immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: klima

  • Canton of Zurich launches new shop for geodata

    Canton of Zurich launches new shop for geodata

    The Office for Spatial Development of the Canton of Zurich has developed a shop for geodata . According to a press release , users receive free access to spatial data in the canton of Zurich and can order them at the touch of a button.

    With the new shop solution, use-restricted, i.e. non-open data is now also being added. Previously, cantonal geodata sets were available to users free of charge as open authority data via the GIS browser maps.zh.ch or a geoservice and could only be called up manually.

    A total of over 500 products from the geographic information system can be viewed and ordered in the geodata shop, including data on buildings, air, noise and climate. Later, data on buildings and land, so-called object data from the ObjektwesenZH platform, will also be added.

  • Superblocks make cities more livable

    Superblocks make cities more livable

    A study by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) examined which cities have the potential to be transformed using superblocks. This means of urban planning can counteract increasing heat, noise and air pollution and dwindling green spaces due to climate change or population growth. Urban planning is key, study author Sven Eggimann is quoted in a statement by Empa: “The design and use of street space influences the quality of life of residents and has the potential to significantly improve the urban climate.”

    Barcelona is a model for the formation of superblocks. There, ideally, 3 by 3 blocks and their inner courtyards are combined into a super block. The development traffic is routed around the outside, the inside remains completely car-free. Instead of streets and parking lots, bicycle paths and footpaths, green areas and meeting zones will be created. In addition, heat-reducing measures can be implemented.

    According to Eggimann, the potential of this urban design is so high because streets make up a significant part of the total area in today’s urban areas. In European cities, this is typically between 15 and 25 percent.

    Eggimann calculated the superblock potential of individual cities with values between 1 percent and a third of the streets. Cities such as Mexico City, Madrid and Tokyo showed the greatest potential. However, according to Eggimann’s study, cities whose streets are laid out less grid-like than in Barcelona are also suitable for super blocks: “This offers the opportunity to make urban districts more attractive by putting people and not vehicles at the center.”

  • Shared micromobility harms the climate

    Shared micromobility harms the climate

    Shared micromobility is more harmful to the climate than expected. This is shown by a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ). This becomes clear if the evaluation of the climate impact of micromobility also includes how electric scooters and bicycles are actually used: “At first glance, e-scooters and e-bikes are climate-friendly because they do not have internal combustion engines,” says Daniel Jan Reck from the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems at ETH Zurich in a report by ETH. “Ultimately, however, what is decisive for their carbon footprint is which modes of transport they typically replace.”

    The transport researchers working with Reck were able to show in their study that shared e-scooters and e-bikes in the city of Zurich mainly replace sustainable modes of transport: walking, using local public transport and cycling. They do more harm than good to the climate. “I think the sharing principle makes sense,” said Reck. “With micromobility and its climate impacts, however, the situation actually seems to be the other way around.”

    The picture is different for privately used e-scooters and e-bikes. These replace more frequent journeys with one’s own car. This is why private micromobility reduces CO2 emissions “and benefits the climate on balance”. That is why it makes sense for authorities to promote commuting by means of private micromobility.

    For his research, Reck received the Young Researcher of the Year Award from the International Transport Forum of the OECD in summer 2021. The think tank of the industrialized countries, based in Paris, awards the prize to young researchers whose work is important in matters of transport policy.

  • Winterthur wants to become climate neutral by 2040

    Winterthur wants to become climate neutral by 2040

    The voters in Winterthur are in favor of a climate-neutral city by 2040. On November 28, two variants of a net zero for CO2 emissions were up for voting. One envisaged achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the second by 2040. In the key question, the variant prevailed by 2040, explains the city administration of Winterthur in a message .

    Net zero emissions mean that no more greenhouse gases are emitted than can be absorbed by natural and technical reservoirs at the same time. With climate neutrality by 2040, the city of Winterthur has set itself a more ambitious goal than the canton of Zurich and the federal government. Both aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

    In the referendum in Winterthur, 61.31 percent approved the option by 2040. The climate target of a net zero by 2050 was approved by 63.59 percent of the voters. In the key question, the goal of climate neutrality by 2040 prevailed with 60.41 percent of the votes.

