utility study also shows that 84 percent of energy providers consider smart metering to be the most important technology in digital transformation. "As a data hub, the smart meters will lead to numerous new applications, products and business models," Teufel is quoted as saying.

    In the article “How municipal utilities can benefit from smart metering in the future”, EY explains: “The more companies use smart meter data for their business and the more these services can be networked with one another, the stronger the platform business will grow. Typically, the platform operator, in this case the municipal utility, participates in the transaction proceeds. "Mm

  • Canton Solothurn wants to get out of Alpiq

    Canton Solothurn wants to get out of Alpiq

    The Canton of Solothurn is selling its stake in Alpiq . He currently holds 1'563'520 shares, a stake of 5.61 percent in the Lausanne energy company. As the government council writes in a press release, it wants 861,429 shares in Primeo-Energie based in Münchenstein BL and 331,104 shares in Regio Energie Solothurn . The government council is looking for further interested parties for the remaining 370,987 shares.

    The sale to the two regional energy providers is at a share price of 70 francs and brings the canton 113 million francs. Since the canton keeps the shares with a value of 56 francs in the books, the book profit is 16.7 million francs.

    The canton holds the Alpiq shares thanks to its stake in the predecessor company Atel, which dates back to the 1960s. With the sale, he is exercising a right that was granted in the shareholders' agreement of the three shareholder groups EOS Holding , the Credit Suisse subsidiary Schweizer Kraftwerksbeteiligung-AG and the Consortium of Swiss Minorities (KSM) from 2019. The canton of Solothurn belongs to the KSM. According to the 2019 clause, he can sell his shares either to existing members of the KSM or to regional energy providers.

  • The renovation rate for buildings is still too low

    The renovation rate for buildings is still too low

    In 2019, the federal and cantonal building program paid out around CHF 265 million in subsidies, a quarter more than in the previous year. This emerges from the 2019 annual report of the building program. This program is an important pillar of Swiss energy and climate policy. It is based on Article 34 of the CO2 Act .

    According to a press release from the building program, applicants received a total of around CHF 265 million in funding in 2019 (2018: CHF 211 million). Most of the funding last year went to thermal insulation projects with CHF 133 million. The greatest growth was recorded in subsidies for system renovations; they rose by 70 percent to 60 million francs. Solar and ventilation systems were funded with 35 million francs. 4,100 fossil fuel systems have been replaced with renewable energy heating systems, most commonly a heat pump.

    According to the announcement, the measures implemented in 2019 thanks to subsidies will save 5.4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 1.2 million tons of CO2 over their entire service life. But the renovation rate is too low to achieve the Swiss energy and climate targets for buildings. In order to offer a greater incentive, higher funding rates have been granted since 2019. This has reduced the effect achieved: While in 2018 159 francs were used per ton of CO2 saved, it was 205 francs in 2019. The increase in the more cost-intensive system renovations also reduced the effect per Swiss franc granted.

    The employment effect of the building program is positive: it is 2100 full-time equivalents and around 82 million francs of additional domestic added value.

  • Altendorf relies on innovative lighting

    Altendorf relies on innovative lighting

    An innovative light control in the municipality of Altendorf measures the number of vehicles and adapts the light to the traffic. It consumes less energy and reduces the light level to the necessary minimum. According to a press release , Altendorf is “the first municipality to show how an intelligent system can be implemented easily and inexpensively”. The canton of Schwyz decided in mid-August to support the communities financially in the retrofitting.

    Altendorf began converting to LED lights in 2010. For the renovation phase that has now begun, the municipality decided in favor of the traffic-dependent light control TrafficDim from the company Elektron from Wädenswil ZH. The system "is one of the most efficient lighting controls available on the market," says the press release.

    With the traffic data recorded on site, the lights are controlled as required via a light management system, "without any restrictions on safety". The changes are gentle and hardly noticeable. "We didn't want any nervous lighting, no constant ups and downs of the light," Markus Weber, the head of the local civil engineering office, is quoted as saying.

    To have around 60 of these lights installed by Elektrizitätsversorgung Altendorf AG ( EVA ) is “the order of the day,” says Erich Keller, councilor for civil engineering and works. “Altendorf wants to become an energy city. This also includes reducing the energy consumption of street lighting to a minimum. ”The lighting on its main traffic axis, a busy cantonal road, consumes around 20 percent of the entire street lighting infrastructure. That is why it offers "the ideal prerequisites for the use of innovative lighting control".

