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Tag: News

  • Window manufacturer 4B wins innovation award

    Window manufacturer 4B wins innovation award

    4B AG , based in Hochdorf, is one of the winners of the Innovation Award 2020/21, which was presented for the first time by the Swiss Institute for Quality Tests ( SIQT ). The award is based on the number of patents held by Swiss companies between 2017 and 2019. The jury took into account data from both the Swiss Patent Office and those from foreign patent offices. The winners of the prize are companies or research institutions that “have an above-average score” in their segment or in a CPC class (Cooperative Patent Classification), explains the SIQT in a press release.

    4B AG is continuously developing new products and services. For this purpose, the window manufacturer operates its own innovation department with product management, development and a test laboratory. One of the company’s developments is a threshold-free balcony door. However, 4B also researches the topic of intelligent windows, for example. “Windows are currently becoming more and more intelligent and will be able to carry out increasingly smart functions in the future,” the company explains in a press release . Intelligent windows should, for example, increase energy efficiency and simplify the handling and maintenance of windows.

    4B is owned by the Bachmann family and was created in 1896 from the joinery of the same name. The company employs more than 660 people and most recently achieved annual sales of around 170 million francs.

  • Trafigura invests in H2 Energy

    Trafigura invests in H2 Energy

    The Dutch commodity trading giant Trafigura , with a branch in Geneva, is investing heavily in the Zurich-based H2 Energy Holding . In a first step, the company has committed, according to its media release , to provide 62 million dollars. 20 million of this will flow into H2 Energie AG as a capital contribution. This is intended to support the development of the production, storage and distribution of green hydrogen for filling stations and industrial customers.

    Trafigura, one of the world’s largest traders in fossil fuels, will provide the remaining 40 million dollars to set up and finance a 50:50 joint venture, H2 Energy Europe, based in Zurich. It aims to bring green, hydrogen-based ecosystems to the markets. In addition, it will invest in hydrogen infrastructure and in projects that work with hydrogen throughout Europe, with the exception of Switzerland.

    H2 Energy has developed “a successful business model that is present in every part of the hydrogen value chain,” said Jeremy Weir, Executive Chairman and CEO of Trafigura, in the press release. “And by providing fuel cell solutions on a large scale, they have created a demand for hydrogen.” Now Trafigura will contribute its ability to further develop traditional supply chains and open up new markets.

    The joint focus is on the profitable decarbonization of various sectors, says H2 Energy boss Rolf Huber. “The joint venture with Trafigura will enable the partners to carry out the planned projects across Europe. In addition, it will enable us to further develop fuel cell applications for the transport sector on land and at sea, but also for stationary applications. “

  • Axpo goes to Greece

    Axpo goes to Greece

    The Swiss energy producer Axpo will in future have a permanent branch in Greece. According to a press release , the company wants to offer services to Greek customers and partner companies there. That ranges from risk management to support with market access. Axpo will therefore be active in Greece across the entire energy supply chain. The Athens office is headed by Vasileios Machias, the newly appointed Country Manager. Axpo reports that he has more than 16 years of experience in international energy trading and has worked for numerous large energy trading companies such as EDF and Gazprom.

    Domenico De Luca, Head of Trading and Sales at Axpo, is quoted in the press release: “We know the importance of local market knowledge for our customers. So I am all the more pleased that Vasileios Machias has joined Axpo and will manage the newly established branch in Greece. ”Axpo will support its customers in the transition to a low-carbon economy with tailor-made services.

    The plan is to work with non-state electricity producers in the use of renewable energies. In addition, according to the announcement, Axpo will support local energy providers with the supply of liquidity to cover their market risks.

    According to its own information, Axpo has 5,000 employees working for customers in 40 countries in Europe, North America and Asia in order to offer innovative energy solutions based on the latest technology.

  • 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.