  • Binningen steigert Anteil an erneuerbarer Wärmeenergie

    Binningen steigert Anteil an erneuerbarer Wärmeenergie

    Primeo Energie hat beim Schulhaus Spiegelfeld in Binningen eine neue Pelletheizanlage in Betrieb genommen, informiert der Baselbieter Energieversorger mit Sitz in Münchenstein in einer Mitteilung. Die neue Anlage ersetzt ein veraltetes erdgasbetriebenes Blockheizkraftwerk. Mit der Umstellung auf die Pelletheizung steige der Anteil an Wärmeenergie aus erneuerbaren Quellen in Binningen auf 35 Prozent, schreibt Primeo Energie.

    Diesen Anteil wollen Gemeindeverwaltung und Energieversorger zukünftig auf 70 Prozent ausbauen. Dazu sei geplant, die Abwasserwärme auf dem Hauptwasserkanal in der Baslerstrasse und dem Birsig zu nutzen, heisst es in der Mitteilung. Zeitgleich werde Primeo Energie in den Ausbau und die Verdichtung des Wärmenetzes investieren, um weiteren Interessierten den Anschluss zu ermöglichen.

    Zudem engagiert sich Primeo Energie beim Klimaschutz im Gebäudebereich. Zusammen mit dem kantonalen Förderprogramm für Energieeffizienz und erneuerbare Energie im Gebäudebereich unterstütze das Unternehmen „die Transformation des Gebäudeparks in Richtung Klimaneutralität“, schreibt Primeo Energie. Mit dem Baselbieter Energiepaket werden die Sanierung von Altbauten, neue Methoden der Wärmeproduktion und energieeffiziente Neubauten gefördert.

  • "The Energy Act takes us a decisive step further in terms of climate protection"

    "The Energy Act takes us a decisive step further in terms of climate protection"

    What topics do you deal with as the head of the building department of the canton of Zurich?
    Martin Neukom: As a member of the government, I have many different tasks. On the one hand, I lead the construction department with around 1,800 employees. On the other hand, I am a member of the seven-member government, which deals with the important political business from all directorates. As the construction director, I deal with very different topics, from noise protection to agriculture and waste management. Among other things, it is this variety of topics that makes my work exciting.

    How many construction projects are you currently working on?
    There are around 700 construction projects – from the roof renovation of a school building to the PJZ police and justice center, which is currently one of the largest construction sites in Switzerland. We do nature conservation and water protection projects as well as the maintenance of the 1500 kilometers of state roads in the canton. Through spatial planning, we influence development, protect the cultivated land and shape the appearance of the canton.

    To what extent do you benefit from your engineering degree and your master’s degree in solar energy systems for your work as head of the canton’s building management?
    The exchange with the experts in the building department is exciting and enriching. My scientific background helps me understand numerous topics and projects, for example in the energy or environmental protection sector, but also in the construction sector.

    What are the most important construction projects that are currently running in the cantons or that will start in the near future?
    These include the police and justice center as well as the Zurich Center university area with its new buildings for the university and the upgrading of public spaces. The laying of the foundation stone for the Winterthur district facility is planned for this November.

    Several construction projects are underway at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). Where do you see the greatest challenges and progress here?
    Building in existing structures is a major challenge here. In addition, the space in the densely built-up Winterthur must be used optimally. Various projects have already been successfully completed, for example the university library.

    According to a survey, less than half of homeowners have looked at alternatives to oil and gas when it comes to replacing heating
    The subject of energy is very important to you. The CO2 law failed in the last vote at the ballot box. The canton of Zurich will vote on the energy law in autumn. What goals do you want to achieve with this new law? What are the key issues for residential and commercial property owners?
    With the amendment to the Energy Act, the Canton of Zurich is creating an important basis for effective climate protection in the building sector. In the future, oil and gas heating systems will have to be replaced by climate-neutral heating systems at the end of their service life. In order to avoid high costs and hardship cases, there are exceptions. The canton’s financial contributions to climate-neutral heating will be increased to make the switch easier.

