immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: ErneuerbareEnergien

  • AMAG commissions second photovoltaic plant in Cham

    AMAG commissions second photovoltaic plant in Cham

    AMAG has connected the second solar plant on the roof of its own car park at Alte Steinhauserstrasse 5 in Cham to the local power grid. According to a media release from the car dealer, over 786 solar modules were installed on an area of 1599 square metres. This could generate 320,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

    The public car park is operated by AMAG Parking AG. With the activation of the facility, the AMAG Group is continuing to work on the implementation of its sustainability and climate strategy. In June 2023, the car dealer had commissioned a photovoltaic roof system at AMAG Zug. As there, the electricity is intended to cover AMAG’s own needs. Any excess production is to be fed into the public power grid.

    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. This has resulted in the installation of corresponding systems on the roofs of numerous plants.

  • Energiedienst Group grows profitably

    Energiedienst Group grows profitably

    Energiedienst Holding AG generated operating income of CHF 973 million in the first half of 2023. In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of around 30 per cent, the Swiss-German public limited company informs in a statement. Positive sales development and increased electricity prices are cited there as the background for the positive development.

    At 81.6 million euros, the operating result at EBIT level was close to the previous year’s figure. In the first half of 2022, the company had recorded a positive valuation effect from the personnel provision in the amount of 48 million euros here. Adjusted for this effect, an increase of 34.3 million euros to 77.3 million euros was realised, writes the Energiedienst Group. The net profit of 68.7 million euros was 16.8 million euros lower than in the previous year. For the year as a whole, the company expects an adjusted EBIT of around 100 million euros.

    All of the Group’s business areas contributed to the increase in turnover and adjusted operating profit. In the Customer-Oriented Energy Solutions segment, the contribution to EBIT was 1.4 million euros higher than in the previous year at 3.4 million. The end customer business of photovoltaics in Switzerland proved to be the main growth driver here.

    In the largest business division, Renewable Generation Infrastructure, the contribution to EBIT increased from CHF 21.4 million to CHF 65.4 million. Here, the Group attributes the good development to an overall improvement in electricity production from hydropower and the increased marketing level of generation.

  • Project partners present alpine solar project ScuolSolar

    Project partners present alpine solar project ScuolSolar

    The project partners for the alpine photovoltaic system in the Scuol Motta Naluns ski area want to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the Solar Express initiated by the federal government. For this reason, the municipality of Scuol and its civic community, together with EE Energia Eng iadina and Engadiner Kraftwerke AG from Zernez, are presenting their plans for the area surrounding these ski area facilities, more precisely in the Salaniva area. The public information event took place on 25 July.

    The plant is to be used in particular for the production of renewable winter electricity. According to a media release, existing infrastructure will be used to a large extent for the transmission of the energy. Grazing on the land will continue to be possible.

    The project partners have developed their plan within the framework of a project planning company in which all parties have a one-third share. According to the information provided, this shareholding and participation relationship will also apply to the further planning steps. Ultimately, ScuolSolar AG is to be formed. After the necessary approval of the population, the partners want to further develop “this important pioneering project for the Lower Engadine” with experts, then implement and finally operate it.

  • Guideline to create planning security for solar façades

    Guideline to create planning security for solar façades

    Swissolar wants to create planning security for photovoltaic (PV) installations on façades for planning offices and building owners. Media reports in May had created a distorted picture regarding the corresponding approval practice, writes the association of the Swiss solar energy industry in a statement. In joint discussions, Swissolar, fire protection authorities, planning offices and building owners have straightened out this picture and worked out a joint procedure, it continues.

    In consultation with the Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers, Swissolar will then publish a guideline for the planning of solar installations on façades. It is intended to serve as an interim solution until a state of the art paper (STP) is available, according to the statement. Swissolar intends to develop such a STP by autumn 2024 together with experts in photovoltaics and fire protection.

    “According to fire protection legislation, a verification procedure will still be necessary for the approval of PV façades,” Swissolar explains. The guideline here indicates the cases in which fire tests on the façades can be dispensed with. For the development of the final STP, fire tests are to be made in accredited laboratories abroad. “This procedure, which has been coordinated throughout Switzerland, ensures planning security for affected planners and building owners, while at the same time ensuring safety in buildings and personal protection,” writes Swissolar.

  • Energie 360° steigt bei Solarmotion ein

    Energie 360° steigt bei Solarmotion ein

    Energie 360° steigt mit einer Minderheitenbeteiligung bei Solarmotion ein. Die Mehrheit des Ostschweizer Solarunternehmens verbleibe bei Gründer Stefan Merz, informiert Energie 360° in einer Mitteilung. Über den Kaufpreis der Beteiligung werden dort keine Angaben gemacht.