    The municipality "Altendorf did everything right when it came to renovating its public lighting", says the smart city expert and CEO of Elektron, Enrico Baumann. “It started converting to LED at an early stage and has continuously taken into account the technological advances over the past ten years. With the use of TrafficDim, it is taking on a pioneering role throughout Switzerland. "

  • Swiss electricity from the socket is 75 percent green

    Swiss electricity from the socket is 75 percent green

    In 2019, around 75 percent of the electricity from Swiss sockets came from renewable energies. This is evident from the data collected annually by the Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ).

    According to a media release , the data published on Monday show that 66 percent of the electricity consumed comes from large-scale hydropower. 8.4 percent is generated by solar and wind energy as well as from small hydropower and biomass. In 2019, their share rose from 7.85 percent in the previous year to 8.4 percent. Around 95 percent of this was produced in Switzerland and a good three quarters were funded by the feed-in tariff system ( ESV ).

    Compared to the electricity actually supplied, the shares of renewable sources in Swiss electricity production are lower: 56 percent of the electricity produced in Switzerland comes from hydropower and 6 percent from new renewable energies. In this context, the SFOE points out that the Swiss Sockets not only supply electricity from Swiss production.

    19.1 percent of the delivery mix comes from nuclear energy (2018: 17.3 percent). The share in Switzerland's production mix is significantly higher at 35 percent, some of which is exported. Almost 2 percent in the Swiss delivery mix is obtained from waste and fossil fuels.

    The origin and composition of 4 percent of the electricity supplied cannot be verified. Since this so-called gray electricity is only permitted in exceptional cases from delivery year 2020, according to the SFOE, large consumers are apparently increasingly switching to domestic nuclear energy. Since most of the neighboring countries do not issue any guarantees of origin for electricity from conventional power plants, Switzerland has introduced replacement certificates. Coal electricity from abroad can be declared as such and no longer has to be summarized under gray electricity. This share of coal-fired electricity halved to half a percent between 2018 and 2019. However, electricity-intensive companies recently obtained replacement certificates for electricity from fossil and nuclear sources from European power plants.

  • The energy funding program has been exhausted

    The energy funding program has been exhausted

    This year, the canton of Lucerne has given a total of 8 million francs in funding, the cantonal service for the environment and energy ( uwe ) informed in a message . Around 1100 projects have thus been supported. This year's funding program was expanded to include automatic wood heating systems and a new advisory service for heating replacement.

    As of September 2nd, this year's announcements will be exhausted, the announcement further explains. "We are pleasantly surprised at the early exhaustion of the program," government councilor Fabian Peter (FDP), head of the building, environment and economic department, is quoted there. In particular, the advice on heating replacement made "an important contribution to the climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050".

    When it comes to building renovations, Peter sees a need for action. The energy-related renovations have so far been less than 1 percent annually. "That's not enough to achieve our climate goals," says Peter. He points out that the building program “makes sense not only ecologically, but also economically”. Because the money from the CO2 levy flowed back into the canton, “the building industry benefited in addition to homeowners and tenants”.

  • EBL is investing up to 1.4 billion in the energy transition

    EBL is investing up to 1.4 billion in the energy transition

    EBL wants to drive the energy transition in Switzerland and Europe with large investments. As the Basel-based energy supplier announced , it wants to create EBL X Invest, a new investment vehicle for professional investors, in 2021. This is to be equipped with equity of 250 to 500 million euros. This should trigger investments of 700 million to 1.4 billion euros in wind, solar and water power in Switzerland and Europe.

    The new investment vehicle builds on EBL Wind Invest AG, which was founded in 2016 by EBL, institutional investors and pension funds. EBL Invest is said to have invested a total of 370 million euros in wind power plants in Germany by the end of 2020 with equity of 120 million euros. The plants are expected to generate 370 gigawatt hours of electricity per year.

    EBL also relies on renewable energies in its own company. 97 percent of the company's own vehicle fleet is to be converted to electric drives by 2030. 95 percent of the headquarters in Liestal are managed with renewable energies.

  • Mont-sur-Lausanne relies on Siemens to save energy

    Mont-sur-Lausanne relies on Siemens to save energy

    By increasing the energy efficiency of the sports center, the municipal administration of Mont-sur-Lausanne wants to reduce the loan required for the renovation of the complex, Siemens Switzerland explains in a press release . The company won the tender for a corresponding energy saving contract. In the contract, Siemens guarantees the municipality savings of 60,000 francs annually.

    "For Siemens Switzerland this is a remarkable success and a project that we would like to implement in other municipalities as well," Stéphane Bovey, regional sales manager at Siemens Switzerland, is quoted in the press release. “We focused on the right concepts and suggested the most effective measures.” The communication cites the renovation of the ventilation and lighting systems and the installation of solar modules on the roof of the complex as examples.

    Siemens is working with local companies to implement the project, the press release explains. The contract has a term of 15 years and comprises an investment volume of 809,000 francs. The work should be completed this summer.