    The homeowners association of the Canton of Zurich has called the referendum. The HEV advocates voluntariness and personal responsibility instead of coercion and regulations. In addition, the HEV says that homeowners have long been assuming their responsibility. How do you react to these arguments?
    Today more than every second oil or gas heater is replaced by a new oil or gas heater at the end of its service life. This means that the canton is not achieving its climate targets. According to a survey in the city of Zurich, less than half of homeowners have looked at alternatives to oil and gas when it comes to replacing heating. In order to achieve the climate targets, binding rules are needed for the replacement of heating systems. The Energy Act takes us a decisive step further in terms of climate protection.

    How confident are you that there will be a YES this time?
    The population in the canton of Glarus has just approved an even more ambitious energy law than we are putting it to the vote in the canton of Zurich. In addition, the canton of Zurich has approved the CO2 law with over 55 percent. I am confident. But it is definitely not going to be a walk, on the contrary.

    The city of Zurich seems to be on track in terms of climate technology. The picture is different in the canton. How do you sensitize the rest of the canton of Zurich to the energy issue?
    It is now more about acting than about raising awareness. The Energy Act would bring us a lot further here.

    When it comes to financial support for solar systems, the canton of Zurich does poorly in a Swiss comparison. When and how do you intend to change that?
    There is indeed a need for action here, and we are working intensively on it. In addition, the Cantonal Council has instructed the Government Council to work out a corresponding template by 2022.

    What does your solution in the mobility sector look like?
    Here, too, net zero must be the goal. This means that there must be no environmentally harmful emissions. The era of fossil internal combustion engines has passed. The sooner they are replaced, the better for the climate and thus for us and future generations. Good cooperation with the Department of Economics, which is in the lead in mobility, is also important to me here.

    Most cantons rely on architects for their master builders. You have appointed Beat Pahud as the new cantonal master builder on August 1, 2021. Critics complain that he did not complete a degree in architecture. What do you reply to them?
    The management of the structural engineering department with its 150 employees does not require a degree in architecture. What it takes: a strong leader with a lot of know-how in the construction sector. Beat Pahud is the ideal cast for this.

  • Canton of Zurich combats overheating of the settlement area

    Canton of Zurich combats overheating of the settlement area

    The canton of Zurich wants to reduce the heat load in the canton’s settlement areas. To this end, the canton is making a new website called Heat in the settlement area available, informs the canton administration in a message . The site offers an interactive tool with which the current climate situation for any area can be analyzed. The website also has recommendations and specific measures against overheating for any further development of the selected area.

    In addition, examples of climate-adapted settlement development are presented on the new website. 18 possible measures are shown with which the climatic situation in urban planning, buildings and open spaces can be improved.

    The canton also provides a digital application that can be used to examine and visualize measurement data on the air temperature from around 50 locations in the canton, explains the cantonal administration. For this purpose, the application is based on a measuring network operated by the cantonal office for waste, water, energy and air for two years. The digital tool is intended to contribute to a better analysis of heat waves and the effect of urban development measures on heat reduction.

  • Also new for heat pumps: Switzerland-wide climate bonus for replacing oil and gas heating systems is being expanded

    Also new for heat pumps: Switzerland-wide climate bonus for replacing oil and gas heating systems is being expanded

    Switzerland-wide funding with no upper limit
    This is exactly where Energie Zukunft Schweiz comes in: The climate bonus is a large-scale, Switzerland-wide funding program with no maximum amount and is expected to run until 2025. The climate bonus for wood heating systems launched in August 2020 has hit the nerve of the times: a total of around 600 funding requests have been received since then.

    Fossil heating with a total output of 12 MW is already being replaced with the help of the climate premium. For a heating center for eight apartment buildings with an output of 316 kW, for example, a subsidy of CHF 110,000 was spoken, which covered around 60% of the investment costs. With this system alone, 56,000 liters of heating oil can be saved per year, which corresponds to emissions of around 125 tons of CO₂.

    Even more attractive thanks to the expansion to include heat pumps
    Following the successful launch for wood heating systems, Energie Zukunft Schweiz is now expanding the program to include heat pumps. The subsidy for water / water and brine / water heat pumps is 1.80 francs per liter of oil or cubic meter of natural gas saved. For an air / water heat pump, the amount is 1 franc. With correctly dimensioned heating, that is around 360 francs for a brine / water heat pump and 200 francs per kilowatt of power for an air / water heat pump.

    Energie Zukunft Schweiz provides an online subsidy calculator to estimate the expected subsidy amount. The funding is financed by the KliK Foundation for Climate Protection and CO₂ Compensation. The program is regulated by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN.