    Mit dem Einstieg bei Solarmotion will Energie 360° in den Ausbau von Photovoltaik investieren. „Die Beteiligung an Solarmotion leistet einen Beitrag zur konsequenten Umsetzung unseres Leitsterns: Energie 360° will bis 2040 ausschliesslich erneuerbare Energie liefern“, wird Ruth Happersberger, Bereichsleiterin Strategie und Beteiligungen bei Energie 360°, in der Mitteilung zitiert. Gemeinsam wollen die beiden Unternehmen Energie- und Mobilitätslösungen weiterentwickeln. Als Beispiele werden in der Mitteilung Contracting-Modelle oder Kombinationen von Ladeinfrastruktur für Elektrofahrzeuge mit Photovoltaik genannt.

    Im Zusammenspiel mit weiteren Beteiligungen sowie innovativen Unternehmen aus dem Start-up-Fonds von Energie 360° sind zudem Projekte im Bereich Energiemanagementsysteme geplant. „Ich bin glücklich, dass ich mit Energie 360° die ideale Partnerin gefunden habe“, erklärt Merz in der Mitteilung. „Sie zeichnet sich nebst grossem Netzwerk und Fachexpertise auch durch denselben starken Innovationsgeist aus – wir ergänzen uns auf ideale Weise.“

  • Expansion of photovoltaics to increase by 58 percent in 2022

    Expansion of photovoltaics to increase by 58 percent in 2022

    Despite bottlenecks in skilled labor and blocked supply chains, 58 percent more photovoltaics were installed in 2022 compared to the previous year. Swissolar points to the figures now published by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy in a media release. According to the figures, solar modules with an output of 4.74 gigawatts were installed in Switzerland at the end of 2022. This covered almost 7 percent of Switzerland’s electricity demand over the course of the year. This production was equivalent to half of the Gösgen nuclear power plant.

    This amount of solar power must be increased sevenfold in the next twelve years, according to the association: “With the overcoat decree currently being discussed by parliament, it must be possible to create the necessary framework conditions for this.” That is quite realistic, also with the help of the solar express law for the accelerated building of alpine plants. On suitable roofs and facades alone, 70 terawatt hours could be generated annually. That would be twice what the National Council and Council of States have set as a target for renewable energies by 2035.

    Demand for battery storage has also more than doubled compared with the previous year. With the storage capacity of all the battery storage systems installed to date, 35,000 households could be supplied with electricity for a day, according to the data.

    For the current year, Swissolar expects a photovoltaic expansion of 20 to 30 percent. This is expected to pick up further momentum from October 1 with the new vocational apprenticeships of Solar Installer:in EFZ and Solar Assembler:in EBA. “Now,” says Swissolar Managing Director Matthias Egli, “we need a clear signal from politicians that solar energy offers long-term career prospects.”

  • Balteschwiler relies on solar power

    Balteschwiler relies on solar power

    Balteschwiler AG is having a solar power system installed on a 22,000 square meter roof area at the company’s headquarters in Laufenburg. Plans call for 8,000 solar modules on the roofs of the logistics hall and the CNC joinery center. Together, they will generate an output of 3.092 megawatts, the Aargauer Holzwerk informed in a statement. Ampere Dynamic has been entrusted with the design, planning and implementation of the project.

    Balteschwiler expects to produce 3.03 gigawatt hours of solar power annually. “Our company will achieve a degree of self-sufficiency of approximately 170 percent with the installation of the systems,” company CEO Jörg Langheim was quoted as saying in the release. “This enables us to supply up to 300 additional households with renewable electricity each year and thus make a not inconsiderable contribution to the energy transition.” As a woodworking and wood processing company, the family-owned company feels “particularly committed to sustainability,” Langheim explained.

    Installation of the plant is to begin this month, with completion scheduled for November of this year. As early as September, Balteschwiler plans to use the first solar power from its own plant.

  • Climate Fund Stadtwerk Winterthur supports two new projects

    Climate Fund Stadtwerk Winterthur supports two new projects

    Since 2007, the Stadtwerk Winterthur climate fund has been supporting regional and local projects on the sustainable use of energy and climate protection. Two projects will now be funded with a total of 100,000 Swiss francs, the city of Winterthur informs in a press release. Both projects are spin-offs from Zurich universities.

    Borobotics is working on increasing the efficiency of boreholes for heat pumps. The Grabowski drilling method from the spin-off of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences is designed to simplify and automate such drilling operations. In addition, Grabowski requires less space and energy than current drilling equipment. The climate fund’s grant of 80,000 Swiss francs will be used to develop and build a prototype.

    Zürich Soft Robotics GmbH is taking an innovative approach to solar power production. The solar façade Solskin of the spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is composed of many small and flexible photovoltaic elements. They can follow the position of the sun and, in combination, also shade the interior of the building. Zürich Soft Robotics GmbH will also use the grant of 20,000 Swiss francs to build a pilot system.

    The Stadtwerk Winterthur climate fund raises its funds through voluntary contributions from the customers of Stadtwerk Winterthur. Participants pay a surcharge of 2 centimes on each kilowatt hour of electricity purchased.