  • Senozon helps dealers choose a location

    Senozon helps dealers choose a location

    Location and traffic optimization are the core business of the Zurich company Senozon . According to a media release, interested parties can now order a map free of charge online that shows, for a specific postcode area, where pedestrians are particularly frequent during the day. Also included is a map with the pedestrian frequencies of people between 18 and 65 years of age with a medium or high household income.

    The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) receives numerous inquiries for individual locations, for which this free data product now provides answers: “In times of the Corona, it is even more important for retailers and their advisors to choose the locations cleverly. We are making a contribution with these cards, ”says Senozon sales manager Phillip Kousz.

    Senozon also offers other products for a fee, such as areas that cover several postal codes, absolute pedestrian frequencies, other socio-demographics, daily frequencies and catchment areas. The simulation enables not only an analysis of the current situation, but also precise prognoses of the future.

    According to the announcement, the basis for the simulations of Senozon are mainly publicly available statistics. The company enriches them by comparing them with real measured values. Sources such as traffic counts, apps and statistics from Google and telecom providers are used for this. The great advantage of the method is that it includes the population of a country including its socio-demographics. "For the first time, this allows target group-specific evaluations and studies with full anonymity."

  • Ceneri Base Tunnel receives the green light

    Ceneri Base Tunnel receives the green light

    The New Railway-Alpen-Transversale ( NEAT ) is largely completed. The Federal Office of Transport ( FOT ) has issued the permit for the scheduled operation of the Ceneri base tunnel, it writes in a message . This means that the tunnel will be available for scheduled passenger and freight trains from the timetable change on December 13th.

    The Ceneri Base Tunnel was inaugurated on September 4th. Since then, around 5,800 commercial passenger and freight trains have been run through the tunnel in a trial run.

    The 15 kilometer long tunnel is the third of the three large base tunnels that were built as part of the NEAT. It also enables direct connections between Lugano and Locarno. These form a central element of the Ticino S-Bahn.

    The Lötschberg Base Tunnel with a length of 35 kilometers was the first of the three large tunnels to go into operation in 2007, the Gotthard Base Tunnel with a length of 57 kilometers followed in 2016. The almost 20 kilometers long Simplon Tunnel has been in operation since 1906. Switzerland now has two flat rail routes through the Alps.

  • New large storage system should help stabilize the network

    New large storage system should help stabilize the network

    CKW and Axpo are responding to the expansion of volatile renewable energies. In 2021 you will be implementing a battery storage system in Rathausen which, according to a CKW announcement , can be used for three different markets at the same time for the first time. On the one hand, the system can provide electricity when it is needed, thereby breaking the peak loads. On the other hand, it should help Swissgrid to keep the voltage in the grid stable. Ultimately, it helps to quickly balance out differences between the supply of electricity and demand at any time.

    The system consists of two large batteries, each weighing 50 tons, and each housed in a 12 meter long container. It has an output of 6.25 megawatts. That is enough to supply 15,000 households with electricity for one hour.

    The system will be installed from mid-2021 and integrated into CKW's medium-voltage network.

  • Limmattal Spital is allowed to acquire additional areas

    Limmattal Spital is allowed to acquire additional areas

    After the vote on Sunday, the Limmattal Hospital Association has several years of planning security for future extensions and additions to the Limmattal Hospital . With 87.1 percent, those eligible to vote from the eleven supporting communities of the hospital association voted in favor of the purchase of the Sandbühl property in Schlieren. According to a media release , the property, which consists of three parcels, is directly adjacent to the existing hospital area with an acute hospital, care center and rescue service base in the northeast. This enables future-oriented, forward-looking and sustainable planning of the Limmattal health center, it says. Those eligible to vote followed the unanimous vote of the delegates' meeting on September 23 with their yes to long-term site planning. The purchase price is around CHF 15 million.

    The Limmattal Hospital ensures basic medical care for over 77,000 patients every year. With the new building from October 2018, it has 188 beds, eight operating theaters and eight intensive care places. According to the announcement, 1480 employees from 49 nations are currently working in the hospital.

  • 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.

