immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: ErneuerbareEnergien

  • Birstal heating network installs wood-fired boiler

    Birstal heating network installs wood-fired boiler

    The sustainable Birstal heating network has taken another step forward with the installation of the first wood-fired boilers. According to a press release, the project initiated by Primeo Energie from Münchenstein and uptownBasel has expanded the heating system on the uptownBasel site with the installation of the boilers. A heat pump is to be installed at a later stage. The wood-fired boilers are two biomass boilers with outputs of 8 and 11 megawatts. According to the press release, modern filter systems and technologies should lead to the lowest possible exhaust gas values. At a later date, the heating centre is expected to deliver an output of 40 megawatts, making it the largest plant operated by Primeo Energie in Switzerland.

    The Birstal heating network consists of 25 heating plants and networks in Reinach, Arlesheim and Münchenstein. It is increasingly being converted to renewable energies. Part of the energy source will be waste heat from the uptownBasel area in Arlesheim, while biomass and wood from regional cultivation will also be burnt in cold seasons or during peak loads.

    With the new energy centre and the Birstal heating network, Primeo Energie aims to make a contribution to the energy transition and to a sustainable heating and cooling supply in the region, the press release explains further.

  • Stäfa receives renewable heating and cooling

    Stäfa receives renewable heating and cooling

    The municipality of Stäfa’s heating and cooling supply is to be modernised with a sustainable energy project. According to a press release, local industry and 500 properties in Stäfa will be supplied with renewable heat from Lake Zurich from 2026. The industrial companies will also receive renewable cooling for their cooling processes from the lake. The project is being realised by Energie 360°. The project aims to save 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in future by replacing gas and oil heating systems. According to the press release, this reduction in emissions corresponds to the consumption of 2.6 million litres of fossil heating oil. Heat is to be generated using heat exchangers in an underground system. Construction of the lake water intake and the underground energy centre will begin in summer 2024. The first pipes for the heating and cooling network will be laid in 2025, and the industrial companies and the first properties will then be connected to the new heating and cooling supply from 2026.

    “Energie 360° has set itself the goal of supplying its customers exclusively with renewable energy by 2040,” Romeo Deplazes, Head of Solutions at Energie 360°, is quoted as saying in the press release. “The Stäfa energy network is a further step in Switzerland’s transformation from fossil to renewable energy.”

  • Zurich Airport wants to use ice age channel for air conditioning

    Zurich Airport wants to use ice age channel for air conditioning

    Flughafen Zürich AG is currently exploring an ice-age gully beneath the airport. It is 300 metres deep and around 30 kilometres long in total. As it is filled with water-bearing gravel, it could be used to store heat and cold in order to heat and cool a significant proportion of the airport buildings without emissions.

    “By moving away from fossil fuels such as oil and gas, we are coming much closer to our goal of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040,” said Lydia Naef, Chief Real Estate Officer of Flughafen Zürich AG, in a press release. “Geothermal energy plays a central role in this.”

    Together with IG Rinne, a consortium consisting of engineering consultants Geo Explorers, Sieber Cassina & Partner AG and E-Axiom GmbH, Flughafen Zürich AG is working on a multi-stage process to analyse the potential of the gutter as a storage facility. The results of the investigation to date are said to be promising.

    If successful, Zurich Airport intends to utilise the channel as a heat and cold storage facility from 2026. It estimates the investment costs for researching the channel and constructing the wells at between 4 and 8 million Swiss francs, depending on the number of wells required. In addition, there would be development costs for pipelines and other technical measures.

    The project is being funded and supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy as a pilot project, says Emanuel Fleuti, Head of Sustainability and Environment at Flughafen Zürich AG. “We are making all the findings available to the scientific community and can thus make a contribution to research into emission-free cooling and heating systems.”

  • Folding roof from dhp on sewage treatment plant receives German Solar Prize

    Folding roof from dhp on sewage treatment plant receives German Solar Prize

    Servicebetriebe Neuwied (SBN) in Rhineland-Palatinate has installed the first foldable solar roof in Germany on its sewage treatment plant. It covers 1600 square metres and can be retracted during maintenance work or storms and hail. The system from dhp technology AG, based in Zizers, is expected to generate 180,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. This will increase the company’s own electricity production from 9 to 24.5 per cent.

    The SBN were inspired by reports about role models in Switzerland, they write in a press release. “Our Executive Board then had the courage to tackle the project in Neuwied and the Board of Directors was also quickly convinced,” SBN Division Manager Joachim Kraus is quoted as saying.

    The large distances between the supports of the folding roof and its clear height of 5 metres enable solar production without interfering with the management of the sewage treatment plant. This also has economic benefits: “The system helps to reduce operating costs and ensure that the fees remain affordable,” Jan Einig, Mayor of Neuwied and Chairman of the SBN Board of Directors, is quoted as saying.

