immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: ErneuerbareEnergien

  • Regionalwerke AG Baden implements a construction project on the Limmat

    Regionalwerke AG Baden implements a construction project on the Limmat

    The Limmergy development project in the Obersiggenthal district of Rieden is making progress. For the construction project launched by Regionalwerke AG Baden , the participation procedure was carried out in February by resolution of the Obersiggenthal municipal council. This was completed on Monday so that planning can continue.

    To be built according to release the Regionalwerke Baden there on a slope with river access a "smart" buildings. Each letter stands for one of the five intentions that the future-oriented project should pursue: S stands for social, M for minimal, A for automatic, R for regional and T for typology – which means architecture in technical jargon.

    The project should have a pioneering character for a modern and sustainable development and meet the goal of the Energy Strategy 2050, with a reduction in energy consumption per person and year, according to the description of the project. Over the entire life cycle of the building, CO2 consumption should be reduced as much as possible, thus taking into account the net zero goal of Swiss climate policy. Photovoltaic roofs are supposed to produce more electricity than the 40 households in the project consume.

    This will also charge the two electric cars that will be available to tenants and can be booked via an app. In any case, community is very important in Limmergy, as can be seen from the company information. There will be a communal kitchen, a communal garden with a barbecue area and a factory lobby.

  • Schweizer Technologie looks after German tenant electricity systems

    Schweizer Technologie looks after German tenant electricity systems

    With tenant electricity systems, homeowners could supply their tenants with cheap electricity from renewable energy sources and, in return, amortize their systems faster, writes Smart-red GmbH ( smartRED ) in a press release . The requirements for billing tenant electricity specified in the German Energy Industry Act, however, discouraged many German homeowners from setting up tenant electricity systems. The joint venture between Zug-based smart-me AG and the German company ABM-Mess Service has provided a remedy here.

    With the cloud-based tenant electricity solution from SmartRED "effortlessly automated invoices" could be created, writes the company in the press release. For this, the tenant electricity systems are connected to the cloud via a WiFi interface or cellular network. The intelligent meters then provide you with real-time data for the control and optimization of the system and the creation of the billing.

    “One of the most important points in tenant electricity projects is billing in accordance with the law,” Bernd Bosch, managing director of Smart-Red GmbH, is quoted in the message. "It is also important to reduce the administrative effort as much as possible." The digital billing tool from SmartRED should enable both.

  • Conflicting goals slow down the expansion of solar energy

    Conflicting goals slow down the expansion of solar energy

    The expansion of domestic solar energy on roofs and facades is currently not progressing fast enough to achieve Switzerland's climate and energy policy goals. Because there is little space in Switzerland for large photovoltaic systems in open spaces, solar energy must also be harvested outside of settlements, write the Swiss Association for Solar Energy, Swissolar , and the Swiss Energy Foundation ( SES ) in a media release of the same name.

    "The greatest potential lies in buildings", David Stickelberger, managing director of Swissolar, is quoted there. "According to sonnendach.ch, 10 percent more electricity per year could be produced on suitable roofs and facades than Switzerland currently consumes." However, in view of the urgent need for action, it is difficult to tap this potential in good time.

    That is why the two organizations, in cooperation with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ), shed light on three areas outside of settlements where photovoltaic installations would be possible, but often cannot be implemented due to spatial planning obstacles: on noise barriers, in the agricultural zone and in the alpine area.

    These obstacles have to be removed, warns Felix Nipkow from the SES. That is why his foundation and Swissolar have commissioned the ZHAW to clarify conflicting goals with legal experts with regard to these three installation rooms and to identify solutions. All three reports were published by Dike Verlag . They can be downloaded from SES or ordered in printed form.

  • Wind energy project on the Chroobach is making progress

    Wind energy project on the Chroobach is making progress

    The Chroobach Windenergie project community consists of the two regional energy suppliers Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Schaffhausen AG ( EKS ) and SH POWER . Your goal is to exploit the potential for wind energy on the Chroobach. In total, it wants to produce 25 to 27 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity there per year, according to a press release . That is roughly twice as much electricity as is currently used by the population of the upper part of the canton each year.