  • The first free space solar system from EKZ is on the grid

    The first free space solar system from EKZ is on the grid

    EKZ 's Algibicos solar power plant near the southern Spanish city of Murcia started operations on Tuesday, according to a media release . This means that the Zurich-based energy company's first large open-space solar power plant has gone online.

    On an area of 85 hectares, it will produce a little over 90 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. This corresponds to the annual consumption of more than 20,000 households. With over 300 days of fine weather, the area was one of the sunniest in all of Europe. In addition, the yield is increased by movable solar panels that are oriented towards the sun.

    "Compared to Swiss systems, around twice as much electrical energy can be generated," said Jean-Marc Degen, senior project manager at EKZ Renewables, in the press release. In addition, plants of this size are hardly feasible in Switzerland. The meanwhile low production costs and the sunny location enabled profitable operation, even without state feed-in tariffs.

  • Single-family houses are becoming more expensive

    Single-family houses are becoming more expensive

    According to a report from the Federal Statistical Office ( FSO ), the Swiss residential property price index (IMPI), which was determined for the first time, closed at 100.8 points in the third quarter of 2020. Compared to the previous quarter, this corresponds to growth of 0.2 percent. In a year-on-year comparison, the analysts of the FSO measured an increase in prices of 2.6 percent. The base value of the index was set at 100 points in the fourth quarter of 2019.

    With regard to the changes compared to the previous quarter, the analysts identify opposing developments in single-family homes and condominiums in the quarter under review. The prices for single-family homes had risen by 1.1 percent in a quarterly comparison. By contrast, prices for condominiums were 0.6 percent lower in the quarter under review than in the previous quarter.

    The analysts had observed particularly significant increases in the prices for single-family houses of 2.6 and 2.2 percent in the urban communities of the large agglomerations and the rural communities. The most significant declines in prices for condominiums were registered in the intermediate and rual communities, each with minus 1.1 percent.

  • Emmi tests hydrogen trucks

    Emmi tests hydrogen trucks

    Emmi has put two hydrogen trucks from Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility into operation, according to a press release . The company will now test this in logistics. It works together with the Association for the Promotion of Hydrogen Mobility Switzerland .

    Emmi transports around 8,000 pallets from A to B every day to supply its customers in Switzerland with fresh dairy products. The company currently has 140 vehicles in use for this, which cover 9.3 million kilometers annually. Emmi has shifted some of its transports to rail. However, this environmentally friendly means of transport is limited in various ways. On the other hand, Emmi sees great potential in the switch to hydrogen trucks.

    Compared to conventional diesel trucks, the hydrogen trucks can save around 70 to 80 tons of CO2 per year, the company states in the press release. Instead of CO2, these vehicles emit water vapor.

    Emmi will refuel the two hydrogen trucks at the H2 filling station network of the Hydrospider company from Opfikon, which is currently being expanded in Switzerland. This provides 100 percent emission-free hydrogen. According to the information, one tank of fuel is sufficient for a range of up to 400 kilometers. The environmentally friendly fuel also enables auxiliary units such as the cold room to be operated.

  • Film about the Knonauer Amt energy region celebrates its premiere

    Film about the Knonauer Amt energy region celebrates its premiere

    The Knonau office is “ten years ahead of its time”, said Government Councilor Dr. Martin Neukom in August on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Knonauer Amt energy region. “A driving force for the energy transition,” said Andrew Darrell, a member of the New York Sustainability Advisory Board. He thought that the world should find out about this pilot project, writes the “Affolter Anzeiger”. Together with the Swiss Pro Evolution Foundation and WWF Switzerland , he initiated a film about the exemplary work of the Knonauer Amt energy region. It premiered on Thursday. Its title: ” Full of energy into the future – a region relies on renewables “.

    The film reports on the initiatives that the 14 communities in this region in the canton of Zurich have undertaken and are undertaking to curb climate change: the energy-saving house in Stallikon, where children can experience energy in a playful way, the planned solar power plant above the A4, the Circular economy of the biogas plant in Rickenbach, the above-average number of CO2-neutral wood district heating plants. In 2010 the municipalities integrated the key project Energy Region Knonauer Amt into the location promotion. Their goal is to generate 80 percent of their energy needs by 2050 themselves and with renewable energies.