    Funding contributions for all areas – also for public buildings, office buildings and industrial companies
    The fact that there is no upper limit for funding and not only for the residential sector makes the program for large-scale heating systems – for example for community buildings, process heat in industrial companies, apartment blocks, large commercial or office buildings or entire areas – particularly attractive. A substantial proportion of the investment costs are covered and complex, multivalent systems are also eligible for funding.

    Decarbonization is accelerating
    Renewable heating systems offer many advantages: They not only protect the climate by significantly reducing CO2 emissions, they also have a positive influence on the image and value of real estate. With the generous subsidies for wood heating systems and heat pumps and the uniform processing throughout Switzerland, the climate bonus accelerates the decarbonisation of heating systems in Switzerland significantly. The investment costs are massively reduced. The dilemma that climate-damaging technologies are preferred for reasons of cost has thus been overcome.

  • AKB Green Hypothek saves tons of CO2

    AKB Green Hypothek saves tons of CO2

    The Aargauische Kantonalbank has set itself the goal of becoming the most sustainable bank in the canton of Aargau for its strategy period from 2021 to 2024. To this end, the Green Mortgage and the Green Bond were launched in 2020. Now the AKB has had the effect of the green financing offers on the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of buildings examined.

    In the Impact Reporting of the Information and Training Center for Real Estate AG (IAZI), according to the AKB media release, the total annual savings in CO2 emissions are around 232 tonnes. According to the IAZI test report, the calculation is based on a list of 93 homes that were financed with the help of the AKB Green Mortgage in the year under review or granted as earmarked loans for sustainable renovation measures. The IAZI report was audited by EY's auditors.

    The 232 tonnes of CO2 savings in the projections of the IAZI test report correspond to the annual emissions of around 190 new, commercially available passenger cars, according to the report. Or they correspond to the average annual Swiss consumption of 16 individuals.

    The promotion of environmentally friendly construction leads to emission reductions in buildings, is stated in the AKB communication. With the Green Mortgage, AKB offers environmentally conscious property owners the opportunity to build or renovate their own home according to climate-friendly criteria. The financing takes place through a green bond that the AKB has issued.

    The Kantonalbank points out that, in addition to new buildings and individual measures to save energy, the Green Mortgage also covers comprehensive renovations to increase energy efficiency or the use of renewable energies.

  • CO2 reduction is driving the real estate market

    CO2 reduction is driving the real estate market

    In an interview , the new Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Herzog Kull Group Holding AG ( HKG ) puts buildings, structural measures and sustainable building management in the focus of the discussion about reducing CO2 emissions. "With increasing penalties for CO2 emissions, owners of real estate portfolios are increasingly coming under pressure," Beat Huber is quoted as saying. Investors, but also tenants, would place higher demands on energy efficiency and ecological energy supply. Electricity from your own roof and ecological heat supply would be standard in many buildings in the future.

    Huber, who is a proven energy specialist, expects that the new CO2 law will certainly accelerate development in Switzerland. Because of the lower energy costs here compared to other countries, cost savings were not a particular issue in the past. That has changed due to the pressure to save CO2. In Switzerland there are currently a lot of efforts, new services and companies around the topic of building technology.

    In Huber's opinion, financial incentives or taxes in the event of excessively high CO2 values will mean that in the future a property with a solar system and ecological heat supply will no longer be a particularly attractive offer. Instead, you will be “punished by investors and tenants if you cannot offer or have implemented this,” Huber is quoted as saying. These expectations will trigger many investments in real estate and areas. “Large property portfolio owners are currently analyzing their properties with regard to reducing CO2 and making funds available.” He sees great potential for corresponding services, such as those already offered by HKG.

  • Lausanne bans combustion engines from 2030

    Lausanne bans combustion engines from 2030

    The city of Lausanne presented its climate plan for 2050 on Thursday. Its motto is “0% CO2, 100% solidarity”. The climate goals are to be flanked by strong social measures, for example for tenants and users of public transport. As stated in a communication from the city administration, they want to lead “a real debate” on the most important goals and measures with “broad-based consultations and participatory processes”.