    In 2019, the federal government approved the cantonal structure plan for wind energy. With the establishment of the wind energy area on the Chroobach in the municipality of Hemishofen, he laid an important basis for the project. According to the information, the planning work has been successfully advanced since then. The next step is to apply for a partial revision of the land use planning to the municipality of Hemishofen. The project community is already in dialogue with the community to discuss the next planning steps.

    The project community also wants the local population to participate in the new project. It should be able to participate in the wind farm with a wind share. The project group intends to publish further details on this "shortly".

  • Schneider Electric procures green electricity for VELUX

    Schneider Electric procures green electricity for VELUX

    The VELUX Group and the electrical engineering group Schneider Electric will enter into a partnership with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for renewable energies. According to a media release , Schneider Electric will support the VELUX Group with procurement as a full-service purchasing consultant.

    As it is also stated there, the VELUX Group has committed itself to achieving its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2023 and climate neutrality by 2030. In addition, the company is working on halving CO2 emissions in its entire value chain by 2030. At the same time, it will offset the group's entire historical carbon footprint, which dates back to its founding in 1941, through forest protection projects. These would be identified and managed by the WWF.

    When concluding a PPA, a company undertakes to purchase electricity over the long term at an agreed price. This helps the operators of wind and solar systems with their investments. Because PPAs can be deposited as security at banks and insurance companies.

    "We are committed to contributing to a sustainable future", says Jörn Neubert, Senior Vice President of Supply of the VELUX Group. “We are proud to be among the first companies in the world and to be the first company in the construction industry to take responsibility for past and future CO2 emissions. The partnership with Schneider Electric is an important part of that. "

  • Swiss Energypark achieves record production

    Swiss Energypark achieves record production

    Last year, the Swiss Energypark achieved a production record for the generation of energy from wind power, hydropower and solar power. The amount of energy is stated in a press release as 127 gigawatt hours. In mathematical terms, this corresponds to the consumption of 28,200 households.

    The Swiss Energypark, founded in 2016 on the initiative of Bern-based BKW Energie AG and the cantons of Bern and Jura, produces electricity in the Juvent wind power plant, the Mont-Soleil solar power plant and the La Goule hydropower plant on the Doubs. The region, which corresponds to the supply area of La Goule, was able to cover 86 percent of its needs with local renewable energy from sustainable sources, according to the announcement. Such a quota is unique in Switzerland at this level.

    In the communication from Energypark and BKW it is pointed out that the supplied region is suitable as a test field for future developments in energy supply. Because the energy mix of wind power, hydropower and solar energy leads to the compensation of underproduction in one of the sectors. The stable high-pressure weather in 2020 increased solar power production, while the yield from hydropower decreased due to the temporary low water of the Doubs.

    The Juvent wind power plant generated almost 85 gigawatt hours in 2020, which is the highest value ever achieved at a location in Switzerland and corresponds to the consumption of around 18,900 households. The forecasts made during construction in 2016 were exceeded by 20 percent.

  • Energie 360 ° is working on a power-to-gas solution

    Energie 360 ° is working on a power-to-gas solution

    Energie 360 ° and the gas storage company RAG Austria are working on making solar energy available all year round. Both are jointly pursuing the innovative power-to-gas project Underground Sun Conversion – Flexible Storage . It started in December 2020 has a term of two and a half years and is supported by the European Commission promoted . Field tests are already underway at the RAG research site in Pilsbach, Upper Austria.

    In this project, excess renewable energy, such as solar power in summer, is converted into hydrogen, explains Energie 360 ° in a press release . This is then stored together with carbon dioxide in natural underground storage at a depth of over 1000 meters. There, microorganisms combine hydrogen and carbon to form renewable methane gas. This energy can be used in the event of supply gaps, for example in winter. The advantage over pumped storage power plants or batteries lies in the much higher storage capacity and, at the same time, less surface area, according to Energie 360 °.

    In Switzerland, the two companies cooperate with the University of Bern , the University of Applied Sciences in Eastern Switzerland and the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ). "We are working together on the solution to one of the greatest challenges facing the energy system of the future: How do we advance volatile renewable energy sources such as sun and wind and at the same time offer year-round security of supply?", Says Andreas Kunz, Head of Energy Systems at Energie 360 °.