    Numerous experts have their say in the film, including Andreas Fischlin, member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) and professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ). “We have the same CO2 concentration as 3.5 million years ago,” he warns. At that time, there was a tropical flora and fauna in Switzerland. ETH professor Anton Gunzinger advocates greater use of local energies. That ensures more independence and that more money stays in the regional cycle: “We need more tax offices in Switzerland!”

  • Vebego joins forces with the ETH spin-off

    Vebego joins forces with the ETH spin-off

    Vebego Schweiz Holding AG offers various solutions in the real estate industry. The Zurich-based company is now teaming up with Archilyse , a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ).

    Archilyse has developed real estate analysis software. This can create virtual models of real estate, which are integrated into a model of the environment. For example, Archilyse can calculate how much sunlight flows into the rooms or what the view is. The analyzes are offered, for example, to project developers, architects or real estate companies who can market them.

    The goal of the partnership between Vebego and Archilyse is to be “at the forefront of the market” and to market real estate technologies internationally, according to a media release . Archilyse will work with the Vebego subsidiary Move Consultants , among others.

    "The cooperation with Move Consultants as the actual 'Master of Floor Plan and Areas' takes Archilyse and its business model to a new level", Matthias Standfest, founder and CEO of Archilyse, is quoted in the press release. "On the one hand, Move is number one when it comes to the digital processing of real estate data and, on the other hand, Move's numerous customers can benefit from the extensive Archilyse analyzes without any great effort".

  • Crowdlitoken launches platform in Europe

    Crowdlitoken launches platform in Europe

    Crowdlitoken has launched its platform for real estate investments in Europe. According to a press release , the company is playing a global pioneering role. Investors can use the platform to purchase digital bonds on real estate and put together their own portfolio.

    Investors can, for example, participate in a commercial property in Switzerland, with which Crowdlitoken decided to work together in October. The property is located in Oensingen SO and has a market value of 9.15 million francs. Investors can use the platform to participate in real estate from CHF 100.

    "A great day. With this platform we are finally keeping our promise to investors, ”Domenic Kurt, CEO of Crowdlitoken, is quoted in the press release. "At this point, many thanks to the trust and patience of the investors from the very beginning."

    Crowdlitoken is currently preparing the second financing round. To this end, it has only recently brought new personalities to the Board of Directors .

  • EKZ supplies the Limmat Valley with a further 80 megawatts

    EKZ supplies the Limmat Valley with a further 80 megawatts

    With the facility in Oberengstringen, the electricity works of the canton of Zurich (EKZ) put their third substation in Limmat Valley into operation. The Limmattal is now supplied by the three substations Schlieren, Dietikon and Oberengstringen. The new substation with an output of 80 megawatts will gradually be put into operation by next February.

    "This means that we are very well prepared for the steadily growing energy demand in the region", Hans-Peter Häberli, Head of Construction and Systems at EKZ, is quoted in an interview . The economic upswing in the Limmattal with the settlement of new companies, a large data center and the Limmattalbahn is causing the demand for electricity to rise sharply. Häberli: “We have generally seen strong increases in load in the Limmat Valley over the past few years. In the future, the energy demand will be driven by the Limmattalbahn and the establishment of a data center in the region. The Schlieren substation, which previously supplied the region with energy, must therefore be relieved. Its capacity would soon no longer be sufficient. "

    The electrical energy is converted in the new substation. In the case of Oberengstringen, EKZ takes over the electricity with a voltage of 110 kilovolts from the Axpo high-voltage network. The energy is converted to 16 kilovolts with two 40-megawatt transformers, according to the EKZ website. After that, the electricity would be further stepped down until it is fed into the grid for end users such as housing estates.