    From 2030, Lausanne will ban all vehicles with internal combustion engines from the urban area. In the course of this, the city administration is proposing a significant reduction in local public transport tariffs as well as an expansion of the pedestrian zone in the center and main bicycle routes from every point of the compass into the city center.

    In addition, the annual renovation rate for old buildings is to be increased from 1 to 3.3 percent. Gas and oil heating systems are to be replaced gradually. In order to achieve CO2 neutrality of buildings by 2050, investments of 1 billion Swiss francs are necessary. At the same time, studies would be carried out, for example to analyze the effects of a building renovation policy on rents. Strong social measures must ensure that climate policy is supported by the entire population.

    The area of the leaves of trees is expected to grow by 50 percent by 2040. "The resilient city of the 21st century will then be lavishly landscaped," says the message. Overall, direct greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall by 49 percent by 2030 and by 71 percent by 2040. The goal of zero emissions is to be achieved in 2050.

    The implementation of this policy will change the city radically, so the city leaders. In order to be successful, it must become a collective project and should not leave out any population groups.

  • City of Zurich wants to reduce heat

    City of Zurich wants to reduce heat

    The city of Zurich is reacting to the heat waves of the past summer and wants to arm the city for future temperature-related stresses. On the one hand, measures are planned to be implemented in new construction projects. And on the other hand, the principle of the sponge city is to be implemented in pilot projects, as can be seen in a communication.

    This principle was developed to minimize flooding. To this end, rainfalls in the city are to be held back like a sponge and only gradually channeled into the water and groundwater. However, this principle is also intended to reduce global warming in Zurich. To this end, part of the Giessereistrasse in Zurich has been converted in a pilot project. For the sponge city principle, many factors such as the gradient of the road, the road surface, permeable curbs and lockable mud collectors must be taken into account. The aim is to ensure that rainwater only runs into the sewer system in winter. In the rest of the year, it should be diverted into the vegetation, where it slowly evaporates and thus contributes to cooling. At the end of the structural work, nine new trees have now been planted.

    The project, which will cost 680,000 francs, is currently designed for the period up to 2024. The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) ensures scientific monitoring.

  • Switzerland must accelerate the energy transition

    Switzerland must accelerate the energy transition

    Switzerland has set itself less ambitious goals for the energy transition up to 2020 and is likely to achieve them. This is shown by the third monitoring report by the Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ). After that, the new renewable energies achieved an electricity production of 4186 gigawatt hours in 2019. The SFOE writes in a press release that the target of 4400 gigawatt hours in 2020 is within reach. But if the guideline value of 11,400 gigawatt hours is to be achieved in 2035, the annual additions must amount to an average of 451 gigawatt hours, one and a half times as much as in the past decade.

    The final energy consumption per capita is similar: the reduction target of minus 16 percent by 2020 compared to 2000 was already achieved in 2016. By 2019, minus 19.1 percent was achieved. But if the benchmark for 2035 of minus 43 percent is to be achieved, then the average annual decline would have to be minus 2.2 percent. In the past decade it was only minus 1.4 percent.

    The Energy Perspectives 2050+ published at the same time by the SFOE came to the conclusion that if Switzerland continued with the existing practice, it would fall far short of its climate target in the long term. Switzerland has committed itself to reducing its CO2 emissions to net zero by 2050. But with a “keep it up” it comes to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 30 percent compared to 2020.

    However, the Energy Perspectives 2050+ assume that Switzerland can achieve its climate target with the technologies that are already available or currently being developed. The investment requirement would be only 8 percent higher than a continuation of the previous practice, according to a BFE announcement . If the current practice were retained, a total of CHF 1,400 billion would have to be invested in energy infrastructure, systems, devices and vehicles by 2050. If the net zero climate target is to be achieved, it would be a good 1,500 billion Swiss francs.

  • Climate Foundation Switzerland supports innovative projects

    Climate Foundation Switzerland supports innovative projects

    The Swiss Climate Foundation has distributed a total of 1.3 million francs in funding. Small and medium-sized companies that make a contribution to climate protection benefit from this financial support. A total of nine particularly innovative and five major projects for improving the energy efficiency of buildings receive funds from the Climate Foundation. “It is very important to us to promote such innovations more intensively”, their managing director Vincent Eckert is quoted in a press release .