    SBN has now been awarded the German Solar Prize 2023 for the solar folding roof. “The lighthouse concept of the Neuwied service companies encourages the municipal implementation of renewable energies,” writes the jury of the prize awarded by Eurosolar together with the state organisation NRW.Energy4Climate.

  • AMAG expands photovoltaics

    AMAG expands photovoltaics

    AMAG has put a new photovoltaic system into operation at its Châtelaine site in Vernier near Geneva. According to a press release issued by the company, a total of 891 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Audi, Seat and Cupra building, covering an area of 1,737 square metres. In total, the new photovoltaic system in Vernier is expected to produce around 400,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. This will be used on site for the company’s own requirements. Any excess production will be fed into the public power grid, according to the press release.

    “The fact that we have also received a photovoltaic system fills me with great joy and pride,” Francine Varga, Managing Director of AMAG Châtelaine, is quoted as saying in the press release. “I consider it extremely sensible and sustainable to utilise the power of the sun to cover the majority of our company’s electricity requirements.”

    By 2025, 75,000 square metres of the roofs of AMAG plants are to be equipped with solar panels. The AMAG Group has gradually expanded its solar capacities in recent years. As a result, corresponding systems have been installed on the roofs of numerous plants.

  • Lake Thun WWTP clarifier gets solar roof

    Lake Thun WWTP clarifier gets solar roof

    ARA Thunersee will also generate solar power in future. As decided by the delegates of the municipal association on 1 November, a solar folding roof is to be installed on the roof of the wastewater treatment basin. They decided to invest 12.4 million Swiss francs in the project, according to a press release. This should be amortised within 17 years.

    The folding roof from the manufacturer dhp technology, based in Zizers, will have a solar module surface area of 23,000 square metres. This will make it the largest photovoltaic system at a Swiss wastewater treatment plant and one of the largest in the canton of Bern. It will have an output of 3,000 kilowatts peak and generate 3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year.

    In addition, ARA Thunersee already produces 13 gigawatt hours of biomethane per year and feeds this into the natural gas grid of Energie Thun AG.

  • Umwelt Arena shows special exhibition on solar power

    Umwelt Arena shows special exhibition on solar power

    The Umwelt Arena in Spreitenbach is presenting a special exhibition on solar power together with the electricity utility of the city of Zurich(ewz). According to the announcement, the special exhibition, which will be open all day from 3 November to 28 April 2024, will focus on the history of the development of solar power, the function and installation of solar power and the potential of the sun to generate electricity.

    The ewz special exhibition shows the huge potential for climate-friendly solar power production that lies dormant on rooftops and how fundamentally uncomplicated it is to take action yourself to have a solar system installed, according to the press release. However, there are still reservations and outdated myths about the construction and utilisation of solar systems. The exhibition therefore sheds light on various aspects, including, for example, how a solar system and flat roof greening can ideally complement each other. On a journey of discovery, visitors are given information about the development of solar energy over the last few decades. They can also take part in a solar quiz.

    The Umwelt Arena would like to point out that those particularly interested in the topic of solar power and visitor groups such as companies, clubs or schools can combine a visit to the special exhibition with a guided tour of the SonnenTrail. The possible uses of solar thermal energy and photovoltaics are presented.

    According to the Umwelt Arena press release, guided tours must be booked in advance by telephone or online.

  • Trunz nimmt Solaranlage auf seinem Dach in Betrieb

    Trunz nimmt Solaranlage auf seinem Dach in Betrieb

    Die Trunz Holding AG hat am 18. Oktober ihre neue Solaranlage auf dem Dach des Trunz Technologie Centers in Steinach in Betrieb genommen. Ihre 2660 Photovoltaikmodule haben laut einer Mitteilung insgesamt eine Fläche von 8000 Quadratmetern. Die Module bestehen aus bifacialen Zellen und sind damit auch für die Stromproduktion bei diffusem Licht geeignet.

    Die Anlage hat eine Leistung von 1,1 Megawatt peak und soll pro Jahr 1,1 Millionen Kilowattstunden Strom erzeugen. Davon sind 750‘000 Kilowattstunden für den Eigenverbrauch vorgesehen. Das entspricht rund einem Drittel des Stromverbrauchs von Trunz in Steinach. Der übrige Strom wird in das Netz der Elektra Steinach eingespeist. Die Anlage wurde von Solar21 mit Sitz in Zürich installiert.

    An der Einweihung der Anlage haben auch die St.Galler FDP-Nationalrätin Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher und der Mitte-Ständerat Benedikt Würth teilgenommen.

  • EWD and Swisspower plan alpine solar plant in the Persenn area

    EWD and Swisspower plan alpine solar plant in the Persenn area

    EWD Elektrizität Davos is investing in domestic electricity production with the planned construction of an alpine solar plant in the Parsenn region. This should lead to more independence from electricity imports, according to a media release.