    The connection of the new plant is to take place gradually by February. According to Häberli, Oberengstringen will then be fully connected to the Axpo high-voltage network. The communities of Ober- and Unterengstringen, Weiningen and parts of Schlieren are then supplied.

  • Fehlmann-Areal gets photovoltaic facades

    Fehlmann-Areal gets photovoltaic facades

    Around ten years ago, BGP built six pavilion-like residential buildings in various sizes on the Fehlmann site in Winterthur. The Zurich architecture office informs in a message that the area development has now been completed with two more buildings. From a distance, the new buildings are indistinguishable from the old superstructures.

    On closer inspection, however, an important difference becomes clear, explains BGP. The facades of the buildings erected in 2010 were made of black enameled glass panels. Instead, electricity-producing photovoltaic modules were installed in the new buildings. This means that the facade can take on “a multitude of tasks”, according to the announcement. Specifically, protection, climate regulation, representation and identification are mentioned there.

    Before building the development, BGP had measured the electricity demand in the existing buildings. According to the announcement, it had the distribution to be expected for a residential development with peaks in the morning and in the evening. These peaks could be better covered with modules integrated into the facade than with a system installed on the roof, explains the architecture office. In addition, a photovoltaic system was installed on the building roofs. The building complex is also equipped with charging stations for electric cars.

  • EWA – energieUri receives quality label

    EWA – energieUri receives quality label

    The association has developed the quality label vsas-certified.swiss in order to promote the profitability, product quality, specialist knowledge and safety of its member companies, writes the Association of Switchgear and Automatic Systems Switzerland ( VSAS ) on its Internet portal. EWA – energieUri has successfully passed the extensive audit to award the certification. This means that the Uri energy supplier is the first company in Switzerland to be awarded certification, writes EWA – energieUri in a press release.

    "We build switchgears of all sizes for customers all over Switzerland", Kilian Huwyler, Head of Switchgear Construction and Automation at EWA, is quoted in the press release. "The spectrum ranges from house panels to complex switchgear for industry." This year, the Uri-based energy service provider looks back on the company's 125th anniversary.

  • Uri adopts digitization strategy

    Uri adopts digitization strategy

    According to a press release , the Uri government council has passed its digitization strategy. This defines the general direction that the canton wants to take in the area of digitization. It also serves as an orientation framework for implementing strategic projects over the next five to ten years. Overall, the strategy should give the attractiveness of the residential and business location Uri a positive boost, it is said.

    Digitization could "become a real development driver for the canton of Uri and significantly strengthen Uri's positioning", the government council stated in the government program for 2020 to 2024. For this, the “social peculiarities of Uris as well as the special opportunities Uris as an economic and home office location with a quality of retreat” must be taken into account.

    The Canton of Uri was also supported by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences ( HSLU ) in developing the digitization strategy. As project manager Stephan Käppeli points out in a communication from the HSLU in February, the canton is suitable “in various ways as a model region for digitization”.

  • The rental agreement is digitally signed for the first time

    The rental agreement is digitally signed for the first time

    According to a press release , Flatfox , Verit Immobilien AG and Skribble have reached a milestone in the digitization of rental agreements: their jointly developed electronic rental agreement has now been signed with legally binding effect in Zurich. This was the first time that a rental process was handled digitally in Switzerland.

    With the electronic signature made possible by Skribble, prospective tenants and landlords can now sign a rental agreement “simply and securely” on their smartphone, computer or tablet. This means that rental contracts no longer have to be printed out and then time-consuming to be sent back and forth by post.

    “I'm a fan of online things,” said the first tenant to ever sign a rental agreement electronically in Switzerland. “I think it's great to sign a rental agreement at the push of a button. The concept enables me to file my rental agreement digitally. "

    According to the announcement, the Zurich manager of Verit Immobilien AG, who countersigned this contract, particularly appreciated the user-friendliness and the time saved. The successfully launched pilot project is to be fully integrated into the first and re-letting process of Verit Immobilien AG in the future.