    For example, the Ticino company iWin is now being supported with 50,000 francs. It produces windows with integrated photovoltaic blinds. In doing so, it transforms highly glazed buildings into solar power plants. The Zurich-based company Oxara is using the funding for the further development of cement-free concrete from loamy excavated material. FenX , based in Zurich, uses ash and other mineral waste to produce insulating foam for construction that is non-flammable and 100 percent recyclable. FenX receives CHF 200,000 for this.

    The supported projects also include the automated insect breeding solution from the Aargau company SmartBreed as well as the Ticino company Ponera . It develops shipping packaging for industrial goods, which is intended to create a circular economy for packaging material. Further funds will go to iWorks AG in Liechtenstein. It shows how public areas can be used to produce solar power.

  • E-buses connect Zurich's ETH locations

    E-buses connect Zurich's ETH locations

    The transport company Eurobus , based in Bassersdorf ZH, is now using three fully electric articulated buses from Mercedes-Benz . The vehicles from the eCitaro G model series, which were presented just a few weeks ago, are used on the so-called ETH link between the two locations of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. They are the first to run in regular service.

    The 18.13 meter long, fully electric articulated buses run 100 percent on green Swiss water. Their capacity is 38 seated, 93 standing and two wheelchair places. They also offer public WiFi, USB charging sockets and air conditioning. With immediate effect, they will replace the previous diesel-powered shuttle buses between the center of Zurich and Hönggerberg. They fill up with new electricity at the Hönggerberg stop.

    “In addition to their environmental friendliness, the new electric buses are characterized above all by their quiet driving style, comfortable low-floor entry and attractive interior and exterior design,” said the managing director of Eurobus welti-furrer AG, Patrick Nussbaumer, in a media release from Daimler. "With this, the ETH is sending a clear signal and strengthening its position as a future-oriented educational institute."

    Armin Krieg, Head of Sales for City Buses at the Winterthur Daimler subsidiary EvoBus (Schweiz) AG , is satisfied “that with the introduction of the eCitaro G we are consistently continuing our announced timetable for e-mobility in city buses and Daimler Buses is the innovation and technology leader in the epicenter of technical and scientific research and teaching, of all places. "

  • Green asphalt permanently removes CO2 from the air

    Green asphalt permanently removes CO2 from the air

    In Dornbirn, as part of the expansion of the district heating network, new asphalt is being laid on a stretch of road. So-called green asphalt is used for the first time. 1.7 percent charcoal from the production of theEnergieWerk Ilg is added to the asphalt. This allows the carbon contained in the charcoal to be stored and the CO2 formed with it to be permanently removed from the atmosphere. The company is thus improving its carbon footprint.

    A first test mixture was installed on September 24th, according to a message from EnergieWerk Ilg. If this mixture meets expectations, a test section of 30 meters is to be laid on October 14th and 15th.

    If the pilot project in the state of Vorarlberg is successful, roads can become new CO2 sinks. Asphalt can contain around 5 percent of such additives on average. This means that 100,000 tons of asphalt could soon permanently remove well over 10,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.

    The pilot project is supported by a number of partners. The asphalt is manufactured by Migu Asphalt in Lustenau, which intends to use it to introduce a new product and strengthen its market position. The technology for producing the charcoal comes from the Syncraft company in Schwaz in the state of Tyrol. EnergieWerk Ilg, which supplies the admixture, has already been climate-neutral and can become climate-positive with this product. The city of Dornbirn is profiling itself as a model region for the energy transition .

    Hans-Peter Schmidt from the Ithaka Institute in Arbaz VS advises the project. Carbonfuture GmbH in Freiburg i.Br. certifies carbon storage. This means that certificates for the removal of carbon from the atmosphere can be issued and the green asphalt can be co-financed.

    The project was initiated by the European Biochar Industry ( EBI ) consortium. EBI wants to create and establish new, verifiable and certifiable CO2 sinks with charcoal and biochar.

  • The renovation rate for buildings is still too low

    The renovation rate for buildings is still too low

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

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

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

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

  • ETH spin-off binds CO2 in broken concrete

    ETH spin-off binds CO2 in broken concrete

    If the concrete industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world. It produces around four times as much CO2 as all global air traffic. The start-up Neustark , a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ), is countering this with its concept: the mineralization of carbon dioxide from the air to obtain limestone.