  • Axpo implements alpine solar systems with partners

    Axpo implements alpine solar systems with partners

    The large-scale solar system originally initiated by Axpo on the Muttsee dam is becoming the AlpinSolar joint project between Denner, Axpo and IWB . As everyone said in a press release of the same name, the energy suppliers Axpo and IWB will install and commission the largest alpine solar system in Switzerland in the summer. Almost 5,000 solar modules are to produce around 3.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year on the south-facing dam. Discounter Denner will take it off for 20 years.

    At 2500 meters above sea level, a lot of renewable energy can be generated even in the winter months. Since the system is installed on an existing dam, it is particularly environmentally friendly. This is another reason why AlpinSolar is “a system that the energy transition needs”.

    Nevertheless, “due to the lack of framework conditions, such systems are hardly economically feasible today”, regrets Axpo CEO Christoph Brand. “Nevertheless, we decided, together with strong partners, to implement this lighthouse project” and “to set an example”. "We see the project as an important contribution to the discussion for the upcoming legislative revisions."

    IWB, the energy supplier for the canton of Basel-Stadt, has a 49 percent share in the project. It goes well with the company, says IWB CEO Claus Schmidt, because "the expansion of electricity production from solar energy also in Switzerland" is part of its own strategy.

  • IWB takes a stake in Agro Energie Schwyz

    IWB takes a stake in Agro Energie Schwyz

    IWB continues to grow with renewable energies. According to its own information, it joins the heating network of Agro Energie Schwyz AG ( AES ). Since 2006, it has built a modern network of over 100 kilometers in the Schwyz valley basin with state-of-the-art production facilities. A wood-fired thermal power station , an ORC system and a biogas system supply around 1,500 customers. The aim of AES is to build and operate a regional, independent and CO2-neutral energy supply in the region. The operator also attaches great importance to local added value.

    IWB takes over shares from the largest shareholder, the Profond pension fund. Profond was looking for an investor with proven expertise in heat supply and a credible ecological focus. With this investment, IWB is following its strategy of decarbonising the heat supply, also outside the canton of Basel-Stadt.

    "Agro Energie Schwyz is an innovative, rapidly growing company with a clear focus on renewable energy supply," explains IWB CEO Dr. Claus Schmidt choosing his company. "As the operator of the largest Swiss district heating network, IWB can contribute its vast experience in the heating network and at the same time expand its leading position in renewable heating."

  • Siemens frees the Monte Rosa Hut from lead

    Siemens frees the Monte Rosa Hut from lead

    The 2883 meter high Monte Rosa Hut in the Valais Alps has been equipped by Siemens Switzerland with new batteries to store the self-generated solar power. The new hut, which was inaugurated in 2010 and replaced the old one from 1895, with its modern building services – also from Siemens – is a so-called high-tech hut. In the campaign that has now ended, the 48 old lead batteries with a total weight of 8.6 tons, which had reached the end of their useful life, were replaced by 14 lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP) with a capacity of 215 kilowatt hours , according to a media release. Installation and removal took place in cooperation with Air Zermatt AG .

    The Monte Rosa Hut is largely energy self-sufficient. A photovoltaic system is built into the south side of the hut. There are also thermal solar collectors. All data on building performance such as the solar power generated or the battery power have been fed into the Siemens building navigator since 2010. Because all technical systems are digitized, they can also be controlled remotely.

    The energy self-sufficiency of the hut is to be increased with the new battery solution, according to the Siemens announcement. The generator set for bad weather will also be relieved. With the new system, the energy supply of the Monte Rosa hut should be secured at any time of day and in any weather condition.

  • ETH model paves the way for the energy transition

    ETH model paves the way for the energy transition

    At the Energy Science Center ( ESC ) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ), an interdisciplinary research group is working on the Nexus-e platform. It is intended to help answer the fundamental questions that the energy transition that has been adopted will raise for politics, business, science and society now and in the years to come. The project is supported by the Federal Office for Energy .

    As a video from ETH shows, Nexus-e is supposed to map the entire complex Swiss electricity system. “In order to find solutions for the future, you need more flexibility,” project manager Marius Schwarz is quoted in an article by the ETH. "With Nexus-e we want to provide a platform with which we can model different scenarios and thus facilitate the transformation of the energy sector in the coming decades."

    This transparent platform is supposed to be a kind of toolbox. Its flexible modules are intended to represent the Swiss economy as a whole and the electricity market as well as the electricity market, investments in decentralized and centralized energy systems, network security and network expansion.