    "We are pleased to have found an experienced partner in Siemens who works with us to save energy," said Christian Menétrey, councilor responsible for construction and sustainability. According to her, Siemens has already received further orders after the energy saving contract. The communication specifically mentions the replacement of the water treatment system and the optimization of electrical systems.

  • CKW relies on intelligent electricity meters

    CKW relies on intelligent electricity meters

    According to a media release , CKW has already used intelligent measuring systems in the past “in selected regions and specifically in larger new buildings”. Now all conventional electricity meters in the supply area are being replaced by smart meters. Accordingly, CKW will now replace 180,000 meters.

    The intelligent measuring systems have several advantages for consumers, as CKW informs. In future, customers will be able to track their electricity consumption online and thus “identify potential energy savings more easily”. In addition, the meter reading no longer has to be read on site, which makes things easier when moving, for example. "Furthermore, the CKW customer service can answer questions about energy consumption or the electricity bill faster and more competently with the current measurement data," says the message.

    CKW will benefit from the experience it has already gained with intelligent measuring systems. The company tested various communication technologies. "The radio technology used has proven itself particularly in the predominantly rural areas of Central Switzerland compared to other technologies in terms of stability," said CKW. This stability is "of central importance" for the operating costs.

  • Alpiq benefits from long-term contracts

    Alpiq benefits from long-term contracts

    According to the key figures of the Alpiq Group , the Lausanne-based energy group generated net sales of 1.83 billion francs in the first half of 2020. Compared to the previous semester, this corresponds to a decrease of 18.3 percent. The operating result (EBIT) reported a loss of 70 million francs, compared to a loss of 206 million francs in the first half of 2019. The net result improved from a loss of 206 million to a loss of 84 million francs.

    The operating result at the EBITDA level before special items increased from 55 million to 116 million francs year-on-year, said Alpiq in a statement on the half-year results. All three Alpiq divisions contributed to the positive operational development.

    Specifically, a result of 37 million francs was achieved in Swiss electricity production, compared to a loss of 56 million francs in the previous semester. International energy trading increased its result year-on-year from CHF 53 million to CHF 58 million. In international electricity production, after 60 million francs in the previous year, a positive result of 24 million francs was achieved “despite the coal phase-out”, writes Alpiq.

    The coronavirus pandemic caused electricity prices to fall sharply, especially in April and May, Alpiq said in the press release. The Lausanne group was well protected against this development due to the safeguarding of electricity production for two to three years.

  • Energiedienst Group remains on course for growth

    Energiedienst Group remains on course for growth

    According to a communication from Energiedienst Holding AG , the Swiss-German Energiedienst group achieved operating income of 532 million euros in the first half of 2020. In the same period of the previous year, 49 million euros less had been generated. The company attributes the growth primarily to higher prices in the sales business and increased electricity trading volumes.

    Negative effects on the capital market, however, would have reduced the operating result (EBIT) year-on-year by 1 million euros to 12 million, said Energiedienst in the press release. Adjusted for non-operating effects, however, EBIT rose by 8 million to 24 million euros. "Operationally, the Energiedienst Group is doing better in the first half of 2020 than in the same period of the previous year", Jörg Reichert, CEO of Energiedienst Holding AG, is quoted in the announcement. "But the pandemic is not leaving the Energiedienst Group unaffected." The group expects that it will not be able to achieve its originally targeted operating result of 41 million euros for the year as a whole.

    In terms of profit for the period, a year-on-year decline of 6 million to 8 million euros had to be accepted. According to the announcement, the background to this is a negative performance of the company's securities. It reduced the financial result year-on-year by 5 million euros to a loss of 3 million euros.

    "The Energiedienst Group has been one of the first integrated energy companies in Germany and Switzerland to be climate-neutral since January 2020," explains Reichert. This climate neutrality is "the foundation of their business activities", it says in the announcement. According to her, the group was able to win several large business customers in the six months under review “thanks to its climate neutrality”.

  • Axpo President calls for a sliding market premium

    Axpo President calls for a sliding market premium

    In a joint guest commentary for the “Tages-Anzeiger”, two leading representatives of the Swiss energy industry take a hard line against the Federal Council's plans to implement the Energy Strategy 2050. “Switzerland has the wrong instruments for promoting renewable energies. We have a suggestion on how this can be changed, ”write Thomas Sieber, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the energy company Axpo , and Gianni Operto, President of AEE Suisse , the umbrella organization for renewable energies and energy efficiency.