    Neustark binds CO2 in the pores and on the surface of concrete granulate. This upgraded granulate can then be mixed in fresh concrete as a substitute for sand and gravel. Thanks to these granules, less cement is required while the properties remain the same. This emerges from a communication from the ETH.

    “What appealed to me was that the solution would not be available for five or ten years, but already now,” says business economist Valentin Gutknecht, who is responsible for the operational aspects of the business in the ever-growing Neustark team. Together with Johannes Tiefenthaler, he wants to turn this climate-positive business idea into reality. Tiefenthaler is doing his doctorate at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering ( MAVT ) on the next generation of technology for the mineralization of carbon dioxide.

    There is a lot of research going on in the construction sector, but so far the industry has only achieved small reductions in emissions, so Tiefenthaler. The advantage of the concrete granulate is that it is highly reactive and the broken concrete forms a very stable chemical compound even without climate-damaging pre-treatment with carbon dioxide.

    Your pilot plant for recycling concrete is funded by the Federal Office for the Environment ( FOEN ) and the Swiss Climate Foundation. The project is now intended to demonstrate the added value along the entire value chain. Neustark's goal: negative emissions for which there are only "very few technical approaches". The start-up wants to show "that negative emissions can not only bring costs but even economic benefits".

  • Climeworks removes CO2 from the air in Iceland

    Climeworks removes CO2 from the air in Iceland

    Climeworks , the Reykjavik energy supplier ON Power and the Icelandic company Carbfix have agreed to combine their technologies for capturing CO2 from the air and for its permanent storage. Climeworks and Carbfix describe these agreements in their respective media releases as “groundbreaking” as well as a “milestone in the fight against climate change” and “turning point in climate protection”: “For the first time, the technologies for a project of this magnitude to remove carbon dioxide from the air combined with each other ”, it says there. The new facility will permanently remove 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air every year.

    At the site of the third largest geothermal power plant in the world, the Icelandic Hellisheiði, Climeworks is building systems for the separation of CO2 from the air. The Direct Air Capture Technology (DAC) from Climeworks is used for this. The geothermal energy and heat provided by ON Power ensures that DAC technology has a constant supply of renewable energy.

    The Climeworks agreement with Carbfix ensures the safe and permanent storage of carbon dioxide through natural underground mineralization. According to Carbfix , the underground basalt rock formations in Iceland offer ideal conditions for this process.

    "This collaboration with ON and Carbfix is a big step forward," said Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and co-CEO of Climeworks, in a press release from Climeworks. "We can reach net zero."

    ON Power is “immensely proud of this collaboration” between ON, Carbfix and Climeworks. It shows "how innovative projects can come together to create and expand one of the solutions to global warming". The company is pleased to "support the work of Climework in the future".

  • Energie Zukunft Schweiz launches climate bonus for wood heating

    Energie Zukunft Schweiz launches climate bonus for wood heating

    Energie Zukunft Schweiz and Holzfeuerungen Schweiz ( SFIH ) are promoting wood heating systems with a new climate bonus. This is intended to reward those who replace the fossil fuels oil or gas with local wood. Because, according to a press release , previous funding programs are aimed primarily at small residential buildings and not at industrial and commercial buildings, this premium is aimed at medium-sized and large heating systems.

    “Thanks to the generous climate bonus from the funding program and the simple handling of Energy Future Switzerland, this gap has now been closed. And that is the same for the whole of Switzerland, ”says the announcement. This would mean that medium-sized and large wood heating systems would be “not only the most climate-friendly, but also the most economical variant”. Heating with wood protects the climate, promotes local added value and contributes to a healthy forest. This program is regulated by the Federal Office for the Environment ( FOEN ).

    The subsidy amounts to 18 cents per kilowatt hour or 1.80 francs per liter of oil or cubic meter of natural gas saved. Energie Zukunft Schweiz calculates that “with correctly dimensioned heating” this corresponds to 360 francs per kilowatt of power. For example, for a block of flats with ten apartments, the investment costs could be reduced by 70 percent. According to Energie Zukunft Schweiz, the savings for large heating systems with an output of more than 200 kilowatts, for example for community buildings, industrial companies and large office buildings, are particularly interesting.