    It also serves as a modeling infrastructure that is continuously used in research and teaching. This will make it a modeling platform for interdisciplinary research within the university. But it should also be used outside as a test environment and further developed. "We are therefore open to new collaborations in the academic field, but also with political decision-makers or representatives from industry," said ESC director Christian Schaffner.

  • Biomass plant produces electricity and gas

    Biomass plant produces electricity and gas

    A team of researchers from the Group of Energy Materials ( GEM ) in Sion, which is part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ), conducted a two-year study on the optimal configuration of biomass systems. As EPFL is now reporting , they have developed a method by means of which local biomass flows can be integrated into power grids and gas pipelines.

    Your system can be used to generate and store electricity and natural gas. It can be particularly useful in conjunction with other local but weather-dependent renewable energy systems such as solar panels and wind farms by closing any gaps in electricity production. Their models were calculated on the basis of a Danish and an Italian case study.

    “Our goal was to develop an effective approach to grid balancing that relies more on renewable energies,” explains study leader Maria Perez Fortes. “Electricity is consumed when the supply is high (to store it as gas) and generated when the supply is low.” This is why the team decided to use reversible solid oxide cells, “the only technology that seamlessly between Can switch electricity and gas generation ".

    The GEM scientists specialize in this technology, which can both store electricity as methane (Power2Gas) and convert the methane back into electricity – with high yields in both directions. As stated in the communication, their method could optimize electricity and gas distribution networks and their coupling, ensure a continuous power supply and enable utilities to manage their systems more efficiently.

  • Frauenfeld gets wood power plant

    Frauenfeld gets wood power plant

    The energy and mobility service provider Energie 360 ° from Zurich and the Swiss company Zucker AG are jointly building a wood-fired thermal power station in Frauenfeld. From June 2022, it will supply electricity for around 8,000 households as well as heat for the sugar factory and the Frauenfeld West heating network. For this purpose, the two companies will found Bioenergie Frauenfeld AG. In a press release of the same name, they emphasize that this wood-fired thermal power station is "climate-positive".

    Wood gas is obtained from wood in a thermochemical process. This gas drives engines that produce renewable electricity from it. This thermochemical process produces recyclable biochar. This means that around 9,000 tons of CO2 stored in the wood would not be released each year, but instead permanently withdrawn from the atmosphere.

    The heart of the power plant will be supplied and installed by the Tyrolean company Syncraft. According to the press release, their proprietary and patented technology is one of the most efficient in the industry.

    "On the one hand, our company wants to diversify," says Guido Stäger, CEO of Schweizer Zucker AG, "on the other hand, we are making our production processes more sustainable. From 2022, the wood-fired power station will contribute to both goals. "

  • Bluefactory implements an innovative energy and water concept

    Bluefactory implements an innovative energy and water concept

    The Bluefactory Friborg-Freiburg AG will implement an exemplary concept at the location of its low-carbon innovation quarter in the middle of Freiburg from spring. It is supposed to control their energy and water flows. She developed it together with the energy supplier Groupe E and SINEF AG , which focuses on water, energy and industrial pipelines. According to a statement from Groupe E, the first phase of implementation is estimated at CHF 11 million. The concept can also be used in other quarters.

    For this purpose, the supply networks to be created should optimally use the local natural resources – Pilettes source, geothermal energy, sun – and the facilities located in the vicinity such as water storage tanks, sewer pipes, cable ducts and the district heating network. All of this is aimed at a circular economy. It is intended to reduce the district's energetic and ecological footprint and promote biodiversity. Last but not least, users should also feel comfortable with it.

    Groupe E will implement an energy concept based on the principle of heat exchange at low temperatures. The thermal energy comes directly from the ground, from the Pilettes source, as well as from rainwater and sewage. Peak loads are covered by the nearby Freiburg district heating system. Photovoltaic systems provide the daily electricity.

    The concept for water management developed by SINEF AG enables the reintroduction of a more natural water cycle in the city center. Rainwater, for example, is collected and wastewater is cleaned on site. Collected water is used for flushing toilets, cleaning and irrigation. Urine-based fertilizer is produced on site.

  • EZL increases the proportion of biogas

    EZL increases the proportion of biogas

    Energie Zürichsee Linth introduced a proportion of biogas in its basic gas supply years ago, the utility company informed in a press release . Now EZL has increased this share to 20 percent biogas, it says there. For the customer, however, this is not associated with a price increase. He simply gets “an ecologically better product” with the same heat output.