    The municipality of Davos and the municipal utility alliance Swisspower are participating in the planning. Other supporters are Energie Wasser Bern and the Basel energy supplier IWB, as well as Energie Thun AG. The annual production in full operation is estimated at 10 gigawatt hours, which corresponds to the electricity needs of 3000 four-person households.

    Totalp in the Parsenn area was chosen as the location for the photovoltaic plant. Due to its location in a skiing area with an existing mountain railway infrastructure, the site is well connected. The plans were made with consideration for valuable cultural and pasture land in the ski region. Electricity production in the immediate vicinity of consumers, chairlifts and gondolas reduces transport losses. In addition, the plant is shielded on the valley side, so that “no reflections or adverse effects on the population” are to be expected. Even before the power shortage, the sustainable energy future through photovoltaic systems in the mountains was a topic in Davos. Compared to the Central Plateau, the region benefits from many hours of sunshine, even in winter.

    Following the approval of the Davos government, the project will be debated in the Davos parliament at the beginning of November. Afterwards, the population will vote. If the referendum is positive, construction work is to begin in 2024. The goal is to put the first parts of the plant into operation by December 2025.

  • IWB plans photovoltaic plant in Meiringen-Hasliberg ski area

    IWB plans photovoltaic plant in Meiringen-Hasliberg ski area

    The Basel-based energy supplier IWB (Industrielle Werke Basel) is planning an alpine photovoltaic (PV) plant on Käserstatt in the ski resort of Meiringen-Hasliberg in the north-east of the canton of Bern. According to a media release, the installation is to be realised together with local partners and will supply around 17 gigawatt hours of electricity for around 4500 households.

    In addition to a lot of sunshine, the site has other advantages, the IWB release says. It has an efficient grid connection, and a mountain restaurant that is no longer in use could house transformers and rectifiers. There is already an access road that can be used to bring materials and construction machinery close to the project perimeter. The region is an ideal location for the large-scale alpine photovoltaic plants that have been subsidised by the federal government since autumn 2022.

    “With an alpine PV plant in the Hasliberg realised together with local partners, we are making a concrete contribution to the energy transition. The proximity of the site to the tourist facilities offers many advantages in terms of construction and operation,” Stefan Wittwer, Head of Procurement Portfolio at IWB, is quoted as saying.

    The planned plant offers various synergy opportunities. The mountain railways will expand their snow-making facilities at the same time, and farmers will receive additional cattle watering facilities. Agricultural use will continue. In addition, landowners and local communities will benefit from user fees and tax levies.

    The Käserstatt project perimeter lies above the forest line between 1900 and 2100 metres above sea level. The use of untouched landscapes is avoided. In addition, there is an efficient underground grid connection, which was renewed a few years ago, and which can be used to transport the electricity produced.

  • Energie Ausserschwyz increases capital for district heating expansion

    Energie Ausserschwyz increases capital for district heating expansion

    In a media release,Energie Ausserschwyz announced the result of a capital increase of CHF 25.5 million completed at the end of September to expand the district heating network. The investors are the main shareholder EW Höfe AG and the 100-member Ausserschwyz Energy Cooperative.

    With the new funds, the energy provider is initially aiming for an accelerated expansion in the direction of Pfäffikon, it says. District heating pipelines are to be laid to the Ausserschwyz Cantonal School in Pfäffikon and to the centres of Lachen and Altendorf. Further expansion plans for the existing district heating network concern additional areas at the energy provider’s headquarters in Galgenen.

    On the initiative of Energie Ausserschwyz, a district heating network has been under construction in the districts of March and Höfe since 2021. From the energy centre, properties in Galgenen, Siebnen, Lachen, Altendorf and Pfäffikon are to receive their heat from renewable sources such as wood chips and biomass. In 2023, district heating infrastructure worth 20 million Swiss francs was installed. Further expansion plans call for total investments of 15 million francs in 2024.

    With the capital increase, Energie Ausserschwyz is also reacting to the inflation in construction costs, interest rates and raw material prices, the company says. “The business model of district heating means that considerable upfront investments have to be made in the expansion of the network before heat can flow and be sold. The higher the inflation, the more cost-intensive these upfront investments are

  • ARA Thunersee plans folding solar roof on the sewage treatment plant

    ARA Thunersee plans folding solar roof on the sewage treatment plant

    ARA Thunersee wants to expand the production of renewable energy. According to its annual report, which has just been published, it is planning a large folding solar roof system on the roof of the pre-treatment and biology basins. The folding solar roof is to be supplied by dhp technology AG in Zizers GR.

    The system is to be installed on an area of 20,000 square metres with a capacity of 3,000 kilowatt peak and an annual electricity output of 3 gigawatt hours. The plant’s capacity would cover up to one third of ARA’s own needs. Since the investment volume exceeds 5 million Swiss francs, it must be approved by the Assembly of Delegates on 1 November.