    Der Klimafonds Stadtwerk Winterthur spielt seine Mittel über freiwillige Beiträge aus der Kundschaft des Stadtwerks Winterthur ein. Teilnehmende zahlen dafür einen Aufpreis von 2 Rappen auf jede bezogen Kilowattstunde Strom.

  • Energie 360° wants to store summer electricity underground with methane

    Energie 360° wants to store summer electricity underground with methane

    In a new study, the energy service provider Energie 360° has highlighted geo-methanisation as a way to store surplus electricity in summer for use when there is a shortage of electricity in winter. According to a media release, the study, conducted together with the energy storage company RAG Austria AG in Vienna, focuses on the economic use of this method.

    In geo-methanisation, surplus renewable energy, such as solar power, is converted into hydrogen (H2) in summer. This is injected into a natural underground reservoir together with CO2, which comes from biogas plants, for example. At a depth of more than 1000 metres, microorganisms combine hydrogen and carbon to form methane gas (CH4). In winter, when the demand for electricity and heat is high, the renewable gas can be stored and used in a variety of ways, according to the technical explanation in the press release.

    The University of Bern, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) and the OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland) collaborated on the Underground Sun Conversion – Flexible Storage (USC-FlexStore) research project by Energie 360° and RAG Austria. The joint study shows that implementation is possible and economically interesting if existing gas storage facilities are used. These exist in Switzerland’s neighbouring countries, such as Pilsbach in Austria.

    “The potential is enormous: annually, renewable energy of several terawatt hours can be stored seasonally with this method. This will substantially alleviate the winter electricity shortfall in Switzerland,” Jörg Wild, CEO of Energie 360°, is quoted as saying. The prerequisite is that Switzerland concludes binding regulations with its neighbouring countries for the purchase of renewable gases.

  • Zurich Wind – Zurich cooperation for the use of Zurich wind energy

    Zurich Wind – Zurich cooperation for the use of Zurich wind energy

    With its Energy Strategy and Energy Planning 2022, the Zurich cantonal government has defined the direction of travel in the canton of Zurich: away from imported, fossil fuels towards renewable, domestic energy. EKZ, ewz and Stadtwerk Winterthur therefore intend to jointly implement wind projects at the sites defined by the Canton of Zurich and specified in the Cantonal Structure Plan. The governments of the cities of Zurich and Winterthur have approved a corresponding cooperation agreement. Michael Baumer, Zurich City Councillor: “With EKZ, ewz and Stadtwerk Winterthur, three strong partners have joined forces to further expand local energy production and supply the population in the city and canton of Zurich with even more renewable energy.” Winterthur city councillor Stefan Fritschi adds: “With wind projects in the canton of Zurich, we are jointly making a valuable contribution to renewable electricity production and to our climate and energy policy goals.” Zurich Wind, the Zurich cooperation for the use of Zurich wind energy, is intended to ensure the development, but also the financing, construction and operation of wind power plants in the canton of Zurich. Wind projects are not welcomed everywhere by the population. According to Urs Rengel, CEO EKZ, the partners are aware of this: “Zürich Wind relies on dialogue and will only realise wind projects with the support of the local population.” With Zürich Wind, the three partners want to send a clear signal for a renewable power supply in the canton of Zurich.

    On 7 October 2022, the canton of Zurich presented its plans for the evaluation of wind energy areas in the cantonal structure plan. Wind power plants are also to contribute to the future supply of electricity with renewable energies in the canton of Zurich. Security of supply is becoming increasingly important and solutions must be found in particular to meet the demand for electricity in winter. Wind turbines are particularly suitable for contributing to security of supply, as electricity production is mainly in winter due to wind conditions, when production from photovoltaic plants is low due to a lack of optimal solar radiation in the midlands.

    Wind potential in the Canton of Zurich
    On behalf of the federal government, the Canton of Zurich’s Department of Construction prepared a basic report on wind energy regarding the situation in the Canton of Zurich and published it last autumn. The report shows that it is also possible to use wind energy in the canton of Zurich. Around 50 areas are defined as potential areas. Whether the realisation of wind power plants is feasible in these areas and whether the wind yield is economical has to be clarified in specific projects. The canton’s goal is to complete the guideline planning with the determination of locations by the end of 2025.

    Source www.ewz.ch

  • Helion opens training centre for the energy transition

    Helion opens training centre for the energy transition

    Helion has opened its own training centre. At the Helion TrainingCenter, future specialists in the energy sector learn hands-on “just like on a real construction site”, according to a media release from the provider of energy solutions on the opening. The training centre consists of a model single-family house with a pitched and flat roof in original size. It offers space for the training of more than 200 solar specialists per year. In addition, 50 training courses per year are possible.

