immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: ErneuerbareEnergien

  • Federal government uses geothermal energy for buildings

    Federal government uses geothermal energy for buildings

    Most of the buildings in the National Sports Center in Magglingen are currently heated with gas, according to a press release from the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (BBL). The BBL is currently realizing a number of new construction and renovation projects for the Federal Office for Sport at the sports center. For the first time, the federal government is using geothermal energy to supply heat to buildings. A new district heating network will supply both the existing and the new buildings.

    Geothermal energy from a depth of 1,300 meters is used for the heat supply. It is expected that the extracted water has a temperature of 30 to 50 degrees Celsius. For this purpose, two wells are being built. The warm water is pumped up via one, the cooled water is let down again via the other. In between, a heat exchanger on the surface takes the heat from the water and uses it to supply the building.

    While the gas supply currently emits 1,300 tonnes of CO2 annually, this should only be 70 tonnes in the future.

  • Swissolar wants more sun in standard electricity

    Swissolar wants more sun in standard electricity

    Around 5 percent of annual electricity consumption in Switzerland is currently covered by domestically produced solar electricity, explains Swissolar in a press release . In the standard electricity products of the energy suppliers, however, the proportion of solar electricity is only 1.85 percent on average. The Association of the Swiss Solar Energy Industry is working together with the power comparison service myNewEnergy to increase the solar proportion of standard products to this 5 percent in a first step.

    “This value should be increased annually by at least the amount of additional construction in question,” Swissolar managing director David Stickelberger is quoted in the announcement. “Around 1 percent would correspond to the necessary expansion of photovoltaic systems.”

    The majority of households do not choose a special electricity product and therefore receive the standard offer from the respective energy supplier, explains Swissolar in the press release. If the proportion of solar power in the standard product is increased to the proportion of power consumption, the comparatively expensive power is divided among a large number of consumers, argues Swissolar. This keeps the product price low and opens up new sales markets for providers of solar power who have been “sitting on their clean electricity” up to now.

    “It is important that these certificates come exclusively from Swiss solar systems, because only such certificates make an effective contribution to a safe and clean power supply in our country,” explains Stickelberger. “To replace the nuclear power plant alone, we need 20 terawatt hours of solar power.”

  • A new solar community is emerging in Glarus

    A new solar community is emerging in Glarus

    The Technischen Betriebe Glarus ( tb.glarus ) are building a solar system on the roof of the gymnasium belonging to the Glarus Cantonal School. Private customers can buy their desired area of solar panels there and receive a fixed amount of solar power in return for 20 years.

    By participating in such a solar community, tenants without their own roof also have the opportunity to subsidize locally generated solar power. Another advantage is that you don’t have to worry about investment costs, planning or maintenance, according to tb.glarus in a press release .

    This emerging solar community is the third that tb.glarus is realizing. Two solar communities have already been successfully put into operation at the branch garden gym in Netstal GL. With its 666 square meters, the new facility will be almost twice as large as these two combined.

  • Empa achieves record for flexible solar cells

    Empa achieves record for flexible solar cells

    The Empa team from the Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics , headed by Ayodhya N. Tiwari, has set its seventh record for the efficiency of flexible CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide) solar cells. After a record high efficiency of 12.8 percent in 1999, it has now reached 21.38 percent, according to a press release. This new record was confirmed by the independent Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany.

    The value now measured is already close to the best efficiency of conventional, non-flexible solar cells made of crystalline silicon of 26.7 percent. The highly efficient flexible solar cells are particularly suitable for use on roofs and building facades, for greenhouses, transport vehicles, aircraft and portable electronics. Together with the Niederhasli ZH-based company Flisom , a spin-off from Empa and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ), the researchers are developing roll-to-roll production of lightweight, flexible solar modules for such applications.

    These solar cells are produced on a polymer film using a low-temperature evaporation method. The light-absorbing semiconductor material lies on top as a wafer-thin film. Empa researcher Shiro Nishiwaki optimized their composition. In this way he was able to further increase the efficiency. According to the team’s measurements, the increase in photovoltaic output remained stable even after several months.

    Tiwari’s team works closely with the Kovalenko Lab for Functional Inorganic Materials at ETH Zurich. The research and development work was supported by the Federal Office of Energy .