    Already under construction is a smaller solar roof system by dhp technology with 600 kilowatt peak above the basin for powdered activated carbon (PAH) dosing. It is to produce solar power from February 2024. This will cost 2.26 million Swiss francs.

    In addition, ARA Thunersee already produces 13 gigawatt hours of biomethane per year and feeds it into the natural gas grid of Energie Thun AG. Ingo Schoppe can also imagine converting the waste heat generated from wastewater during the purification process into electricity. “The technical solutions for this are ready; it is up to us and our partners to design these technical solutions in such a way that they are not only good for the environment, but also become economically feasible,” writes the managing director of ARA Thunersee in his report

    The board of directors submitted a credit application of 12.37 million Swiss francs for the entire plant to the assembly of delegates. The assembly also has to decide on awarding the contract to dhp technology, with whom a service contract is to be drawn up. Under Pronovo ‘s support programme, the plant operator can expect to receive a one-time investment grant (GREIV) of 985,000 francs for the planned plant. The timetable envisages the commissioning of the entire plant in the summer of 2025.

  • Cowa Thermal Solutions develops highly efficient heat storage system

    Cowa Thermal Solutions develops highly efficient heat storage system

    Cowa Thermal Solutions has developed a method that can increase the capacity of heat storage units for combined photovoltaic-heat pump systems many times over. The founders of the start-up from the canton of Lucerne already researched this technology for heating and hot water as part of their master’s thesis at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

    According to a statement from the university, they then worked for another four years to make their product, the cowa booster storage tank, ready for the market. During the past heating season, it was tested intensively in the field. The tests showed that the cowa technology doubled the autonomy of the heating system and halved the dependence on the electricity grid. The cowa Booster Speicher is now available in stores. The sales partner is the building technology company Meier Tobler. Initial talks for expansion into Germany and Europe are reportedly underway.

    According to the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, it increases capacity without taking up more space. “The core of our technology is the storage material,” explains cowa founder and co-CEO Remo Waser. “It is based on cost-effective salt hydrates, whose storage density is up to three times higher than that of water. Our heat storage units are correspondingly more powerful.”

    The salt hydrates are reportedly in capsules. The storage tank is filled about 40 per cent with heating water and 60 per cent with capsules containing the salt hydrates. “In this way, the cowa buffer storage tank can store two to three times more energy than a conventional water storage tank of the same size without capsules,” says CRO Jan Allemann.

  • Parliament agrees on expansion of renewable energies

    Parliament agrees on expansion of renewable energies

    On 26 September, the National Council cleared the way for an agreement with the Council of States on the federal law on a secure electricity supply with renewable energies. The so-called Energy Decree sets binding target values for the expansion of renewable energies and extends previously limited support instruments. Special emphasis is placed on securing the electricity supply after the phase-out of nuclear power and, in particular, on the electricity supply in winter.

    Lastly, Kurt Egger (GP/TG) had cleared the way for agreement. According to the minutes of the National Council, he withdrew a motion by the minority that would have prescribed the construction of photovoltaic systems on new car parks from a size of 500 square metres from 2030. Egger also regretted that the new law only stipulates a solar obligation for new buildings from a floor area of 300 square metres.

    Previously, the Council of States had accommodated the large chamber. For example, less residual water in hydroelectric power plants may only be permitted if there is an imminent shortage of electricity. The small chamber also approved the introduction of a market for energy efficiency measures proposed by the National Council.

    Federal Councillor Albert Rösti thanked both chambers for their ability to compromise. He said he hoped that Parliament had thus achieved a “medium level of satisfaction” on all sides. He said that the law would lead to Switzerland generating 3 to 5 terawatt hours more winter electricity in the next five to ten years. “Then we will be back on the safe side,” Rösti said. But this would require new hydropower projects, namely Grimsel, Trift and Gorner, as well as alpine solar plants.

    The new federal law is to come into force on 1 January 2025. But the political debate continues. Kurt Egger pointed out that the Greens would launch their solar initiative for compulsory solar energy on roofs and facades of new buildings.

  • Ennetsee heating network starts work

    Ennetsee heating network starts work

    With the opening of the transport pipeline between Perlen and Rotkreuz, WWZ has put the first section of its Ennetsee heating network into operation. “From now on, waste heat from the Renergia waste incineration plant (KVA) in Perlen will flow into the Rotkreuz distribution network and supply the first properties in the municipality with regional, environmentally friendly and CO2-neutral energy for heating and hot water,” explains the Zug-based energy, telecommunications and water supplier in a corresponding press release.

    Once completed, the Ennetsee heating network will be able to supply not only Rotkreuz but also the village of Holzhäusern, which belongs to Risch ZG, the Bösch area in the municipality of Hünenberg ZG, Hünenberg See and Cham with waste heat from the Renergia waste incineration plant. WWZ expects that the heat network will then prevent more than 12,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The company is currently working on further district heating pipelines in Rotkreuz and on the next section of the main transport pipeline from the waste incineration plant to Cham.