    The goal is eight to ten apprenticeships per year. People coming from other backgrounds could also be qualified to become solar specialists through adult education. Thanks to the linking of photovoltaics, electromobility, bidirectional charging and heat pumps, the training centre covers the training of specialists for both the energy and mobility sectors. “Both areas will shape the future,” Anja Bates, head of HR at the AMAG Group, is quoted as saying. Helion is part of AMAG.

    With a total area of 200 square metres, the facility forms the most comprehensive learning environment for renewable energies in Switzerland. The training centre can meet the “high quality demand for urgently needed specialists”, Frank Rutschmann, head of the Renewable Energies Section at the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, is quoted as saying. They are “our capital for the expansion of renewable energies”.

    Helion has already been training new staff on its own initiative for four years, including numerous lateral entrants. Before the creation of the solar training programmes for “solar installers and solar installers with a federal vocational certificate”, they were taught the skills in a two-week course. This laid the foundation for the Helion TrainingCenter. It is supported by the Federal Office of Energy and the Canton of Solothurn.

  • Lista puts photovoltaic system into operation

    Lista puts photovoltaic system into operation

    With an area of 15,000 square metres, Lista AG ‘s new photovoltaic plant is the largest in the canton of Thurgau, according to a media release. A total of 4600 modules on the roofs of the company’s production halls will produce 2 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. This is to cover one third of the company’s own needs. In addition, the supplier of operating and storage facilities will also feed 800,000 kilowatt hours into the grid.

    Lista AG has set itself the goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2025. On the one hand, the new photovoltaic system contributes to this. And on the other hand, the company from the St.Gallen-Lake Constance area is continuously optimising its energy efficiency. To this end, modern production lines and compressors are being installed. But the use of LED lighting technology also contributes to achieving the goal. Lista thus shows that “ecological responsibility and economic success can be reconciled”, according to the press release.

  • Construction of the Frick heating plant begins with a groundbreaking ceremony

    Construction of the Frick heating plant begins with a groundbreaking ceremony

    Industriellen Werke Basel(IWB) has begun construction of a new woodchip heating plant for the planned heat centre on the company premises of Stahlton Bauteile AG, based in Frick. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 4 July 2023.

    According to a media release, the first customers will have access to heat from renewable production from autumn 2024. The raw material will be wood from the Thiersteinberg forest district. Currently, every third heating system in Frick is still fossil-fuelled.

    Regarding the efficiency of the heat network, IWB will be able to generate up to 20 gigawatt hours of heat per year. The savings potential for the community of Frick is 2700 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The expansion of the pipeline network for the regenerative heat supply is to begin in autumn 2023.

    The CEO of Stahlton Bauteile AG, Ernst Gisin, quoted in the press release, emphasises the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability. “Among other things, we built the thermally activated office building to Minergie-P standard twelve years ago and have had a PV system with an output of one megawatt peak in operation for a year.” The next step, he says, is to replace the natural gas heating system in production by connecting it to the central heating system.

  • AMAG now also produces solar power in Zuchwil

    AMAG now also produces solar power in Zuchwil

    AMAG Zuchwil/Solothurn has installed and commissioned a photovoltaic system on the roof of the VW and Škoda building. On an area of 726 square metres, 367 solar panels are to produce 155,978 kilowatt hours of energy per year. With the same performance data, the garage expects to have a second system installed on the roof of its Audi and Seat building by the end of the year.

    “The fact that we are now also one of the AMAG businesses that can produce our own electricity with a photovoltaic system not only makes us proud, but also more sustainable and independent,” AMAG Solothurn’s managing director Raphael Biberstein is quoted as saying in a media release. “We need the electricity primarily for customer vehicles and for our own fleet.”

    By 2025, around 75,000 square metres of AMAG’s roof surface will reportedly be equipped with solar modules. This is roughly equivalent to the area of ten football pitches. This means that the car dealer will produce more than 20 per cent of its current electricity consumption itself.

  • Migros invests single-digit million sum in solar start-up Rayo

    Migros invests single-digit million sum in solar start-up Rayo

    Zurich-based Migros is investing in the Zurich start-up Rayo. To this end, the retail group is pouring capital in the single-digit millions into the start-up via Sparrow Ventures, a Migros subsidiary and growth capital provider, and Migrol AG, also part of the Migros Group, according to a media release.

    Rayo wants to make solar energy more accessible by renting out solar systems in a subscription model. This way, owners have no initial costs. Instead, owners pay “a fixed monthly amount for 20 years for their individual solar solution”. The price includes the photovoltaic system as well as all services from clarifications, planning, installation, maintenance and repairs to insurance and a smart home app.

    There is interest in sustainable, individual solar solutions and energy self-sufficiency. Nevertheless, according to the data, only about one in ten single-family homes in Switzerland has solar panels on the roof. This is low by European standards. According to a media release, Lorenz Lüchinger, CEO of Sparrow Ventures, believes that the reason for the reluctance to install solar panels on one’s own house is the initial costs and the administrative effort.