  • Switzerland has great potential for geothermal energy

    Switzerland has great potential for geothermal energy

    Switzerland has considerable potential in the use of alternative energy sources such as geothermal energy and in the underground storage of CO2. This emerges from a press release from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ). Professor Lyesse Laloui from the Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ( ENAC ) at EPFL was head of the research group on geoenergy as part of the Innosuisse Energy funding program, which ran from 2013 to 2020. Eight competence centers have been set up. EPFL played a leading role in the field of geoenergy. Laloui is the author of the chapter on this in the final report of Innosuisse.

    Lyesse Laloui sees great potential for the use of geothermal energy. The Swiss government has set the target for 2035 of generating 11 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling buildings from geothermal energy. Laloui assumes over 20 percent. “The project results show that this share could easily be doubled,” he is quoted in the communication. The possibilities of using geothermal energy to generate electricity were also examined. Laloui points out problems such as drilling deep without triggering seismic movements. “One day we will surely make it, but we are not there yet.”

    According to the Lalouis report, there are good opportunities for the underground storage of CO2 emissions in Switzerland, especially in the Central Plateau from Friborg to Zurich. Professor Laloui is quoted as saying that of the around 40 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent that are emitted in Switzerland every year, around 12 million could be stored underground.

  • Empa proposes a plan for building renovation

    Empa proposes a plan for building renovation

    The Dübendorfer Urban Energy Systems Laboratory of the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) has developed measures to reduce the greenhouse gases of the 1.8 million buildings in the country. The laboratory wants to show what the appropriate steps are and in which order they should be taken, it says in a message . The goal is a decisive reduction in CO2 emissions for heating and cooling in order to achieve Switzerland's net zero target by 2050. If the ecological renovation of the building stock progressed at the current pace, it would take another 100 years, Empa calculates.

    Led by Kristine Orehounig, the researchers used data mining to divide all residential and commercial buildings in Switzerland into over 100 archetypes, depending on the year of construction, heating type, location and number of users. Then all of them were checked for their suitability for photovoltaics and connection to a heating network.

    According to Empa, this sorting work has shown that it is worthwhile to start renovating the roofs and windows of older buildings particularly quickly. This should be followed by the renovation of heating systems in almost all house types. It is important to replace fossil fuels as quickly as possible with photovoltaics on roofs and facades. The research team recommends generating heat using heat pumps and biomass heating. "If the proposed measures are taken," believes Kristine Orehounig, "the greenhouse emissions in Switzerland's existing building stock can be reduced by 60 to 80 percent".

  • ESB promotes conversion to solar heating

    ESB promotes conversion to solar heating

    At the beginning of the month, ESB launched a program to promote newly built solar thermal systems in Biel, the energy company informed in a press release . With this, ESB wants to support the Biel climate strategy, it is said there. In particular, ESB wants to contribute to the city's goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.

    For new buildings, a combination of gas heating and solar collectors is the standard solution for the requirements of the cantonal energy ordinance, writes ESB. The solar collectors could cover 60 to 70 percent of the hot water preparation and an additional 20 percent of the heating energy, writes ESB. According to the report, the greatest energy consumption in households occurs in these two areas.

    With a thermal solar system, property owners “not only make a valuable contribution to climate protection, but also enjoy numerous advantages,” argues ESB. As such, lower costs for heating materials, tax deductions and subsidies as well as a comparatively low cost of maintaining the system are mentioned in the notification.

    The ESB funding program provides for 250 francs per square meter of collector surface up to a total system size of 50 square meters. Anyone who installs a larger system can submit a request for additional support. ESB provides detailed information on the Internet .

  • Rheinfelden Solar puts third system into operation

    Rheinfelden Solar puts third system into operation

    The Rheinfelden Solar project will shortly put its third solar system into operation, AEW Energie informs in a press release . The system with a peak output of 110 kilowatts is being built as part of a roof renovation on the works yard and fire department store in Stein. A total of 290 modules will be installed here.

    In the Rheinfelden Solar project, interested parties can support solar energy without having to set up their own solar system. Instead, they finance a system installed by Rheinfelden Solar with a one-time contribution per module. In return, those involved are credited with the electricity they have produced with the modules they finance over a period of 20 years in their own electricity bills.

    The modules of the system in Stein are sold at the same conditions as those of the considerably larger second system from Rheinfelden Solar on the roof of the Swisslos logistics center in Rheinfelden. Interested parties can now order the desired number of modules online at a price of 560 francs each, explains AEW Energie. From the beginning of 2022, 240 kilowatt hours of electricity per purchased module should be credited to the electricity bill.