  • Solar roofs from Megasol can prevent hail damage

    Solar roofs from Megasol can prevent hail damage

    The “Level” solar roof system from Megasol has been certified with the highest hail protection class 5. According to a media release, the company, which is based in the canton of Solothurn, is responding to increasingly extreme weather events with its “Level” solar roof system. Recent experience in Ticino has shown that many conventional roofs cannot withstand heavy hail.

    Solar roofs from Megasol are therefore tested in the laboratory against hailstorms. Hailstones with a diameter of about 5 centimetres would be shot against the panels at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour. “We have developed the solar roof ‘Level’ specifically to withstand violent environmental influences such as heavy hail, high snow loads and wind suction forces,” Michael Reist, Head of Communications at Megasol, is quoted as saying in the statement. The system is based on so-called glass-glass solar modules, which have a particularly high resistance.

    The Level Solar Roof is scaled, the solar modules do not need frames. The system is said to be quickly adaptable to all roofs, so that the entire roof surface can be used for the production of electricity. Thanks to the fastening hooks and short sealing rails, it can be installed quickly. “The Level solar roof is therefore cheaper over its lifetime than a conventional roof,” says Reist. This is because the additional costs for the solar system, which correspond to a quarter of the costs for the roof, are amortised in a few years. “After that, the solar system pays for the roof.”

  • Venture Kick supports Borobotics with 150,000 Swiss francs

    Venture Kick supports Borobotics with 150,000 Swiss francs

    Borobotics from Winterthur has received 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick for the further development of its innovative drilling robot after reaching the third stage of the programme. In response to the problem of the previously energy-intensive and expensive drilling of holes for geothermal probes, Borobotics is revolutionising geothermal heating processes with a drilling robot that can work in up to 90 per cent less space and at significantly lower cost, according to a media release.

    In addition to the high costs and large space requirements, previous methods bring disadvantages such as energy intensity, inaccuracy, noise pollution and landscape destruction, according to the release. Borobotics describes its development as “an earthworm-like robot that moves vertically into the earth” without a rig or drill pipe. It is intended to enable a much wider spread of geothermal heating.

    Borobotics emerged from a research project at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, according to the release. The start-up wants to invest the 150,000 Swiss francs in several drilling tests of its robot in order to be able to present a functioning prototype at the geothermal energy trade fair GeoTHERM 2024 in Offenburg during demonstration drillings on 29 February and 1 March 2024.

  • Helion Energy and Meyer Burger enter into partnership

    Helion Energy and Meyer Burger enter into partnership

    Photovoltaic manufacturer Meyer Burger has agreed a strategic partnership with Helion Energy, a provider of complete solar energy solutions and AMAG subsidiary. According to a media release, the AMAG Group will give preference to Meyer Burger solar modules for all its own photovoltaic plants yet to be built. As part of its climate strategy, the AMAG Group will build around 75,000 square metres of solar plants at its own locations by 2025.

    Helion Energy and Meyer Burger Technology are committed to rebuilding the photovoltaic value chain in Switzerland as part of the strategic partnership, the statement added. Currently, Switzerland imports more than 90 percent of its solar modules from Asian countries.

    “Meyer Burger high-performance modules offer a number of advantages for customers: they are developed in Switzerland and sustainably produced in Germany,” Helion CEO Noah Heynen is quoted as saying. The modules show lower performance losses over the years and higher yields in all seasons due to better temperature coefficients and low-light behaviour. They are designed to last more than 30 years and come with an industry-leading warranty of at least 25 years, he said.

    According to CEO Gunter Erfurt, Meyer Burger is in the process of “massively expanding” its production for solar cells and modules. The Swiss solar modules have a technological advantage over the Asian competition and generate significantly higher yields over the entire lifetime.

  • Valais rejects simplified approval of large solar installations

    Valais rejects simplified approval of large solar installations

    Voters in the Canton of Valais have rejected a simplification and acceleration of the cantonal approval procedure for large photovoltaic plants. In the cantonal vote on 10 September, a decree to this effect was rejected by 53.94 percent of those who voted, the State Council of the Canton of Val ais informs in a statement. It “takes note of this result”.

    The decree, which had already been approved by the Grand Council, provided, among other things, for a more concentrated approval procedure and the transfer of the approval authority from the cantonal building commission to the State Council. Complaints against a permit could thus have been lodged with the cantonal court without a diversion. After the rejection of the decree in the cantonal referendum, the previous cantonal procedure remains in force. Permits will continue to be the responsibility of the building commission. Appeals must first be lodged with the State Council. In the second and third instance, the cantonal court and the federal court have a role to play.