    It is precisely this gap that Rayo wants to close “and offer a solar solution with which the Swiss population can reduce their electricity costs and at the same time improve their ecological footprint”, Andreas Flütsch, CEO of Migrol, is quoted as saying.

    Rayo subscribers can also order a battery storage system for surplus solar power in addition to their solar package. Rayo also provides charging stations for electric vehicles, using synergies with Migrol and the Migros Group. Migrol, headquartered in Adliswil ZH, operates filling stations, charging stations and car repair shops, among other things.

  • Federal government wants faster expansion of renewables

    Federal government wants faster expansion of renewables

    The Federal Council wants to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy production. To this end, the procedures for planning and building large-scale power plants are to be shortened, the Federal Council informs in a press release. At its meeting on 21 June, it passed a corresponding amendment to the Energy Act for the attention of parliament.

    According to the amendment, the cantons alone will now be responsible for a concentrated planning approval procedure for solar and wind energy plants of national interest. The Federal Council explains that this prevents a project from being divided into several stages that can be challenged individually. For hydroelectric power plants, the current tried and tested procedure is to be retained.

    The cantons are instructed to designate suitability areas for solar and wind energy plants in the structure plan. Such facilities of national interest will then no longer need a project-related basis in the cantonal structure plan. The protection of landscape, biotopes, forest, cultivated land and crop rotation areas is to be taken into account when designating the areas.

    In addition, the Federal Council wants to shorten the appeal process in connection with the planning and construction of solar, wind and hydropower plants. In future, only one appeal to the highest cantonal court will be possible at cantonal level. The group of persons entitled to appeal will be limited to the cantons and municipalities where the plants are located and to organisations active throughout Switzerland, such as WWF or Pro Natura.

    With regard to the expansion of the electricity grid, the Federal Council’s plans foresee a waiver of the definition of a planning area. Instead, the planning corridor is to be defined directly in the sectoral planning.

  • AEW builds heating network in Villmergen industrial estate

    AEW builds heating network in Villmergen industrial estate

    AEW Energie AG has announced its intention to become more efficient in the expansion of renewable thermal energy and is establishing a heating network in the Villmerger industrial area at a cost of CHF 12 million. According to a press release, the municipality granted permission for the building application submitted in April. Construction work is to start in the 4th quarter of the current year. The date for the first delivery of renewable district heating to about 550 single-family homes is set for the 2024/2025 heating period.

    David Gautschi, Head of Production at AEW, has announced that the total heat will save 710,000 cubic metres of natural gas annually, which would cause 1500 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

    According to the information, the heat network uses waste wood as fuel, wood from the region as needed according to ecological cascade use, and solar energy with the help of a photovoltaic system with a peak output of 200 kilowatts.

    The supply unit is to be built between the Bünztalstrasse in the south-west, the municipal boundary in the south-east, the railway line in the north-east and the agricultural zone in the north-west. The heating centre will be built on the Cellpack AG site on Durisolstrasse. The fuels will be supplied via Anglikerstrasse and the Cellpack AG site.

    With this project, the Aargau electricity supplier wants to make a contribution to the Energy Strategy 2050.

  • Armasuisse builds alpine small wind solar plant in Surselva

    Armasuisse builds alpine small wind solar plant in Surselva

    Armasuisse Immobilien, part of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport(DDPS), is testing with partners from Swiss industry and research how wind and sun can be used in the Alpine region to generate electricity locally. According to a media release, the construction permit for a test facility at the La Stadera site in the Surselva region in the canton of Graubünden has been granted. Construction work will begin in August and the test plant is scheduled to go into operation in autumn 2024.

    The plant combines the generation of electricity through the use of wind energy and the use of solar radiation through photovoltaics. The test facility consists of a small wind turbine and bifacial (double-sided) photovoltaic modules that will be combined. The project was approved as part of the military plan approval procedure, the Federal Council‘s statement said. The wind turbine will be installed from August 2023. The photovoltaic modules arranged around the wind turbine will follow by autumn 2024 and complete the test facility.

    By the end of 2025, the test facility should provide data so that the efficiency of the new type of construction can be estimated more precisely. The expected energy yield is around 60 megawatt hours per year. According to the statement, this corresponds to the electricity consumption of around 15 Swiss households. The evaluation of the data by the end of 2025 will form the basis for the decision on whether to implement a final expansion with a total of nine small wind solar plants at the site.

    A solar prototype already installed in La Stadera by the Swiss system supplier Turn2Sun from La Sagne NE has already been successfully supplying electricity since winter. The solar prototype is also equipped with double-sided photovoltaic modules.

  • Spreitenbach expands Neumatt heating network

    Spreitenbach expands Neumatt heating network

    The local citizens’ municipality of Spreitenbach has awarded the contract for the installation of the second boiler for the Neumatt woodchip heating system. According to a media release, the work has started successfully. In the future, additional district heating pipes will be laid for the connection of private properties, which will lead to road breakages and may cause partial traffic obstructions, the statement said. The additional credit of 3 million Swiss francs for the realisation of the second furnace line was approved by the local citizens’ assembly on 22 November 2022.

