immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: klimafreundlich

  • Climate-friendly residential project in Burgdorf sets new standards

    Climate-friendly residential project in Burgdorf sets new standards

    The Fischermätteli residential construction project in Burgdorf has been awarded Minergiesite certification. This is the first time that an entire site has been certified in accordance with the requirements of the Swiss building standard, according to a statement from StrübyUnternehmungen, the company responsible for the project. The residential construction project with ten apartment buildings, which will be completed in fall 2023 after three and a half years, will reach “a new level” in sustainable residential construction, according to Strüby.

    According to the information provided, the site is characterized by the use of 6,600 cubic meters of renewable Swiss wood, as well as by its very low energy consumption and maximum self-sufficiency with renewable energies. Greenhouse gas emissions during construction and operation have been minimized. The buildings also have above-average heat insulation and controlled air exchange. The design of the outdoor space increases climate resilience and the quality of stay, for example through suitable planting and shading. The overall concept also includes an environmentally friendly mobility concept.

    The fact that the climate-friendly overall concept was well received was already evident during the completion of the quarter: “Demand was so pleasing that all apartments were sold by the time construction was completed,” Didier Pichonnaz, Head of Architecture at Strüby Unternehmungen, is quoted as saying.

    New rules for certification will apply from 2023. Unlike before, not only a single building but also an entire site can be certified.

  • Energy supplier invests in climate-friendly switchgear and earthquake safety

    Energy supplier invests in climate-friendly switchgear and earthquake safety

    According to a press release, the Basel-based energy supplier IWB is strengthening the most important hub of the Basel electricity grid in the Volta substation. One of the largest switchgears in a Swiss distribution grid is being replaced there, the press release continues. IWB will replace all electrical systems in the Volta substation by 2029 and also make the building earthquake-proof. The new switchgear will be operated with a climate-friendly insulating gas and the power grid will be reinforced with additional transformers. By investing in the renovation of the building and systems, IWB is making an important contribution to the high reliability of Basel’s electricity supply, the statement continues.

    The Volta substation is the largest of IWB’s seven substations and is almost 100 years old. It was put into operation in 1932. Around a fifth of Basel’s electricity flows through the substation every day, an average of 600,000 kilowatt hours.

    A new switchgear is currently being installed. It is replacing the switchgear for the 145-kilovolt grid, which dates back to 1976. It will consist of eleven switch panels and will be 16 metres long when completed. IWB will then also replace the switchgear for the 12-kilovolt grid. It will consist of 78 switch panels and be around 60 metres long. According to IWB, these will be the largest switchgears ever installed in a Swiss supply network. Both switchgears will also be equipped with climate-friendly insulating gas.

    There are three transformers in the Volta substation that will be overhauled as part of the project. IWB will also install two additional transformers. The overall renovation of the substation will take place during ongoing operations.

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

    Construction of the Frick heating plant begins with a groundbreaking ceremony

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

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

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

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

  • Sustainability & profitability – achieving returns with climate-friendly, intelligent energy solutions.

    Sustainability & profitability – achieving returns with climate-friendly, intelligent energy solutions.

    Integrated and intelligent
    Integrated energy solutions combine different energy sources and technologies to achieve high energy efficiency and flexibility. Intelligent energy management systems are used to optimise energy consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. They help to reduce operating costs and increase property value. IWB offers companies in the construction and real estate sector carefree packages for a high return on investment. Customers can choose between centralised, decentralised or combined solutions depending on their location and portfolio strategy. To achieve an optimal sustainable energy supply and use, the early involvement of the energy partner is crucial.

    Sustainable and economical
    Implementing renewable energies and intelligent energy management systems not only saves costs and increases the value of properties, but also achieves environmental sustainability. A good ESG score is becoming increasingly important and can also influence financing options.
    Property owners can reduce CO2 emissions and optimise the energy consumption of buildings by using photovoltaic systems and climate-friendly heating solutions such as heat pumps or district heating from renewable sources. Intelligent energy management systems monitor energy consumption in real time and regulate it by automatically controlling heating, ventilation and cutting off energy peaks.

    Sensible and profitable
    Investing in good energy solutions and intelligent energy management is sensible and profitable for a sustainable real estate portfolio. With IWB as a partner in the field of energy and sustainability, companies in the real estate sector can benefit from customised, efficient and smart solutions. The focus is on developing individual solutions tailored to the specific needs and goals of the customers. Together, they can invest in a sustainable future that offers not only ecological but also economic benefits.