    The proposal can be summarized in two words: Moving market premium. The Federal Council proposes a model with investment contributions for the energy law revision. The amounts are fixed in advance. From the authors' point of view, the problem is that it will hardly be possible to determine the most economically efficient contribution amount. Either there is unnecessary over-funding or too little funds are budgeted, which leads to the shutdown of plants that are no longer profitable. The sliding market premium, for which a “broad alliance of the Swiss energy industry” advocates, is already being used successfully in other countries. Production capacities would be put out to tender in a competition. "Those interested with the lowest offers are guaranteed a minimum remuneration for the electricity produced over a certain period of time – but only if the market price does not cover this." The sliding market premium supports precisely and only as much as necessary. It is therefore not a subsidy, but a fair price tag for a central service.

    Since the expansion of renewable capacities in Switzerland is currently not profitable for electricity suppliers, Swiss energy suppliers and institutional investors invested abroad. At the end of 2019, the expansion of renewable capacities financed in this way had increased to 11.5 terawatt hours, almost a fifth of the total annual production in Switzerland.

  • Axpo places green bond via Loanboox

    Axpo places green bond via Loanboox

    Axpo has placed a so-called green bond via the digital capital market platform of the Zurich fintech Loanboox , according to a media release . The fixed-interest bond of CHF 133 million has a term of seven years.

    Axpo intends to use the net proceeds from the bond to invest in renewable energies. The company highlights wind energy and photovoltaic projects. Overall, Axpo wants to use the Green Bond to “strengthen its position as the largest Swiss producer of renewable energies” and expand its group of investors, it is said.

    According to Loanboox, Axpo is the first issuer to place a green bond entirely digitally via the debt capital market platform. "This first bond is proof that our digital process creates added value for all market participants," says Philippe Cayrol, CEO of Loanboox. "We are proud and happy to work with innovative customers and partners to create new standards in terms of transparency, pricing and allocation in the primary market – in Switzerland and Europe," he adds.

  • Hans Eberle AG produces its own green electricity

    Hans Eberle AG produces its own green electricity

    Around 10 percent of the electricity consumption of the metal goods factory Hans Eberle AG has come from in-house production since this summer. According to the company's media release, the heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting of the new company building, which was also completed this summer, are powered by clean energy from the newly installed hydropower screw in Ortsbach. The Francis turbine that was used earlier "got out" in 2014 after more than 100 years of operation, as the company reports. With this investment, Hans Eberle AG wants to underline its commitment to the sustainable use of resources and make a contribution to climate protection.

    Hans Eberle AG, together with other members of the cooperative, uses the Ennendaner Ortsbach to produce its own electricity. The water is led from the Linth into the Ortsbach and has a constant flow of three cubic meters of water per second, which is quite sufficient for electricity production. The use of water power from the Ortsbach has a long tradition in Ennenda; it used to be used in the textile industry for weaving fabrics.

  • Swarm should enable intelligent charging stations

    Swarm should enable intelligent charging stations

    With Pico, the company smart-me has developed a new charging station for electric vehicles. This connects to the cloud via the local WLAN or cellular network. This makes the station intelligent and can, for example, easily be coupled with a solar system, as a message shows. The operator can decide for himself when and at what price vehicles can be charged at the station.

    Overall, Pico should make the installation of charging stations more attractive. As a result, previously undeveloped areas should also receive a charging infrastructure. In addition, electric cars are good buyers of locally produced solar power, emphasizes smart-me.

    To finance the mass production of the charging station, smart-me started a swarm financing campaign on Kickstarter on July 8th. The company wants to collect over 50,000 francs.

  • Meyer Burger wants to manufacture solar modules in Glarus

    Meyer Burger wants to manufacture solar modules in Glarus

    The Thun-based system manufacturer Meyer Burger wants to set up a production facility for solar panels in Linthal GL. The planned plant will have a capacity of 400 megawatts and employ over 100 people in three-shift operation, according to a statement from the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies ( VSE ).

    The project is related to the planned realignment of Meyer Burger. The company based in Gwatt BE no longer wants to build and sell machines for the production of panels in the future, but instead wants to get into panel production itself.

    The main argument in favor of locating the plant in Linthal is a solar park project on the Limmernsee in Glarus Süd, 1860 meters above sea level. A floating photovoltaic system with a capacity of 250 megawatts per year is to be installed there. The Limmern Solar Park (SPL) on the storage lake of Kraftwerke Linth-Limmern AG ( KLL , Axpo ) could generate 300 gigawatt hours of electricity and thus cover the needs of 75,000 to 100,000 four-person households.

    There are other advantages that speak in favor of Glarus. In this way, not only is the inexpensive energy supply guaranteed by the Technischen Betriebe Glarus Süd ( tbgs ), but also the building land is available. In addition, the canton of Glarus is ready to set tax incentives. The plant also benefits from the efficient approval process, the rail connection for goods transport and the interesting Swiss market.