    In the catchment area of EZL, customers could also “drive in a particularly environmentally friendly way,” explains the utility company in the press release. All filling stations here offer 100 percent biogas. At a current price of CHF 1.05 per liter, customers would benefit “twice”, writes EZL. On the one hand, the price is around 30 percent below that of gasoline. And on the other hand, they are CO2-free on the road with biogas.

    EZL operates its own plant for processing biogas at the Obersee wastewater treatment plant in Schmerikon SG. According to the company, the biogas produced there is enough for more than 500 vehicles with an annual mileage of around 15,000 kilometers a year.

  • City of Zurich liquidates Fernwärme Zürich AG

    City of Zurich liquidates Fernwärme Zürich AG

    The waste incineration plant Josefstrasse has reached the end of its service life and will therefore be shut down on March 31, the civil engineering and waste disposal department of the city of Zurich informed in a message . The area managed by the Josefstrasse plant will in future be supplied with district heating from the Hagenholz plant via a new connection line, it said.

    The Josefstrasse cogeneration plant has been operated by the City of Zurich together with Energie Baden-Württemberg AG ( EnBW ) since 2011. The municipal service department ERZ Disposal + Recycling Zurich was responsible for operations. EnBW was responsible for the procurement of waste in neighboring countries. The two partners founded Fernwärme Zürich AG (FWZ) for the joint operation of the waste-to-energy plant.

    With the closure of the Josefstrasse plant, the two partners are now ending their cooperation. As previously contractually agreed, the City of Zurich is therefore buying up EnBW's 40 percent stake in FWZ. The notification puts the purchase price at 480,000 francs. Following the complete takeover by the City of Zurich, the FWZ is to be liquidated.

  • Aventron and HIAG found solar company

    Aventron and HIAG found solar company

    Aventron and HIAG team up: Their new joint company, HIAG Solar AG, wants to expand the production of solar power on the roofs of HIAG properties in the long term. HIAG holds 49 percent of the joint venture, aventron 51 percent. Aventron CEO Antoine Millioud finds an “optimal connection”: “HIAG has very large roof areas in Switzerland and aventron has proven expertise in the planning, implementation and operation of high-performance solar systems.”

    As stated in a press release from HIAG, HIAG Solar AG wants to become a major solar power producer in Switzerland in the medium term and gradually expand its capacity. 65,000 square meters of space are currently available for photovoltaic modules. They should generate around 10 mega-watt peak power.

    The aim is to produce 10 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. This corresponds to a CO2 equivalent saving of 4.2 million tons. The first four systems are already being planned. They should start operating this year and next.

  • Repower is investing in German wind farms with partners

    Repower is investing in German wind farms with partners

    At the beginning of the year, Repower expanded its portfolio of wind turbines in Germany, the Graubünden energy supplier informed in apress release . Specifically, Repower has taken over the Berlar wind farm in North Rhine-Westphalia. The plant with five turbines and a total output of 7.5 megawatts is expected to produce around 14.4 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. The notification does not provide any information about the purchase price.

    According to the announcement, the Graubünden energy supplier already operates a number of wind farms in Italy and Germany. The new acquisition is to be integrated into the German Repartner Wind GmbH. The company is wholly owned by Bündner Repartner Produktions AG , which is 51 percent majority owned by Repower. The trucks hold the largest minority share with 10.39 percent.

    Via Repartner Produktions AG, Repower wants to offer its shareholders “access to diversified, renewable electricity production”, according to the announcement. In addition to Repower and LKW, other Swiss energy companies are involved in Repartner Produktions AG, including Eniva, WWZ and the electricity works of the Canton of Zurich (EKZ).

    “This stake is an absolute gain for LKW,” said Gerald Marxer, CEO of LKW, in a separate announcement from LKW on the takeover of the wind farm. "On the one hand, we can increase our own production and, on the other hand, we are investing in renewable production technologies in accordance with our strategy."

  • Aare power plant in Klingnau generates more electricity

    Aare power plant in Klingnau generates more electricity

    The Aare power plant in Klingnau produced a total of 202 million kilowatt hours of electricity last year, according to a media release . This corresponds roughly to the consumption of 45,000 four-person households. Production was higher than in the previous year due to slightly higher discharge volumes. At that time, the power plant had produced 186 million kilowatt hours of electricity.