    By simplifying the cantonal procedure, the State Council wanted to support the implementation of the new Article 71a in the national energy law. It is aimed at the increased construction of large photovoltaic plants. The corresponding federal law remains unaffected by the result of the cantonal vote. Among other things, the conditions for the approval of large photovoltaic plants are regulated there.

  • Parliament decides on solar obligation for large new buildings

    Parliament decides on solar obligation for large new buildings

    The National Council voted 98 to 95 in favour of making solar energy compulsory for new buildings with a roof and façade area of more than 300 square metres. It thus followed a minority vote of its Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy, the parliamentary services inform in a press release. An extension of the solar obligation to include conversions was rejected. The decision of the National Council corresponds to a decision already taken by the Council of States in the context of the discussions on the Energy Mantle Decree.

    However, the two chambers have not yet been able to reach an agreement on other points of the Energy Mantle Decree. Deviating from the Council of States, the National Council on Monday continued to support a solar obligation also for car parks above a certain size. With regard to the residual water regulations for hydroelectric power plants, the National Council voted for a stricter limitation of the exceptions than the Council of States. However, there is agreement on the planning of hydropower plants whose residual flow would run through a protected area of national importance. Such projects should not be excluded from the outset.

    The federal law on a secure electricity supply with renewable energies, known as the Energy Coat Decree, serves to implement the energy turnaround. In order to avert the danger of a shortage of electricity as quickly as possible, the Energy Decree should be passed by the councils this autumn, if possible, according to a statement by Energy Minister Albert Rösti. After the National Council’s vote, the bill now goes back to the Council of States.

  • Consortium brings solar folding roofs to motorway rest areas

    Consortium brings solar folding roofs to motorway rest areas

    The electricity producer Aventron from Münchenstein, BG Ingenieure und Berater from Lausanne, Cargo sous terrain(CST) from Basel and dhp technology from Zizers have founded the consortium ABCD-Horizon to install photovoltaic systems along motorways.

    According to a media release, innovative photovoltaic systems will generate electricity at 45 motorway rest areas “in French-speaking Switzerland and the cantons of Valais and Bern”. This electricity will primarily be used for charging infrastructure along the motorways. The total output of the systems is said to be up to 35 megawatts. This amount could supply around 7800 households with an average annual electricity consumption of 4500 kilowatt hours.

    The impetus for solar power production on unused areas of motorway service areas and noise barriers came from the Federal Roads Office(FEDRO), according to the press release. In a national tender, the Horizon folding solar roof from dhb Technology was awarded the contract for all motorway service stations in the French-speaking region of Switzerland and in the cantons of Valais and Bern.

    The energy generated will reportedly be stored in existing charging points and batteries. The buyers of the surplus electricity are Aventron’s three main shareholders: Primeo Energie, Stadtwerke Winterthur and ewb, as well as CST, which also belongs to ABCD-Horizon.

    According to the company, the Horizon folding solar roof is characterised by “an aesthetic lightweight construction with a rope-based support structure concept and a patented folding mechanism”. This allows for wide column spacing and great heights of up to 6 metres above the ground. It also has a weather algorithm so that energy can be generated even in winter. The construction phase is planned from 2024 to 2027.

  • Early planning phase is crucial for net zero in real estate

    Early planning phase is crucial for net zero in real estate

    A broad-based portfolio study by Implenia shows how climate-neutral buildings can be realised. For this study, the construction company’s Real Estate Division examined 36 of its own development projects in Switzerland. According to a press release, this study reveals the most important levers for decarbonising buildings over their entire life cycle, both in terms of emissions during their construction and during operation.

    Implenia has compiled these influencing factors in a white paper. It is aimed at investors, developers and clients who want to bring their project onto a net-zero target path.

    According to this analysis, the most effective levers for decarbonisation can be found in the early planning phase, starting with site selection. This is because if the site conditions are unfavourable in terms of renewable energies, it is much more difficult to achieve net-zero use.

    In addition, building parameters set early on also have “a significant impact on emissions targets”. These include shape, compactness, orientation, basement and support structure. “With the right combination of location, design, the use of renewable energies, intelligent systems and ecological materials, we develop buildings in which future generations can live and work sustainably,” says Marc Lyon, Head Real Estate Development Switzerland at Implenia.

  • Megasol commissions its own solar roofs on its car park

    Megasol commissions its own solar roofs on its car park

    Megasol has converted its parking spaces at the headquarters in Deitingen into a solar carport with 22 charging stations. “We developed it around our proven Nicer X solar roof,” Daniel Sägesser, member of the executive board of Megasol Energie AG, is quoted as saying in a corresponding press release from the internationally active Solothurn-based solar manufacturer. With the Nicer X quick mounting system, the solar modules are snapped into vertically running profiles. The solar roof can be mounted on steel or wooden structures and protects against rain, hail and snow even at low inclinations.