  • Energie 360° launches sustainable project for Zurich-Lengg and Zollikon

    Energie 360° launches sustainable project for Zurich-Lengg and Zollikon

    Energie 360° will start construction work on a new energy network on Monday, 17 April. According to a media release, the energy provider, together with the Lengg health cluster and the municipality of Zollikon, wants to heat and cool clinics and urban residential areas with climate-friendly Lake Zurich water from 2027. Zollikon still has to vote on whether to join the network.

    Regarding the suitability of the planning area for such a solution, the press release states that several large health care institutions and residential areas are located close to each other in the Lengg district of Zurich. This is an ideal prerequisite for an energy network to heat and cool the clinics, institutes and flats in a climate-friendly way. The water is to be collected in Lake Zurich near Zollikon and piped to Lengg.

    In addition to the health cluster and two urban residential areas with around 100 flats, the project will also be the starting signal for the construction of a district heating network in Zollikon, according to the energy company. It should then be possible to supply heating and cooling in Lengg and Zollikon for the first time from 2027. According to Energie 360°, the investment sum for the Lengg energy network is around 90 million Swiss francs.

    The health cluster will be the largest hospital landscape in Europe to use climate-neutral energy, it continues. This would save up to 10,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year at the hospitals alone. This is equivalent to the exhaust gases from the use of about 4 million litres of fossil fuel oil.

    Energie 360° has set itself the goal of supplying its customers exclusively with renewable energy by 2040.

  • Energie 360° increases share of renewable energy to 23.4 percent

    Energie 360° increases share of renewable energy to 23.4 percent

    Despite significantly higher net revenues in 2022 of plus 56.8 per cent, the energy supplier Energie 360° generated less net profit than in the previous year. The company, which is majority-owned by the City of Zurich, only achieved a net profit of CHF 54.1 million in the financial year ending 30 September 2022, compared to CHF 61.9 million in the previous year, according to a media release. The reason was a sharp rise in energy procurement costs.

    However, Energie 360° significantly increased the share of renewable energy in direct sales to 23.4 percent. The share is thus above target and is approaching the interim goal of 30 percent by 2025. A total of 1223 gigawatt hours of gas were generated from renewable sources, an increase of 2.9 percent. Total gas sales, on the other hand, fell from a total of 5468 to 5219 gigawatt hours, a decrease of 4.5 percent.

    Total biogas sales, including resales, even amounted to 1288 gigawatt hours. This corresponds to an increase of 11 percent. Energie 360° intends to further increase the share of this climate-friendly energy source in its standard product. This is to be achieved through the construction of new plants and new technologies.

    By 2040, the Swiss-wide energy provider aims to supply 100 percent renewable energy. The focus is on locally available solutions. Therefore, the company plans to build seven new energy networks in the city of Zurich alone.

    The annual general meeting approved a reduced dividend payment of CHF 11.7 million. It reportedly takes into account a higher investment requirement for the transformation of the company. The equity ratio is 85.1 per cent.

  • Building cooperative receives 40,000 francs from the climate fund Stadtwerk Winterthur

    Building cooperative receives 40,000 francs from the climate fund Stadtwerk Winterthur

    The municipal energy supplier Stadtwerk Winterthur has given the building cooperative 40,000 francs more than housing from its climate fund. It wants to finance the pilot operation of a self-learning heating controller in two houses on the 2000-watt Hobelwerk area in Oberwinterthur, according to a media release .

    The heating controller was developed by the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) in Dübendorf. It is supposed to optimize the heating systems in a climate-friendly way, "by including solar power production on the roof, the interaction between main heating (heat pump) and peak load (pellet boiler) as well as the load on the power grid," the media release said. This offers knowledge for the climate-friendly use of energy with the lowest possible load on the power grid in buildings.

  • AKB is launching another sustainable bond

    AKB is launching another sustainable bond

    The Aargauische Kantonalbank has issued a green bond for the second time. According to a press release , it has a volume of CHF 100 million. AKB’s first green bond was issued in June 2020. Since then, according to a statement from the Kantonalbank, the AKB Green mortgage amounting to 110.4 million francs has been used to build or renovate homes according to climate-friendly criteria. 119.2 million francs have been pledged for further projects.