    The Aare power plant in Klingnau is 60 percent owned by the Baden-based energy company Axpo . The remaining shares belong to AEW Energie AG , based in Aarau. The annual costs borne by the partners in 2020 totaled 9.7 million francs, which is slightly below the costs of the previous year (10 million francs). The production costs were around 4.78 cents per kilowatt hour.

    The Board of Directors of Aarekraftwerk Klingnau AG has approved the annual report and the accounts for the 2019/20 financial year, according to the information, at the beginning of the week for the attention of the General Meeting. This will take place on March 12th.

  • Cantonal court rejects objections to the wind farm

    Cantonal court rejects objections to the wind farm

    The Cantonal Court of Neuchâtel gives the green light to the Montagne de Buttes wind farm . It rejected all objections to the Verrivent SA project. The plaintiffs can now appeal.

    In an identical media release, wind farm operator Verrivent and its half owner, the energy supplier Groupe E Greenwatt , welcome the positive signal. "The decision shows how important the Montagne de Buttes project is for the future of an entire region," Verrivent Chairman of the Board of Directors Alain Sapin is quoted in the press release. The other half of the share capital of Verrivent SA is held by Services Industriels de Genève (SIG). It is planned to open up the share capital to the community in the long term.

    According to the notification, this judicial decision follows a decision of the Neuchâtel government council. In May 2019, he dealt with all objections to the public edition of the cantonal map. The wind farm is part of this plan. In addition, the canton decided on December 28, 2020 to reject all appeals filed in June 2016 against building permit applications in the three affected municipalities of Val-de-Travers, Les Verrières and La Côte-aux-Fées.

    The Montagne de Buttes wind farm with 19 wind turbines is to be built on this site. With an annual electricity production of around 100 million kilowatt hours, it should cover 10 percent of the current annual electricity consumption in the canton and save 180,000 tons of CO2 per year. The investments amount to 140 million francs.

  • SUSI Partners acquires majority in Genera Group

    SUSI Partners acquires majority in Genera Group

    The Zug-based fund manager SUSI Partners has bought a majority stake in the Italian energy service provider Genera Group through its SUSI Energy Transition Fund. According to a press release from SUSI Partners, this is the first equity investment in the energy efficiency sector. It follows on from a longstanding business relationship between the two parties.

    Genera Holding is headquartered in Rome. It is primarily active in Italy, but is expanding increasingly, also outside of Europe. The participation of SUSI and the associated long-term partnership guarantee financing security for the further expansion of the "already considerable project pipeline".

    The SUSI Energy Transition Fund received capital commitments of 300 million euros in the first closing in July 2020. He invests in sustainable energy infrastructure to finance the energy transition.

  • Battery project aims to make sea transport more sustainable

    Battery project aims to make sea transport more sustainable

    The Current Direct project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in maritime transport by up to 482,000 tons of CO2 equivalents annually, explains Blackstone Resources in a press release . The Zug-based battery expert is one of a total of 13 partners who launched the Energy as a Service project. The European Union supports Current Direct through its Horizon 2020 research program.

    Blackstone Resources is contributing lithium-ion battery cells produced using 3D printing to the project. According to the announcement, state-of-the-art materials are used in their production, which reduce the costs of production. In addition, the materials used can be recycled.

    Overall, Current Direct aims to halve the cost of battery-powered ship propulsion systems. The Energy as a Service model also relieves ship owners of their capital costs. Current Direct thus offers “energy companies, institutional investors and state actors a mechanism to participate in the green transformation of the European merchant and passenger fleet,” writes the Zug-based battery expert.

  • Meyer Burger receives German funding

    Meyer Burger receives German funding

    Meyer Burger wants to produce heterojunction solar cells at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen site in Saxony-Anhalt, the technology group from Thun informs in a press release . A new facility is to be set up there for this purpose. Saxony-Anhalt and the Federal Republic of Germany support Meyer Burger's plans with grants of up to 22.5 million euros. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems had certified that Meyer Burger's technology had significant environmental benefits.

    "We are pleased about the environmental aid in a significant amount", CEO Gunter Erfurt is quoted in the message. "It proves that our heterojunction technology is not only more efficient, but also more environmentally friendly than conventional solar cell technologies."