    Megasol has given the name Wingport to its solar car park set up at its own headquarters. Mojen Solar GmbH also wants to sell the system with the characteristic outriggers, which is intended for large car parks. “No one has offered us such a well-designed complete system before,” Frank Helmcke, managing director of the German solar company, is quoted as saying in the statement. “Since solar car park roofing is mandatory in many parts of Germany and also France, enquiries have been increasing very strongly for some time.” Here Mojen Solar wants to offer solutions in cooperation with Megasol. In addition to Nicer X, the Solothurn-based solar manufacturer provides all the detailed plans for the overall construction. For their implementation, Mojen Solar works together with other suppliers for the foundation and steel construction.

  • dhp brings its largest folding solar roof to Stuttgart

    dhp brings its largest folding solar roof to Stuttgart

    Zizers-based dhp Technology is building its largest folding solar roof to date for the main sewage treatment plant in Stuttgart-Mühlhausen. By spring 2026, 5280 modules are to be installed on an area of 17,000 square metres. According to a statement, the system with an output of 2745 kilowatts peak is the largest folding solar roof installed by dhp.

    With the Bündner technology, the sewage treatment plant in Baden-Württemberg’s state capital can generate up to 11 per cent of its annual consumption itself. In the medium term, a value of 18 percent is targeted.

    According to the plans of the Stuttgart municipal wastewater treatment plant(SES), solar modules will be installed not only in the aeration basin in the north of the 25-hectare plant, but also in the area to the south, which is of a similar size. According to SES, the investment will save more than 900 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

  • Borobotics builds prototypes of its drilling robot for geothermal energy

    Borobotics builds prototypes of its drilling robot for geothermal energy

    Borobotics is approaching its first test drilling over 20 metres. According to the company newsletter, this is to take place at the end of September with the prototype of the self-developed drilling robot called Grabowski. Most of the parts and the motors have now arrived and assembly can begin. It is intended to revolutionise the drilling process for ground-coupled heat pumps.

    According to Borobotics, the problems with current techniques for tapping geothermal energy are the large space required for the construction machines of at least 50 square metres and the distance of 10 metres required to the next borehole. In addition, the impact energy of the conventional drill can trigger earthquakes. Water layers would be detected and penetrated too late. In addition, these devices are very loud, expensive and labour-intensive.

    In contrast, with the Grabowski, all the equipment for drilling is integrated in the borehole. The robot digs autonomously and energy-efficiently to a depth of 250 metres. The compactness of the system means that drilling can be carried out even in places where there was previously not enough space. And the costs are said to be only a fraction.

    “While the first prototype is about to be deployed for the first time, we are already busy building the second, more advanced prototype,” Borobotics said in its newsletter. It will have a system of fluid muscles. They will enable it to move up and down the borehole like a worm. This movement unit will be tested in a 50-metre test in early 2024. Borobotics is currently based in the RUNWAY Startup Incubator at Technopark Winterthur.

  • Illnau-Effretikon and Energie 360° agree on energy network

    Illnau-Effretikon and Energie 360° agree on energy network

    With a large-scale energy network, the city of Illnau-Effretikon wants to rapidly advance the transformation from fossil-fuelled heating systems to renewable energies, according to a media release. For the implementation of the plans and the subsequent operation, the city is relying on cooperation with Energie 360°. On 1 July, the city and the energy provider signed a cooperation agreement to this effect, as the city now informs.

    The preliminary project has been planned and developed with high priority since the beginning of the year. The first heat deliveries should take place in a few years. Until then, Energie 360° will be able to provide property owners with interim solutions in case the heating system breaks down prematurely.

    For the Vogelbuck and Watt areas, Energie 360° intends to operate the energy network from regionally available energy sources. According to the press release, the city council also plans to connect individual larger properties in the extended supply area to the energy network. The Bruggwiesen old people’s and care centre and the town hall are cited as examples. In principle, this option is also open to private heat consumers in the extended supply area.

    Property owners and commercial enterprises in the catchment area of the planned energy network should be given planning security for the district heating connection as soon as possible. According to the city, it will therefore always provide information on the results of the preliminary project as soon as they are available.

  • Schlieren continues to make progress with solar expansion

    Schlieren continues to make progress with solar expansion

    According to its press release, the city of Schlieren is taking another step towards sustainable energy supply and mobility: by the end of August, it will have put six new charging stations for electric vehicles into operation, as well as the largest municipal photovoltaic system at the IJZ Innovation and Young Entrepreneurs Centre on Rütistrasse.

    Each of its 1278 latest-generation modules has an output of 425 watts peak. The solar power generated is not only fed into the grid, but is also used for self-consumption: “The project at the IJZ exemplifies the progress in the energy turnaround, to which we attach great importance in this and many other projects,” Dr. Martin Nicklas, who heads energy contracting at the Canton of Zurich’s electricity utility(EKZ), is quoted as saying. This is because the solar power produced there is used to supply the IJZ and the commercial businesses located there as well as the surrounding flats. “This means that the PV electricity is produced and used at the same location – you can’t get more local than that.”