  • New perovskite solar cells pass the lead test

    New perovskite solar cells pass the lead test

    A research group from the University of Life Sciences ( HLS ) of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) gives the all-clear: their tests show that the lead contained in the new perovskite solar cells is just as little washed out as all other functional metals, even if there is any weather damage. The cells were able to withstand rainwater and hail tests without the metal concentration in the rainwater increasing noticeably.

    The prerequisite for a low environmental risk is that the solar cells are packed according to commercial standards. But "even with poor packaging, only 5 to 10 percent of the total lead content in rainwater was measured over several months," HLS doctoral student Felix Schmidt is quoted in a report by the FHNW. “We currently see little cause for concern with regard to the possible environmental impacts of lead.” However, this sensitive topic must be communicated transparently with regard to the social acceptance of this technology.

    Permoskite solar cells are considered to be the future of photovoltaics. Tremendous advances in research have increased their efficiency from initially 3 to almost 30 percent in the past few years. It is thus just above that of traditional silicon cells.

    Perovskite is the collective term for new materials, the crystal structure of which is similar to the natural mineral, also known as perovskite. Perovskites absorb light particularly efficiently and conduct the electricity generated well. They are both inexpensive and easy to manufacture and process. Among other things, two national research programs are running in Switzerland. They are designed to encourage the rapid adoption of this disruptive technology.

    Now you have to think about “what will happen to the solar cells at the end of their lifespan”, continues Schmidt. "That is why we are currently developing ways to completely extract lead from old cells and use it again in new cells."

  • Emmi uses solar energy from Amstutz

    Emmi uses solar energy from Amstutz

    Emmi and Amstutz Holzenergie AG are expanding their cooperation. According to a press release from Emmi, the products manufactured at Emmi's Emmen location, such as Aktifit or Lucerne cream cheese, will in future be produced using solar power from the roofs of the neighboring Amstutz AG. For twelve years now, 80 percent of the process energy required by Emmi has come from a wood chip plant on the Amstutz site. It feeds hot steam into the Emmi pipes via a pipeline.

    Amstutz's 1,440 photovoltaic modules produce around 500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Amstutz uses around 200,000 kilowatt hours itself, while 300,000 are given to Emmi. "We are pleased that our neighbor Emmi has been relying on environmentally friendly 'wood steam' from our company for twelve years and that we can now use solar energy from our roofs to strengthen the partnership for a sustainable energy future", CEO Albert Amstutz is quoted as saying.

    As the announcement goes on to say, the 25 or so Emmi operations in Switzerland are supplied with 100 percent electricity from European hydropower. In the future, the company wants to "significantly" increase the production of its own renewable electricity in the coming years. The roof of the new cheese dairy currently under construction in Emmen will also be equipped with photovoltaic elements.

  • Meyer Burger wants to move solar roof tiles out of their niche

    Meyer Burger wants to move solar roof tiles out of their niche

    The solar company Meyer Burger wants to expand its product portfolio with innovative solar roof tiles. To do this, it acquires an already approved and certified solution from a German engineering service provider. With the purchase, all intellectual property and extensive specialist knowledge will become the property of Meyer Burger. No information is given on the purchase price.

    With the acquisition, Meyer Burger does not only want to secure its own sustainable business development. Another goal is to increase the market demand for innovative roof tiles. "Integrated solar roof systems still represent a market niche today. With our innovative solar tile solution, we are planning to move roof-integrated solutions out of the niche into a larger market," explains Gunter Erfurt, CEO of Meyer Burger, in a press release .

    Meyer Burger plans to launch its new solar roof in the second half of 2022. The solar tiles should be used, for example, in private roof systems with complete new or replacement roofing, objects in redevelopment and monument protection areas, houses with a limited roof load and aesthetically particularly demanding roof installations.

    The group wants to present its solar roof at the Intersolar trade fair in Munich even before it is launched.

  • University of Zurich relies on Winterthur water flow

    University of Zurich relies on Winterthur water flow

    Stadtwerk Winterthur has won the University of Zurich ( UZH ) as a new customer. In the corresponding tender, the UZH assumed electricity from renewable energies and opted for water electricity from the European Union, explains the city administration of Winterthur in a message . The municipal company will supply UZH with 69 gigawatt hours of electricity from hydropower annually from 2024 to 2028.

    In addition, Stadtwerk Winterthur was able to win two more tenders from existing customers, the communication further explains. According to this, on the one hand, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ) will also receive sustainable water power from the Winterthur municipal utility in the years 2024 to 2028. Of the 110 gigawatt hours contractually agreed annually, 4 gigawatt hours should meet the strict ecological guidelines of naturemade star.