    The first stage of the Neumatt heating network was realised by Amstutz Holzenergie AG as overall planner and construction manager. The new heating centre in Spreitenbach is centrally located on the communal utility yard next to the Shoppi Tivoli shopping centre. The elongated post-and-beam building offers space for two woodchip boilers with an output of 550 and 1600 kilowatts, according to a statement by the company from Emmen LU. The large technical room contains two buffer storage tanks with a total volume of 57 cubic metres, which cover short-term peak loads and enable continuous operation of the combustion plant.

    The long-distance network was 380 metres long in the first expansion stage. The woodchip heating system has been supplying heat since the beginning of October 2022 and heats the buildings in the vicinity that are already connected, such as the Werkhof itself as well as the Im Brühl retirement home and the new Spreitenbach community centre.

    According to Amstutz Holzenergie, 1800 cubic metres of wood chips from the local forest are needed annually for the heating system. After the complete final expansion, the annual demand will rise to 5400 cubic metres of woodchips. This quantity is also to be covered by wood from the local forests.

  • AEW Energie produces solar power on the Isemeyer site

    AEW Energie produces solar power on the Isemeyer site

    AEW Energie AG has installed and commissioned a 13,000 square metre solar plant with 5000 modules in Rheinfelden. It is located on the roof of the Isemeyer site and is one of the largest in the energy provider’s portfolio.

    According to a press release, it generates about 1.9 gigawatt hours of solar power annually. About a third of this is taken directly on site by the leased companies. The rest is fed into the AEW grid.

    The plant is operated on a contracting model: it belongs to AEW, which pays for the installation and maintenance costs. In return for providing the space, Soluma AG as the owner will receive a contractually agreed fixed price from AEW for the electricity drawn from the roof for the next 30 years. There are no additional costs for the tenants either. Before the installation of the 5,000 solar panels, the roof of the industrial halls was additionally insulated at AEW’s expense, thus improving the energy efficiency of the building envelope.

    Last but not least, the environment also benefits, says AEW. “Because the amount of this installation alone could supply 420 four-person households with electricity for an entire year.”

  • Megasol wants to bring scaled solar roofs to Europe’s rooftops

    Megasol wants to bring scaled solar roofs to Europe’s rooftops

    Megasol wants to benefit from the current strong demand for solar energy in Europe. The Deitingen-based manufacturer is relying on its Level in-roof system. Especially in Germany, Level is very popular, Michael Reist, head of communications, is quoted as saying in a press release. “Every building owner also asks their roofing partner for a solar system when renovating their roof or building a new one – thanks to Level, roofers and carpenters have the right answer to the requests.”

    The Level solar roof is shingled, the solar modules do not need frames. The roof system can be adapted to all roofs so that the entire roof area can be used for the production of electricity. Thanks to the fastening hooks and short sealing rails, it can be installed quickly. The solar modules themselves have hail protection class 5; even 5-centimetre hailstones do not damage them.

    Megasol is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of solar modules and mounting systems. Founded in 1993 by Markus Gisler, the company specialises in the customised mass production of building-integrated photovoltaics. Megasol develops and produces in Deitingen and has another site in Ningbo, China. 2022 French building materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain entered into a partnership with Megasol and took a minority stake. In April, it won the 2023 Export Award from Switzerland Global Enterprise.

    Megasol will also be present at Intersolar, which will take place in Munich from 14 to 16 June.

  • National Council decides on offensive for wind energy

    National Council decides on offensive for wind energy

    The National Council has joined the amendments of the Council of States and followed it with regard to the bill on the accelerated approval of wind power plants by 136 votes to 53. Originally, this bill came from the National Council’s Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy. The background to this is the goal of making Switzerland less dependent on electricity imports in times of low sunshine.

    According to a parliamentary press release, energy minister Albert Rösti (SVP) said that an increase in capacity was therefore necessary. However, this would have to be realised “without severely eroding the usual rights of co-determination”. According to the information, there was fundamental opposition to the wind power offensive in parliament only on the part of the SVP. The other parliamentary groups agree that wind energy makes a valuable contribution to the electricity supply in the winter months.

    Therefore, the tenor was that it was unacceptable that projects had to wait more than 20 years for approval. The bill stipulates that the accelerated procedures may only be applied if the municipalities have already approved the installation as part of the land-use planning. According to Rösti, this applies to 39 turbines that are to supply 250 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. These include the Grenchenberg wind farm in the canton of Solothurn, the Eoljorat Sud and Sur Grati projects in the canton of Vaud and the Crêt Neuron project in the canton of Neuchâtel.

    The accelerated procedures are to be applied to wind energy projects in the national interest until an additional capacity of 600 megawatts has been installed. For these projects, the canton will now be responsible for the building permit. In addition, the legal remedies against this decision will be limited: it will only be possible to challenge it before the highest cantonal court.