    The company was able to receive the positive notifications about the donations as early as the end of 2020, the communication further explains. An annual production capacity of 1.4 gigawatts is stated there as a prerequisite for the payment. The expansion of capacities to the required 1.4 gigawatts is to be financed with borrowed capital and implemented as quickly as possible. Meyer Burger writes that the group is confident that it will be able to meet this requirement.

    Meyer Burger plans to produce 0.4 gigawatts of solar cells in Bitterfeld-Wolfen this year. They are processed into solar modules at the Freiberg site in Saxony.

  • Edisun Power's largest solar system is on the grid

    Edisun Power's largest solar system is on the grid

    The Edisun Power Group's Modouro photovoltaic system was connected to the electricity grid last week. According to a press release, this so far largest system of the solar power producer in the north-east of Portugal will produce around 80 million kilowatt hours of energy annually on an area of over 65 hectares. This corresponds to the annual requirement of around 20,000 people.

    Mogadouro is Edisun Power's first so-called merchant system: it was built without government subsidies or guarantees. The electricity produced is sold on the market. In order to secure the income in the first few years, a power purchase agreement with fixed-price purchase obligations was agreed with a Portuguese electricity trader.

    With the network connection, the group has reached “a major milestone”, the message continues. Thus, she is on track with regard to the growth strategy announced in 2019. She is also pushing the development of four other Portuguese projects with a total capacity of 150 megawatts “at full speed”.

  • Canton Uri increases stake in EWA-energieUri

    Canton Uri increases stake in EWA-energieUri

    As part of its energy strategy, the canton of Uri is aiming for a long-term majority stake in EWA-energieUri , inform the canton, EWA-energieUri and Centralschweizische Kraftwerke AG ( CWK ) in a joint message . In the coming years, the canton's participation in the energy and water supplier is to be expanded from the current 29 to 40 percent. To this end, the canton of Uri wants to take over a stake from CKW.

    A corresponding agreement has already been signed by the three partners, the message goes on to say. It regulates the acquisition of further shares by the canton in the course of awarding water rights concessions.

    Specifically, the canton of Uri is initially to receive a further 5 percent of the shares in EWA-energieUri when the Lucendro shares in Uri are awarded. The license is due to be renewed in 2024. The canton of Uri will transfer its shares in the Lucendro power plant to EWA-energieUri and in return will receive shares in the Uri energy supplier. The allocation of the shares from the Ritom, Wassen and Amsteg power plants to EWA-energieUri is intended to bring in a further 6 percent of the Uri energy supplier for the canton. The shares are assigned to the canton by CWK.

  • Methanology relies on crowd financing

    Methanology relies on crowd financing

    Methanology has developed a process with which methanol can be produced from water, CO2 and renewable electricity, explains Methanology in a press release. With the patented willpower energy technology, excess energy from renewable sources can be stored in the form of methanol. Alcohol, which is toxic to humans, is suitable as fuel for machines or as a substitute for heating oil. The young company from Neuhausen am Rheinfall wants to contribute to the energy transition with its technology.

    A prototype of the willpower energy reactor developed by Methanology can be found as a single system in most basement rooms, the start-up writes in the press release. Its modular and scalable design also enables the production of larger quantities of methanol, such as would be necessary for the operation of a ship, for example. Methanology aims to bring its technology to market maturity within three years. For the appropriate development of the prototypes, the young company now has a campaign for swarm financing launched.

  • CKW submits a license application for a hydropower plant

    CKW submits a license application for a hydropower plant

    CKW has submitted the concession and building application for the Waldemme small hydropower plant in Flühli LU to the Canton of Lucerne. In the past few months, the project has been revised with the involvement of environmental protection organizations, as CKW writes in a press release. In contrast to the original plan, the Lammschlucht gorge, among other things, is to remain untouched.

    According to CKW's plans, the power plant is to be completed by 2023. It should have an output of 1.4 megawatts and produce around 6.5 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. According to the information, this will cover the needs of around 1,500 four-person households. CKW expects an investment sum of around 13 million francs.

    With the investment, CKW is "making a contribution to a secure and sustainable energy supply" and "taking care of orders for the Lucerne economy", says CKW CEO Martin Schwab. The major part of the order volume will remain in the canton of Lucerne.