  • Belimo integrates the platform for building data

    Belimo integrates the platform for building data

    The Facilio platform is intended to enable Belimo customers to use the Internet of Things (IoT) to collect real-time data on the processes in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC systems) and to check the building performance, explains the HVAC specialist -Systems from the Zurich Oberland in the message . Facilio, which has its headquarters in New York, and Belimo have agreed on a corresponding cooperation, it says there. “The synergy between Belimo’s digital ecosystem and Facilio’s operating and maintenance platform uses available data to unlock the potential of networked buildings and address the new challenges,” Salvatore Cataldi, Global Strategic Building IoT Expert at Belimo, is quoted in the press release.

    The data collected are intended to serve property owners and property operators as a basis for implementing efficient sustainability measures, the communication further explains. “Facilio and Belimo will provide customers who are switching to an agile, data-supported operating model with a single, networked operating environment through which they can view and control their rooms and equipment in real time,” said Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO and founder of Facilio, quote there. Through the cooperation, the two partners also want to respond to the growing demand for solutions for efficient building operation.

  • Lidl halves footprint

    Lidl halves footprint

    Lidl has exceeded a self-imposed environmental target. By 2020, the company wanted to reduce its relative CO2 emissions by 35 percent compared to 2013, Lidl Switzerland explains in a press release . Ultimately, however, the CO2 emissions were reduced by 53 percent. Lidl emphasizes a change in its own transport area as a particularly effective measure. Here, the company plans to only use trucks powered by bio-liquefied petroleum gas by 2030.

    Lidl Switzerland has introduced a CO2 management system in which the company’s annual CO2 emissions are recorded, the communication further explains. Building on this, the company derives measures to reduce emissions. The remaining emissions are offset.

    This is the fifth time that Lidl Switzerland has met the conditions for certification with the Swiss Climate Label CO2-neutral, according to the announcement. According to her, Lidl Switzerland is the first company of its kind in Switzerland whose branches and goods distribution centers are all certified according to the ISO 50001 energy efficiency standard.

  • Energy Lab aims to deliver innovations for the energy transition

    Energy Lab aims to deliver innovations for the energy transition

    The NTN Innovation Booster Energy Lab will officially start its work in January 2021. However, such a dynamic has already emerged that the first of a total of 50 planned projects have already been launched, writes the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences in a media release . They should lead to innovations in the efficient generation, storage and use of renewable energies that are also marketable.

    The consortium of over 200 members is strategically managed by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In addition to the Central Switzerland Innovation Park and NEST – the research and innovation platform of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute and the water research institute of the ETH Domain – numerous other institutions, all Swiss universities of applied sciences and ETH Zurich . The Energy Lab is being funded by the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse with CHF 1.5 million for an initial period of four years.

    More than 200 companies are already connected via the Central Switzerland Innovation Park, "and the trend is increasing", the message goes on to say: "Because the Energy Lab is an open network in which interested parties can contribute at any time."

    "The challenges are so complex that they can no longer be resolved with individual measures, but only in large-scale cooperation between industry, politics, science and society," the project manager and professor at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Ludger Fischer, is quoted in the communication . "The solutions will offer concrete added value for the economy and can therefore be implemented!"

  • Algorithms help manage power loads

    Algorithms help manage power loads

    The simultaneous activation of many electrical devices creates enormous network loads. Since up to 60 percent of the grid usage costs for the energy supply companies are calculated from these load peaks, they have a vital interest in avoiding or at least smoothing them out as far as possible. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts ( HSLU ) has now found a solution together with partners, according to a press release.

    What is needed is “an intelligent and efficient energy and load management, with the help of which energy can be shifted”, Andrew Paice is quoted in this communication . He is the head of the HSLU Building Intelligence Research Center called iHomeLab . His team developed the prototype of such a system together with the HSLU Competence Center for Thermal Energy Storage, the Vilters-Wangs electricity company and business partners Asgal Informatik and Semax . The Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion Innosuisse supports the project.