    On the other hand, the Cantonal Hospital Winterthur will continue to receive electricity from hydropower from Stadtwerk Winterthur between 2024 and 2026. The corresponding contractual agreement includes the delivery of around 24 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, writes the city administration of Winterthur.

  • Sonnenenergie ist um fast 50 Prozent gewachsen

    Sonnenenergie ist um fast 50 Prozent gewachsen

    Die Statistik Sonnenenergie 2020 des Schweizerischen Fachverbands für Sonnenenergie, Swissolar, belegt, dass der Photovoltaikzubau in der Schweiz gegenüber dem Vorjahr um 48 Prozent gestiegen ist. Damit ist ein Rekordwert von 493 Megawatt erreicht. Die Leistung von nahezu 3 Gigawatt deckte 4,7 Prozent des Strombedarfs im Land.

    Laut einer Medienmitteilung von Swissolar sind die Zuwächse bei Anlagen auf Industrie-, Gewerbe- und Dienstleistungsbauten sowie bei Photovoltaik (PV)-Anlagen über 100 Kilowatt besonders hoch. Die durchschnittliche Anlage war 24,5 Kilowatt gross. Im Vorjahr waren es noch 22,5 Kilowatt. Rund 15 Prozent der PV-Anlagen auf Einfamilienhäusern werden mit einem Batteriespeicher kombiniert. Deren Verkaufszahl wuchs gegenüber dem Vorjahr um 65 Prozent.

    Weltweit wurden im vergangenen Jahr 18 Prozent mehr Gigawatt PV-Leistung installiert als im Vorjahr. Die jährliche Stromproduktion entspricht etwa der von 115 Atomkraftwerken (AKW) von der Grösse Gösgens. Sie deckte 3,7 Prozent des weltweiten Strombedarfs. Gemäss Swissolar-Statistik ist alle 20 Tage die Produktionskapazität eines AKW hinzugekommen.

    Der Verkauf von Kollektoranlagen zur Nutzung der Solarwärme ist um rund 18 Prozent gesunken. Gründe seien unter anderem in der Dominanz von Wärmepumpen im Neubau und bei Heizungssanierungen zu suchen.

    Für die Dekarbonisierung des Energiesystems und für den Ersatz von Atomkraft bedarf es laut Swissolar eines massiven Ausbaus der Solarenergie auf rund 50 Gigawatt, mit einer jährlichen Stromproduktion von 45 Terawattstunden. Dazu müsste die Schweiz jährlich etwa 1500 Megawatt zubauen. Das entspreche dem Dreifachen des jetzigen jährlichen Zubaus.

    Doch gemäss der bundesrätlichen Botschaft vom 18. Juni zum Bundesgesetz über eine sichere Stromversorgung mit erneuerbaren Energien solle dieser Zubau von 2023 bis 2035 lediglich bei 700 Megawatt pro Jahr liegen. Ausserdem enthalte die Gesetzesvorlage Elemente, die den weiteren Ausbau der Solarenergie gefährden.

    „Das Parlament muss hier rasch korrigieren“, fordert Swissolar. Als Wegweiser könne der Beschluss des österreichischen Parlaments dienen, bis 2030 eine hundertprozentig erneuerbare Stromversorgung zu erreichen. Ausserdem sei „auf unverantwortliche und den Volkswillen missachtende Bestrebungen zur Verlängerung der AKW-Laufzeiten zu verzichten“. Nach dem knappen Nein zum CO2-Gesetz sei es nun an den Kantonen, den Ausstieg aus Öl und Gas in Gebäuden zu betreiben.

  • Swissolar calls for a faster pace of solar expansion

    Swissolar calls for a faster pace of solar expansion

    The expansion of solar systems in Switzerland in 2020 was around 30 to 39 percent higher than in the previous year and thus at a record level. That is at least the estimate of the Swissolar association based on the figures already available on the statistics for solar energy 2020, which will be published in July.

    In a communication on the occasion of the National Photovoltaic Conference in Bern, Swisssolar points out that the pace of the expansion must be further accelerated. The Federal Council's Energy Perspectives 2050+ anticipate annual solar power production of 34 terawatt hours by 2050. Swissolar would even aim for 45 terawatt hours. However, the annual expansion for both goals must be increased by a factor of three to four compared to the previous year, according to Swissolar.