    The Aargauische Kantonalbank takes stock of the CO2 savings achieved every year through the sustainable construction activities it finances. In cooperation with the real estate consultancy IAZI , it publishes so-called impact reporting every year. According to the press release, the projections have shown that after just six months in 2020, the total annual savings in CO2 emissions will be around 232 tonnes. 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. The next impact reporting will be created on December 31, 2021.

    Green mortgages are financed from the green bond for ecological construction or renovation. In addition to new buildings, according to the AKB, individual energy measures or comprehensive overall renovations to increase energy efficiency or the use of renewable energies are also supported. The bank cites the installation of photovoltaic systems or panels for the preparation of hot water as examples.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Regional plants are expanding networks for heating and cooling

    Regional plants are expanding networks for heating and cooling

    Regionalwerke AG Baden want to make the supply of heating and cooling in Baden climate-friendly. To this end, they envisage expansions for the heating supply to an extent of 40 gigawatt hours and for the cooling supply to an extent of 10 gigawatt hours over the next ten years, they write in a press release . The share of renewable energy sources should be 80 percent right from the start and steadily increase to 100 percent. The CO2 emissions in the heat supply are to be reduced by 20,000 tons by 2030, district heating alone is to contribute half of this.

    Baden Nord has been connected to the Turgi waste incineration plant with a district heating pipe since the summer, and the Kappelerhof heating network has been in operation since autumn 2020. The heating and cooling network for the cantonal hospital campus is under construction. The Baden Nord district heating network is to be expanded towards the city center. From 2025, the amalgamation of the energy clusters Kappelerhof, Vorstadt and Limmat to form a single urban heating and cooling ring is planned.

    The potential for the heating and cooling supply was determined with the help of a 3D model. The feasibility of groundwater pumping systems was also examined. A planning map on the regional works website allows property owners, architects and planners to gain insight into the planned projects.

    "With this expansion, the course has been set for the substitution of fossil fuels for a renewable heating and cooling supply in Baden", Michael Sarbach, managing director of the regional plants, is quoted in the announcement.

  • Association for sustainable building is founded

    Association for sustainable building is founded

    The newly created Association for Sustainable Building Biological Building (VNBB) aims to make the construction industry more sustainable and climate-friendly. To this end, knowledge and skills are to be promoted and integrated into vocational training.

    As stated in a press release, the non-profit organization was initiated by Dr. Thea Rauch-Schwegler from the Baubioswiss Association over the past few years. Timber construction Switzerland , building envelope Switzerland , JardinSuisse , Lignum – Holzwirtschaft Schweiz and the Swiss Association of Painters and Plasterers have joined as founding members. Its new office in Wallisellen is also the seat of the VNBB. The management of the VNBB office is advertised. New club members and partners are expressly welcome.

    In 2019, the examination regulations for the advanced specialist examination for experts in healthy and sustainable building were recognized by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. In this way, according to the VNBB, “the gap in higher vocational training in the field of sustainable building can be closed”. The first preparatory course for the diploma will start in 2022. At the same time, professional associations have also recognized the importance of the topic and decided to tackle the issue of sustainability in vocational training together.

  • 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.

  • Riehen receives the green light for geothermal expansion

    Riehen receives the green light for geothermal expansion

    Riehen can continue with its planning for the expansion of another geothermal system. It would increase the number of residents supplied with climate-friendly thermal energy from the current 8,500 to 12,500. The referendum period expired at the end of October. The positive decision from the residents' council is now legally binding. This is now announced by Wärmeverbund Riehen AG ( WVR ).

    In the next step, seismic surveys to explore the subsurface for the geo2riehen project are due in summer 2021. A suitable location for the boreholes is thus sought. If the feasibility of the plant is confirmed, drilling could begin in 2023. They should open up more naturally occurring thermal water for heat utilization.

    An already existing feasibility study confirms that the project has “good prospects for success”. The drilling to promote the thermal water and the construction of the facility will cost around 20 million francs. The costs are shared between the two shareholders, the municipality of Riehen and the Basel energy supplier IWB . The Swiss Federal Office of Energy has promised a grant of 1.2 million francs and has announced a further 5.1 million francs.

    IWB's stake has risen from initially 27 to 50 percent. According to the WVR, this not only makes financing easier. The operation of the systems and the growing supply network can also be better coordinated with IWB: "The gradual and partial shutdown of the gas supply is thus optimally coordinated with the growth of the Riehen heating network."