  • Energie 360° equips Regensdorf with fast-charging stations

    Energie 360° equips Regensdorf with fast-charging stations

    Since 6 June, visitors to the Zänti shopping centre in Regensdorf have been able to charge their electric vehicles at seven fast-charging stations, Energie 360° informs in a press release. The Zurich-based energy service provider installed the charging stations with a capacity of up to 120 kilowatts as part of a long-term partnership with the Regensdorf centre. “Together with the Regensdorf Centre, we are providing our customers with what is currently the fastest charging solution in a Zurich shopping centre,” Rami Syväri, Head of Mobility at Energie 360°, is quoted as saying in the press release.

    The new charging stations charge the battery of an electric car within 30 to 60 minutes with ecologically produced direct current, depending on the model. “With the new fast-charging stations, we want to meet the needs of our customers and at the same time actively reduce CO2 emissions,” explains Sandro Engeler, head of the Regensdorf centre. Two existing AC charging stations complement the range of charging solutions at Zänti.

    According to Syväri, Energie 360° already operates over 200 locations with charging stations throughout Switzerland. The company finances, plans, builds and maintains the charging stations in cooperation with the owners of suitable sites. All of Energie 360°’s public charging stations can be used with a QR code, app or RFID card and are integrated into the Swisscharge network.

  • Palanggenbach power plant celebrates opening

    Palanggenbach power plant celebrates opening

    The inauguration ceremony for the Palanggenbach power plant took place on 3 June. This means that the latest hydroelectric power plant in Uri is now officially open, around six months after commissioning, completed tests and some optimisation work, informs EWA-energieUri in a statement. The energy service provider realised the Palanggenbach power plant together with aventron AG, Korporation Uri and the municipality of Seedorf.

    “We can be proud of what we have realised with the Palanggenbach power plant,” Werner Jauch, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kraftwerk Palanggenbach AG, is quoted in the statement from his speech at the inauguration. “With its annual production of 11.5 gigawatt hours of electricity, the Palanggenbach power plant will contribute to the security of supply in the future, and it will do so in a CO2-free, sustainable and renewable manner.” In addition, Jauch pointed out that over 85 per cent, or about 18 million Swiss francs, of the investment in the project benefited the canton of Uri in the form of contracts. Even during operation, the power plant generates “considerable contributions to the corporation of Uri, the canton of Uri and the municipality of Seedorf”.

    For the official inauguration, the doors of the power plant were open to the interested public. There was an exclusive opportunity to explore the 1.3-kilometre-long tunnel down to the water intake. The power station control centre and turbine were also open to the public.

  • Baumer intensifies commitment to solar power

    Baumer intensifies commitment to solar power

    Baumer has announced the installation of more than 800 photovoltaic modules on facades and roofs of factory buildings at its headquarters in the St.Gallen-Lake Constance area for June 2023. The solar power technology is expected to generate a nominal output of 340 kilowatts peak, according to a statement. Together with the Innovation Centre currently under construction, which will generate 130,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, a power yield of 305,000 kilowatt hours per year is expected. This means that the sensor specialist will be able to cover 11 per cent of its electricity needs with solar power in the future.

    With the investment in the solar building envelope, the Frauenfeld-based sensor specialist is continuing its Baumer Blue innovation initiative. With this, the company is focusing on sustainability, energy efficiency and modern infrastructure.

    In Frauenfeld and at all locations in Germany, the company already purchases exclusively green electricity, it says. On the way to optimising consumption, Baumer is also implementing energy-saving measures and a heating and cooling concept based on geothermal probes and a heat pump at the Innovation Center. ce/heg

  • SENS eRecycling and partners track disposal of heat pumps on

    SENS eRecycling and partners track disposal of heat pumps on

    SENS eRecyling has developed a sustainable solution for the disposal of heat pumps in cooperation with the Swiss Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology ( GebäudeKlima Schweiz ) and the Swiss Heat Pump Association. Heat pumps that have reached the end of their service life and have been returned to the installer, manufacturer or importer are collected by SENS eRecyling and taken to recycling companies that have the necessary permits and a SENS licence to process such appliances. There, the climate-damaging refrigerant is removed from the heat pumps and professionally destroyed. Raw materials such as metals and plastics are recycled and returned to the raw material cycle.

    SENS eRecycling announced in a press release that the new industry solution will be launched on 1 July. The model will be financed from the advance recycling fee that accrues when a heat pump is purchased. “Many manufacturers and importers see the new industry solution as a way to fulfil their obligation to take back discarded heat pumps in an efficient and uncomplicated way,” SENS eRecycling managing director Pasqual Zopp is quoted as saying in the press release.

    According to Konrad Imbach, managing director of GebäudeKlima Schweiz, the manufacturers and importers of heat pumps who have already joined the industry solution have a market share of 70 to 80 per cent. Stephan Peterhans, managing director of the Swiss Heat Pump Association, is convinced that almost all of the other companies in the sector will also decide to join by the end of the year.