    According to Swissolar, the framework conditions would also have to be optimized for a faster pace of expansion. According to the association's assessment, the expansion of photovoltaic systems in Switzerland will mainly take place on the roofs and facades of buildings. An evaluation by Swissolar shows that small and medium-sized systems of less than 150 square meters on the roofs of single and multi-family houses hold almost half of the “easily accessible” solar potential. The association therefore demands that investment security should be created for these systems as a priority. In the medium term, the winter production of electricity is likely to become increasingly important. According to the association, alpine solar systems in particular are likely to play an important role here.

  • Army real estate only uses renewables

    Army real estate only uses renewables

    The properties of the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS ) used by the armed forces only use electricity that is generated from renewable energies, especially hydropower, the DDPS informs in a message on the current sustainability report of the Federal Office of Armaments (armasuisse ). According to her, the CO2 emissions caused by the VBS properties have also been significantly reduced compared to the previous year. Specifically, 36,600 tons of CO2 were emitted last year.

    The current sustainability report shows "how armasuisse real estate builds resource-intensive military infrastructures sustainably and operates them economically over the entire life cycle," the press release goes on to say. The report also provides important key figures. One example is the share of expenditure on planning and construction work that is attributable to local suppliers. It is estimated in the communication at 85 percent.

    In addition, the report contains a conversation with division general Thomas Kaiser, is further explained in the communication. In this, the head of the army's logistics base presented “his vision of a sustainable future for the army's logistics base”.

  • ewz equips 70 Aldi roofs with solar modules

    ewz equips 70 Aldi roofs with solar modules

    Around 70 Aldi Suisse branches can use self-produced solar power either now or in the near future. According to a media release from Aldi, “one of the largest solar energy projects in Switzerland” is on the home straight. A total of 45,000 solar modules will then have been installed on the approximately 70 Aldi Suisse branch roofs. The photovoltaic systems are installed and operated by ewz .

    The electricity generated from around 14 million kilowatt hours corresponds roughly to the annual consumption of 5,000 households. Together with the "largest connected solar system in Switzerland" on the roof of the Aldi Suisse distribution center in Perlen ZH, a total of over 22 million kilowatt hours of electricity would then be produced. This could supply around 8,400 households for a year.

    Aldi Suisse uses the majority of this for lighting or cooling its own branches and for electric charging stations. So far, they have been built at 10 percent of the locations. Any surpluses would be fed into the grid by ewz. "We are proud", says Jérôme Meyer, Aldi Country Manager, "that with solar energy projects like this we are helping to further systematically reduce the company's own CO2 footprint".

  • Waste heat from food production will heat miles

    Waste heat from food production will heat miles

    Since the beginning of the year, Delica AG's sweets and snacks have been produced in Meilen with energy obtained from the water of Lake Zurich, explains Energie 360 ° in a press release . The Zurich energy service company implemented this project for Delica AG, which belongs to Migros. “This is a big step towards CO2-neutral production,” said Markus Müller, responsible for energy management at Delica AG in Meilen, in the message.

    The waste heat from the production process is to be used for heating in miles. For this purpose, Energie 360 ° will implement an energy network together with the municipality of Meilen. From autumn next year around 100 properties could be supplied with heating energy, explains the energy service company. Together, they would save around 1.1 million liters of heating oil each year and thus avoid up to 3,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

    Those interested can find out more about the project online and check a connection option, says Energie 360 °. The company also offers a guide price calculator there, with which a guide price offer can be obtained.

  • ESB promotes conversion to district heating

    ESB promotes conversion to district heating

    At the beginning of the month, ESB launched a program to promote a connection to heating networks in Biel, the energy company informed in a message . With this, ESB wants to support the Biel climate strategy, it says there. In particular, ESB wants to contribute to the city's goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.

    Most of the buildings in the city of Biel are currently heated with fossil fuels, writes ESB. Switching to district heating therefore has "high potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions". In order to reach as many property owners as possible, funding for connection to a district heating network is granted regardless of the current energy source.

    Applicants must meet a number of requirements for a contribution to the connection costs, as explained in the communication. On the one hand, the property in question must be located in the area of the city of Biel and be connected to a heating network that is operated with at least 80 percent renewable energies or waste heat. On the other hand, the heating energy must be drawn from the heating network as soon as it is available. Cold connections are therefore excluded from funding. In the case of a connection also funded by the canton of Bern, the ESB grant will also be reduced by the cantonal grant.