    Government Councilor Fabian Peter (FDP) welcomes the project. “The canton of Lucerne must also make its contribution to the energy transition in 2050 and to achieving the climate targets. There is potential for this in the field of renewable energies that should be used and promoted with suitable framework conditions ”, he is quoted in the communication from CKW.

  • GOFAST and fast food go together

    GOFAST and fast food go together

    The Swiss fast charging provider GOFAST is launching a project together with McDonald's Switzerland to expand the charging infrastructure for e-cars. According to a press release , a total of 90 new charging stations for electric vehicles are to be built at numerous locations in the fast-food chain. The fact that GOFAST was able to win a new partner in McDonald's Switzerland is a real stroke of luck for the steeply growing number of e-car drivers, says Domenic Lanz, Managing Director of the e-mobility company GOFAST, which was founded in 2016. GOFAST is an abbreviation for GOtthard FASTcharge AG based in Zurich.

    The usual charging time of 20 to 30 minutes for a range of – depending on the model and the charging capacity of the batteries – around 300 kilometers can be used while eating in the restaurant. With GOFAST HPC chargers (high-power charging), e-car drivers can recharge their vehicle with outputs of up to 150 kilowatts, the message explains. Ideally, a range of up to 150 kilometers could be achieved in ten minutes. Only Swiss electricity from renewable energies is used for charging.

    The expansion begins at the McDonald's restaurants at the Martigny motorway exit with six loading spaces. The next stops are the McDrives in Hinwil, Kölliken, La Tour-de-Trême and Lugano. Aglaë Strachwitz, Managing Director of McDonald's Switzerland, is quoted in the press release: “We at McDonald's have been committed to the environment together for years. Our logistics partner drives with biodiesel and biogas, made from our kitchen waste. We rely on the train as a means of transport, for electricity on hydropower and now increasingly on fast charging stations for our guests. "

  • Replacement modules from several solar technicians form a new system

    Replacement modules from several solar technicians form a new system

    In St.Gallen, several solar technicians have collected the remaining modules from photovoltaic systems that have already been implemented. Now they are jointly producing solar power on the roof of the building called Lattich at the St.Gallen freight yard. The unusual project, about which the city of St.Gallen reported in a media release , provides solar energy for ten four-person households.

    This photovoltaic system is a joint project of the St.Galler Stadtwerke (sgsw) and five solar energy companies that have the Swisssolar quality label Solarprofi: Helion , Etavis Grossenbacher AG , Grob AG Gebäudehüllen, Huber + Monsch AG and solarmotion GmbH . They all delivered the solar modules that were no longer needed. They planned and created the system together with SGSW.

    In return for their contribution to the project, the partners involved receive solar power units on the Lattich roof and thus benefit from a credit on their electricity bills. Solar power units from the St.Gallen Solar Community are still available to the public on the roof of the Lerchenfeld ice rink.

  • Leclanché is building the largest solar system in the Caribbean

    Leclanché is building the largest solar system in the Caribbean

    The energy storage company Leclanché , together with the government of the Caribbean island state of St. Kitts and Nevis and the state-owned Electric Company ( SKELEC ), broke ground “for a groundbreaking project”. As stated in a press release by the energy storage company, the largest solar power generation and storage system in the Caribbean is to be built on 102 hectares of land owned by the government over the next 18 months. In the first year of operation, it will generate around 61,300 megawatt hours of electricity.

    The $ 70 million microgrid project is being built by Leclanché. It should also represent a model project for other island states. Together with the most important subcontractor, the Spanish Grupotec , the Valais company will provide a turnkey solar plus storage solution. Leclanché will operate the facility through its subsidiary SOLEC Power Ltd. as part of its strategic build, ownership and operation model. with partner Solrid Ltd. own and operate.

    Up until now, tankers have been delivering diesel fuel on a weekly basis. According to the announcement, Prime Minister Timothy Harris described the project as a milestone for his country, tourism, the economy and the entire Caribbean region: "This visionary project will help ensure our energy independence." Tons of “save carbon dioxide emissions.

    Together they designed a system on site that saves SKELEC costly upfront investments, says Leclanché managing director Anil Srivastava: As part of a 20-year power purchase agreement, Leclanché will sell clean, renewable energy to SKELEC at a flat rate over this entire period.