    The artificial intelligence developed by the teams and its algorithms use the data from intelligent electricity reading devices, so-called smart meters. The researchers used it to calculate thermal models of buildings. The algorithms “identify power-consuming devices such as heat pumps, boilers or e-mobiles and power-producing devices such as photovoltaic systems,” explains Paice. Then maximum power consumption, switch-on and switch-off times and energy consumption per day are combined with temperature and weather forecasts. This enabled precise predictions to be made.

    With these project results, the two companies involved in the project could now offer energy suppliers a service that would help them save costs – without the need for additional investments in their distribution networks.

  • Switzerland signs international declaration for e-mobility

    Switzerland signs international declaration for e-mobility

    According to a press release by the Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ), Switzerland signed an international declaration for the zero-emissions target in transport on Thursday as part of the Global e-Mobility Forum 2020 . This declaration is entitled " Katowice Partnership for E-Mobility ". She was born in December 2018 at the World Climate Conference in Katowice, Poland. Today it consists of 44 states and around three dozen sub-national administrative units, city associations and non-governmental organizations.

    According to the organizers, 38 countries from five continents as well as organizations and alliances had already joined this declaration, as well as 1,500 cities and regions and 1,200 companies. Overall, they represented over a third of the world's population. Switzerland did not sign the declaration at the time because of the “pending legislative and political work”, according to the SFOE in the communication.

    However, in December 2018, the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications ( DETEC ) and “numerous Swiss players” launched the Electromobility Roadmap 2022 “very successfully”. The aim of this roadmap is to increase the share of electric vehicles in new registrations to 15 percent by 2022. "Nothing stands in the way of signing the 'Katowice Partnership for E-Mobility'."

    It brings "no rights and obligations" with it. But the undersigned countries and organizations should promote zero-emission vehicles, set fleet targets and work together internationally. Further goals are the promotion of green public transport, the expansion of an intelligent infrastructure, the improvement of air quality as well as research and development in these areas.

  • Private individuals can participate in large solar systems

    Private individuals can participate in large solar systems

    Romande Energie customers can invest in their own solar systems without having their own roof. The Vaudois energy supplier wants to build a solar system totaling 1,700 square meters on Bertrand Pittet’s Petite Chamberonne farm in Etagnières, he writes in a press release . He enables his customers to participate. In return, the corresponding share of the production of solar power on the farm would be deducted from their private electricity bills.

    Romande Energie wants to attract a sufficiently large number of investors for its Jardin Solaire – sun garden – project by spring 2021. The plant should go into operation before summer.

    The Vaudois energy supplier launched a similar project in Mont-sur-Rolle in December 2019. There 37 private customers took part in the Jardin Solaire.

  • ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

    ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

    When building your own photovoltaic system, planning and bureaucracy costs are often more expensive than purchasing the electricity-generating modules. The researcher Franz Baumgartner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences has dealt with this problem. According to a press release , he is using modern technology to reduce planning costs. Baumgartner, head of the energy and environmental technology course at the ZHAW School of Engineering, is quoted as saying: "With small photovoltaic systems on single-family houses, only a fifth of the costs are now attributable to the modules themselves." The planning of the system and the administration are now similarly expensive necessary documentation.

    Baumgartner and the ZHAW Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering, in collaboration with the Schlierem-based innovation specialist Zühlke , started at precisely this point. According to the press release, Baumgartner got to know the use of HoloLens glasses in the medical sector and wants to use their advantages in photovoltaics.

    “Up to 15 working hours per system are required for the administrative work,” says Baumgartner. Building applications, fire protection plans and approvals help to drive up costs. It is easier to save money with more efficient processes than with cheaper modules. According to Baumgartner, part of the solution could be the HoloLens. During measurements on flat roofs, for example, the HoloLens glasses show the assembly points of planned systems with an accuracy of two centimeters and then create a virtual image of the system.

    Baumgartner: "In addition to its potential for documenting the entire process, it has a great advantage: it can measure, plan, offer and demonstrate the system to end customers from a single source." Baumgartner: "Because of the high wages, the system will first pay off in Switzerland."