    Schlieren wants to set a positive example, especially in view of the solar targets that have so far been missed in the canton. The city is pushing the expansion of solar energy on its own municipal properties, especially on flat roofs, says Albert Schweizer, Head of Real Estate and Location Promotion at the City of Schlieren. “Our own municipal authorities, as well as the protection of historical monuments and our grid provider EKZ, provide us with significant support in promoting solar energy

  • Energy Cluster invites to one-day course on photovoltaic façades

    Energy Cluster invites to one-day course on photovoltaic façades

    The Energy Cluster network based in Bern invites interested parties to a day course on photovoltaic facades (PV facades) at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts(HSLU) on 12 September. From 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., speakers will shed light on various aspects of house facades for the production of solar energy, according to a media release.

    Accordingly, David Stickelberger, Head of Market and Policy at Swissolar, will discuss the political framework conditions for PV façades from 9 a.m. onwards. From 9.30 a.m., Christoph Wangler, Product Owner PV Systems at 3S Swiss Solar Solutions, will address the question of how sustainable solar modules are.

    From 10.40 a.m., Roger Buser, lecturer in building technology and energy at the HSLU, will discuss the process steps from a rough estimate to the construction project. Pierre-Olivier Cuche, Managing Director at Solarwall, will then talk about the architecture and design of PV façades. From 11.40 a.m. Andreas Haller, Head of Innovation Solar Systems at Ernst Schweizer AG, will talk about implementation planning and installation.

    After the lunch break, the talk will continue with the topic of fire protection in a presentation by Christian Renken, Managing Director of CREnergie GmbH. From 2 p.m. Renken will be devoting himself to the topic of performance and economic efficiency.

    He will be followed by Stefan Gränicher, Project Manager Real Estate Development at Frutiger AG, with his impulse on profitability from the perspective of a real estate developer. Robin Bergamin, Consulting & Sales at Invisia AG, will then talk about energy management and the best possible use of electricity.

    The last lecture of the day is by Sina Büttner, research associate at the Institute for Building Technology and Energy at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, on optimal façade design with solar systems and greening in view of climate change.

  • Synhelion and Cemex scale up solar clinker to industrial level

    Synhelion and Cemex scale up solar clinker to industrial level

    Synhelion, the global pioneer for sustainable solar fuels, had produced solar clinker for the first time in January 2022 with cement producer Cemex in a Spanish pilot plant. Now, according to an identical media release, the two companies have scaled up production to an industrial level.

    In the process, solar receivers from Synhelion, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, use concentrated sunlight to generate temperatures of over 1500 degrees. This heats a gaseous heat transfer medium. In this way, the heat required to fuse limestone, clay and other materials together can be provided. In traditional clinker production, fossil fuels are used for the energy-intensive process, which are responsible for about 40 per cent of direct CO2 emissions. The goal of the cooperation between Synhelion and Cemex is to develop a completely solar-powered cement production.

    The current stage of development is “an exciting milestone for all parties involved, achieved through the excellent collaboration between the Cemex and Synhelion teams,” Gianluca Ambrosetti, co-CEO and co-founder of Synhelion, is quoted as saying in the release. “Our technology can make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of cement production, and we look forward to further breakthrough achievements in this area.” Cemex CEO Fernando A. González adds, “The solid progress I see here proves that solar cement is not just a dream, but can be achieved through continued collaboration and rigorous research and testing.”

  • Foldable solar roof from iWorks is validated

    Foldable solar roof from iWorks is validated

    A team of seven engineers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences(ZHAW) has validated the photovoltaic solution of the Liechtenstein company iWorks as part of an Innosuisse project. The foldable Urbanbox are solar module carriers that can be automatically extended and retracted. They were developed for cities and companies. The validation team from the two Institutes of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering(IEFE) and Mechanical Systems(IMES) at the ZHAW School of Engineering was supported by the Swiss Climate Foundation.

    The carriers of the photovoltaic modules are retracted into a robust box by a digital control system in extreme weather conditions and extended again in favourable weather. Because this eliminates the need for a massive substructure and the modules are cleaned by a rotating brush as they move in or out of the box, iWorks says this eliminates significant costs compared to permanently installed solar roofs.

    “With this milestone, the economic dual use of surfaces in urban areas for solar power generation is foreseeable as early as next year,” Prof. Dr. Franz Baumgartner of IEFE, who also heads the Energy and Environmental Technology course at ZHAW, is quoted as saying in a media release. “This gives companies and municipalities another effective way to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the energy transition.”

    The iWorks company, together with the team from the two ZHAW institutes, is now ready to move on to the next phase of the project, the release says. Based on what has been achieved so far, a fully industrialised Urbanbox solution for commercial use is to be realised this year.