  • IWB takes over Kunz-Solartech

    IWB takes over Kunz-Solartech

    The Basel-based energy supplier IWB is acquiring Kunz-Solartech GmbH of Aargau. The takeover is intended to strengthen IWB’s position in the growth market for photovoltaic systems, the energy supplier explains in a corresponding statement. No details are given there about the purchase price.

    IWB plans to expand its own production capacities for solar power to at least 100 megawatts by 2023. In addition, the company implements photovoltaic systems for private and business customers. The company’s subsidiary Planeco specialises in the construction of large and complex solar plants. Kunz-Solartech GmbH, which focuses on the planning and installation of photovoltaic systems for private customers and SMEs, is to round off IWB’s range of services.

    “There are still far too many roofs without photovoltaics and the installation companies are working to full capacity,” Markus Balmer, Head of Sales at IWB, is quoted as saying in the statement. For Nico Knubel, Managing Director of Kunz-Solartech, on the other hand, IWB is “a large and established partner that offers our employees secure prospects for the future”. Under the IWB umbrella, his company can make even better use of the potential in the growing solar market and realise many more plants for its customers.

  • Regio Energie Solothurn awards two prizes in 2023

    Regio Energie Solothurn awards two prizes in 2023

    Regio Energie Solothurn did not just award a prize for energy efficiency, climate protection and sustainability at its annual energy forum, as is usually the case. This year, according to a statement, two organisations were awarded instead: the Restessbar Sol othurn association and the Discherheim Solothurn foundation.

    The Restessbar association saves food. Since 2017, its members have been collecting fruit, vegetables, pastries and drinks from partner companies on a voluntary basis, which would otherwise end up in the waste. They are then sorted and distributed to around 300 people on twelve tours per week. In this way, around 26 tonnes of food that can still be consumed are saved from disposal every year. In addition, the association conducts educational work against food waste and supports pupils in the preparation of a cookbook.

    At the Discherheim, “care is taken to ensure that everything you do has as long an effect as possible”, says Regio Energie Solothurn. At the three locations of the foundation, which offers housing and jobs to people with disabilities, this also applies to energy efficiency and resource conservation, both in the conversion of the heating source and the fleet of six vehicles to electric drives. The electricity for this comes from the building’s own photovoltaic system. In addition, the biotope, hedges, natural meadow, insect hotels and birdhouses contribute to biodiversity.

  • IWB tests alpine solar plant on Melchsee-Frutt

    IWB tests alpine solar plant on Melchsee-Frutt

    IWB has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Kerns Alpine Cooperative outside the stone bridge. According to a press release, the agreement provides for the feasibility of a solar plant on the Melchsee-Frutt plateau to be examined. In addition to the technical details, the effects of a photovoltaic system on the existing management and the environment will also be analysed.

    The good accessibility, the high altitude and the snow favour the production of electricity, especially in winter, according to the statement. The plant would be connected to the Obwalden electricity company.

    The two contract partners have already begun talks with the municipality of Kerns and the canton of Obwalden. Other stakeholders and environmental organisations are also to be included in the talks.

    Markus Ettlin-Niederberger, president of the Kerns Alpine Cooperative, welcomes the expansion of the project. “We can make an active contribution to a renewable and secure energy supply and even increase local added value,” he is quoted as saying in the press release. Pascal Semlitsch also sees great potential in the project. “Melchsee-Frutt offers very good conditions for an alpine solar plant,” the head of investments at IWB is quoted as saying. “We have the goal that more renewable, domestic solar power can be produced very locally and in an environmentally friendly way.”

    IWB has already built an alpine solar plant at the Muttsee dam in the canton of Glarus together with Axpo.

  • Households demand affordable climate protection

    Households demand affordable climate protection

    Switzerland wants to become climate neutral by 2050. This goal is supported by 77 percent of the population, explains Stiebel Eltron Switzerland in a press release. The Aargau-based manufacturer of domestic and system technology is basing this on the results of its current energy trend monitor. For this, Stiebel Eltron Switzerland had a representative survey carried out among 1000 Swiss people.

    However, 75 percent of the respondents do not want to be asked to pay more for climate neutrality. In particular, support for weak households with the costs of the energy transition (85 percent of respondents) and cheaper electricity for heat pumps (86 percent) are demanded. “Consumers must not be left alone with the costs of the private energy turnaround,” Patrick Drack, Managing Director of Stiebel Eltron Switzerland, is quoted as saying in the statement.

    At the centre of the measures for climate neutrality is the replacement of oil, gas and electric heating systems with “clean and efficient technology”, according to the statement. For this purpose, subsidies totalling 200 million Swiss francs per year are to flow over the next ten years. “With renewable technology such as heat pumps, we are making an important contribution towards climate neutrality,” says Drack. On its website, the company provides information about current subsidy programmes for heat pumps.