  • Nyon builds district heating network

    Nyon builds district heating network

    Nyoner Stadtwerke and Romande Energie establish the joint venture thermorésÔ Nyon SA. This is to set up a district heating network in the city on Lake Geneva, to which up to 130 buildings can be connected, write the city and the Vaudois energy supplier in a message .

    The network is to be heated to 85 percent with wood chips from the region. Natural gas or biogas should only be used at peak times in winter. The initiators expect a reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 7,000 tons.

    Stadtwerke and Romande Energie are already working together on the EnergeÔ project. This is intended to promote the use of geothermal energy from medium depths. This geothermal energy should also be able to be used in the new district heating network in the future.

  • Photovoltaic expansion is in its infancy

    Photovoltaic expansion is in its infancy

    Photovoltaics should be next to the hydroelectric power to buttress a climate-friendly energy future, the association of independent power producers (writes Vese ) in a release . The specialist group of the Swiss Association for Solar Energy has developed an online map on which the development status of photovoltaics in the individual communities, districts or cantons is shown. The interactive map also optionally shows the nationwide status or the expansion of individual power plants.

    VESE explains that the map shows a very heterogeneous picture of the state of photovoltaics. Depending on the canton, the installed capacity per inhabitant is up to five times higher or lower. The cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Jura have the highest level of development with more than 600 watts of power per inhabitant. In contrast, in the canton of Zurich, only 134 watts of power per inhabitant have been installed so far.

    This could not be due to a lack of space, explains VESE in the press release. Even the front-runner Appenzell Innerrhoden is only using its potential to an "infinitesimally small 5.2 percent". For VESE project manager Diego Fischer, the photovoltaic policy is more responsible. It is "a big patchwork in which the hot potato is pushed back and forth between the federal government, the cantons, the municipalities, the electricity companies and the investors, and in the end everyone is wondering why things are not moving faster".

    In order to promote the expansion of photovoltaics, the cantons and municipalities have to make better use of the instruments available to them, says Fischer. Specifically, the VESE project manager addresses the remuneration of solar power fed in and subsidies to supplement one-off payments. Fischer wants to increase the expansion of photovoltaics on the roofs of rental properties through building regulations.

  • Axpo wants to produce hydrogen

    Axpo wants to produce hydrogen

    Axpo wants to produce green hydrogen from the hydropower of the Rhine in the future. For this purpose, a hydrogen production plant at the Eglisau-Glattfelden power plant is to be put into operation as early as autumn 2022, according to a media release . This should produce 350 tons of hydrogen annually. According to Axpo, this can save over 1.5 million liters of diesel per year in road traffic.

    The new hydrogen production plant will have an output of 2.5 megawatts. However, it can be expanded to 5 megawatts. Axpo is also planning to implement additional systems at other locations. The company has already set up its own department for the hydrogen business area.

    Axpo works with Opfikon-based Hydrospider AG to transport the hydrogen to the filling stations. This is a joint venture between H2 Energy , Alpiq and Linde GmbH . Both Axpo and Hydrospider see great potential for hydrogen in the mobility sector. There are already more than 50 trucks with fuel cells in Switzerland today. According to the partners, it should be more than 1,600 by 2026.

    Axpo had already planned a hydrogen production plant for the same power plant in 2015. At that time, however, the project was not pursued because the sales volume of hydrogen remained below the company's expectations. "Since then, the fight against climate change has gained significantly in importance and hydrogen has proven to be a suitable energy source for the decarbonisation of mobility and industry," said Guy Bühler, Head of Hydrogen at Axpo, quoted in the press release.

  • ewz involves citizens in further solar systems

    ewz involves citizens in further solar systems

    ewz offers people who want to actively participate in the energy transition the opportunity to acquire stakes in photovoltaic systems. This type of crowd financing enables the construction of new systems, for example on school roofs. According to a press release , ewz is offering a total of 4,000 square meters of new space for this purpose.

    Of this, 1,100 square meters of photovoltaic area are now available on the Falletsche municipal school building in Leimbach. The Rebhügel school buildings in Wiedikon, Kolbenacker in Seebach and Mattenhof in Schwamendingen will go online in the course of the year. A maximum of ten square meters of participation at CHF 250 per household can be purchased on the Internet. In return, customers receive 80 kilowatt hours of sustainably produced solar power from Zurich per square meter of participation credited to their electricity bills.

    The last square meters of participation are still available for the first large-scale high-alpine solar system in Switzerland, which has already been completed on the ewz dam in Graubünden's Bergell. Because the yield is more than twice as high as in the Unterland, both the participation price and the credit are higher there.

  • Map helps with the restructuring of the energy system

    Map helps with the restructuring of the energy system

    For the first time, progress in the expansion of renewable energies can be publicly viewed and checked. For this purpose, according to a press release , the Swiss Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ) is making its geospatial base data available online for all around 110,000 electricity production plants in Switzerland. More than 100,000 of them are currently photovoltaic systems.

    All systems are displayed transparently on the Internet on an interactive map and updated monthly. According to the SFOE, this would enable the municipality and cantons to monitor the local expansion and, if necessary, take measures to accelerate it.

    In addition to the location of the system, the data also shows its output in kilowatts and the date on which it was commissioned. All systems with an output of more than 30 kilovolt amperes and small systems with more than 2 kilowatts that have been voluntarily registered are included. The database also contains systems that are funded through a feed-in or one-off payment, additional cost financing or an investment contribution.

  • High alpine solar system works highly efficiently

    High alpine solar system works highly efficiently

    The first large high-alpine solar system was set up last summer on the Albigna dam in Graubünden's Bergell. At an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level, 1200 photovoltaic panels were installed over a length of 670 meters at an angle of 78 degrees. The steep angle serves the better processing of the winter sun and prevents snow deposits on the modules, explains the electricity company of the city of Zurich ( ewz ) as operator of the system in a message .

    In the first six months after commissioning in September 2020, the high-alpine system has already produced 223 megawatt hours of electricity, ewz further informs in the press release. This fulfilled the “high expectation”, according to which high alpine locations have significantly better production conditions for solar power than the Central Plateau. The winter months have also shown that the system on the Albigna dam works just as efficiently in winter as it does in summer. Between October and March, the efficiency of a high-alpine system is more than a quarter higher than that of a flat-roof system in the Swiss Plateau, writes ewz.

    According to calculations, the system on the Albigna dam will generate around 500 megawatt hours of electricity annually with a total output of 410 kilowatts. Ewz customers can join the project via the ewz.solarzüri public participation model. Here, the 2170 square meters of the high-alpine facility are for sale at a price of 560 francs per square meter. The buyers are credited with 180 kilowatt hours of solar power annually for 20 years.

  • Schächen power plant supplies 3,600 households

    Schächen power plant supplies 3,600 households

    In its first, not quite full year of operation, the Schächen hydropower plant produced 14.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity to supply around 3,300 households. In full operation there will be 3,600 households. The new power plant will thus make an important contribution to the CO2-free supply of electricity from renewable sources, emphasized Werner Jauch, Chairman of the Board of Directors, at the general meeting of KW Schächen AG .

    According to a press release, he also highlighted that two of the three machine groups of the power plant commissioned in November 2019 started work six weeks ahead of schedule. This was not a matter of course, especially in Corona times. "This enabled us to make optimal use of the good water supply in winter and spring 2020."

    In general, the construction work in the middle of the lively Uri basin was “a great challenge”, says Jauch: “The project experienced many ups and downs in a planning and approval marathon of around eight years, and the construction phase was also very demanding.” It turned out to be very demanding however, "definitely worth it to accept and successfully master all challenges up to and including the corona pandemic at KW Schächen".

  • Geneva expands network for the use of lake water

    Geneva expands network for the use of lake water

    The Geneva public utility company SIG is laying new district heating pipes in the La Jonction district. 90 buildings are to be connected to the Genilac district heating network by 2025, the SIG wrote in a press release . Of these, 30 buildings are used by the city and the canton of Geneva. Genilac fully supplies the connected buildings with heating and cooling from Lake Geneva. The extension in La Jonction saves 10,600 tons of CO2.

    In total, Genilac is expected to deliver around 1150 gigawatt hours of cooling and 150 gigawatt hours of heat per year by 2030. By 2050, Genilac should help to reduce CO2 emissions in the canton by 70,000 tons. "Genilac is an important infrastructure with which CO2 emissions in the canton of Geneva are to be reduced and global warming is to be tackled", SIG General Director Christian Brunier is quoted in the press release.

  • ewz implement 100 climate-neutral real estate projects

    ewz implement 100 climate-neutral real estate projects

    Ewz is aiming for an ambitious goal by 2030: "Individual projects are not enough to achieve the national climate targets," ewz director Benedikt Loepfe is quoted in a media release. Instead, ewz understands the flagship Fischermätteli quarter in Burgdorf BE, which is currently under construction, "as a starting point for an ambitious goal: 100 real estate projects – 100% climate-neutral".

    Because the construction and maintenance of buildings generate a good third of all pollutant emissions, energy-efficient buildings and a climate-neutral energy supply are among the most important levers for Switzerland's climate goals, the press release said. For example, the combination of heat pumps, solar power, storage and electromobility leads to the greatest possible self-sufficiency with low resource consumption. In doing so, local, renewable energy sources are consistently used.

    "With the comprehensive implementation of such climate-neutral real estate projects – both new buildings and renovations – ewz is making a significant contribution to environmental and climate protection and the energy transition," said Loepfe. "As one of the first energy supply companies, ewz is committed to a pioneering commitment to a CO2-free Switzerland."

  • Baden Cantonal Hospital installs solar power system

    Baden Cantonal Hospital installs solar power system

    The Kantonsspital Baden (KSB) relies on renewable energy and has therefore had solar power systems installed for self-sufficiency. On an area of 2000 square meters, solar panels have been installed on the roofs of the parking garage and the heating center and also on the facade of the heating building. According to a media release from KSB, the new solar power generators have a total output of 375 megawatt hours of electricity. This corresponds to 3 percent of KSB's electricity requirements. The new solar systems are to be connected to the power supply network for the canton hospital at the end of this month.

    Cristoffel Schwarz, the chief manager (COO) of KSB, is quoted as saying: “The areas on the P2 multi-storey car park and the heating plant are predestined for the production of solar power. That is why we decided to make this investment. The KSB will thus become a small power plant itself. "

  • Swiss photovoltaics will record record expansion in 2020

    Swiss photovoltaics will record record expansion in 2020

    Photovoltaics in Switzerland was expanded significantly in the past year 2020. According to a press release, according to the Swiss Association for Solar Energy, this was not enough to achieve the climate targets. The professional association Swissolar represents the interests of 740 association members with around 6000 jobs in the solar energy industry. In the announcement from Swissolar, the additional photovoltaic capacity installed in 2020 is estimated at an output of 430 to 460 megawatts. The final annual figures will not be available until the middle of the year.

    The new installations correspond to a growth of 30 to 39 percent compared to 2019. According to Swissolar, the number of registrations at the Pronovo certification and funding agency suggests that the growth not only occurred in small systems, but also in those with an output of over 100 kilowatts.

    From the point of view of the association, however, more needs to be done. "In order to replace the nuclear power that is no longer available and to cover the additional electricity demand for the electrification of traffic and heating, the annual expansion must be increased to around 1500 megawatts over the next few years – almost four times as much as last year," said Swissolar CEO David Stickelberger quoted. This is also provided for in the recently published Energy Perspectives 2050+ by the Federal Office of Energy.

    From the perspective of the solar industry, a number of political measures are required to achieve this. Greater support for systems without self-consumption is therefore necessary. This requires state incentives so that the roofs of stables, warehouses, parking lot canopies, noise barriers and other infrastructures are equipped with solar systems. Often this is not the case because the electricity cannot be consumed on the spot. Further measures are the obligation to generate electricity for new buildings, the removal of hurdles in the construction of open-space systems, which often only get a building permit with difficulty.

    From Swissolar's point of view, there is also a need for federal and cantonal funding for solar thermal systems. The contribution of solar heating to the energy transition is still underestimated.

  • Excellent designs adorn the photovoltaic facade of the NEST

    Excellent designs adorn the photovoltaic facade of the NEST

    Students at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences have made design objects out of photovoltaic modules. They are to be installed on the facade of the NEST research and innovation building on the campus of the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) in Dübendorf. In a competition, students from the two university departments of Design and Art as well as Technology and Architecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU ) were invited to present their designs. The works of art were created as part of a two-week interdisciplinary block event, according to an Empa media release.

    A six-member jury selected the design entitled "Crystal Clear" by Lynn Balli as the winner. Her eight motifs can be seen on the modules that will be installed on the facade of NEST in summer 2021. The design convinced the jury with "the elegant emphasis on the dynamics of glass and the successful implementation with eight individual works of art".

    The jury was made up of executives from Empa, HSLU and Zug Estates . The audience award was won by Florence Schöb's “Vernetzt” project.

    NEST is the joint research and innovation building of Empa and the water research institute Eawag . Construction and energy technologies and materials are tested in the modular building. This is intended to promote the sustainable use of resources and energy.