    ZHAW researcher Baumgartner wants to expand its application to all types of flat roofs and covered parking spaces. "We are in the process of formulating a project application for the Federal Office of Energy and have already received positive signals from Bern."

  • Innovative distillery goes into operation

    Innovative distillery goes into operation

    The new building in Amlikon-Bissegg is, among other things, the "most modern distillery in Switzerland", as it is called in a media release by Macardo Swiss Distillery GmbH . The barrel store is even the most innovative in Europe, the company from the St.GallenBodenseeArea continues. Two-day celebrations with a corresponding program were planned for the opening, but this was prevented by the Corona crisis. “Nevertheless, we will open on November 28, 2020 and start operating the distillery, the premium B&B, the event location and the honesty bar with cigar lounge. Countless people have worked intensively towards this in the last few months, ”Martina Bössow, owner of Macardo Swiss Distillery GmbH, is quoted in the press release.

    At the opening, the shop, which is also integrated in the new building, will be available to visitors. Fine brandies, Macardo disinfectants and a “world first for all whiskey fans”, as von Bössow put it, are offered there. And from November 30th, small groups of six people will be offered free guided tours for which registration is required.

    The new building was built around a cheese factory that is more than 100 years old. At the distillery, the focus is on craftsmanship, which is underlined by a sustainable process. Modern technology is also used in the drum store, which ensures an optimal room climate for the 400 barrels. In addition to the bar and lounge, shop and the event room, ten rooms and two apartments with a bed-and-breakfast offer (B&B) are also available for visitors.

  • The effects of the pandemic on industry and construction are weakening

    The effects of the pandemic on industry and construction are weakening

    According to a statement from the Federal Statistical Office ( FSO ), production in the secondary sector in Switzerland fell by 4.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2020. At the same time, sales by Swiss companies in industry and construction fell by 6.3 percent. The coronavirus pandemic is thus "continuing to leave its mark in the secondary sector," write the FSO analysts. Compared to the previous quarter, however, the declines were "only about half as large".

    In the industrial sector, production fell 5.1 percent year-on-year in the quarter under review. A weakening of the decline was observed over the three months. It was the strongest in July at 6.7 percent. In August production was 5.6 percent below the previous year's figure, in September the minus weakened to 3.8 percent.

    In the construction industry, production decreased by 0.4 percent in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter of 2019. A decline of 7.2 percent was recorded in building construction. In contrast, production in civil engineering and other construction trades increased by 4.6 and 2.9 percent at the same time.

    Sales in industry were 7.9 percent lower in the reporting quarter than in the same quarter of the previous year. Gradually weaker declines between 9.7 percent in July and 5.6 percent in September were observed in the individual three months.

    Sales in the construction industry fell 0.6 percent below the previous year's figure in the third quarter of 2020. Here the range ranged from a minus of 6.9 percent in building construction to a plus of 5.1 percent in civil engineering.

  • Zürich erhält Goldauszeichnung als Energiestadt

    Zürich erhält Goldauszeichnung als Energiestadt

    Zürich ist im Rahmen des Hackathons Climathon Zürich erneut mit dem Energiestadt-Label in Gold ausgezeichnet worden. Damit fördert der Trägerverein Energiestadt die Umstellung auf erneuerbare Energien und Energieeffizienz. Laut einer Medienmitteilung der Stadt hätten der Ausbau der Photovoltaikanlagen auf stadteigenen Liegenschaften zu dieser Anerkennung ebenso beigetragen wie die Realisierung des Energieverbunds Altstetten und Höngg. Auch die neue Tramlinie Hardbrücke und die weitere Elektrifizierung des öffentlichen Verkehrs hätten ihren Anteil daran.

    Zum ersten Mal war Zürich die Auszeichnung als Energiestadt vor 20 Jahren verliehen worden. Seither seien die langfristigen Ziele der Stadt „kontinuierlich angepasst worden“. Dazu gehörten etwa die Verankerung der 2000-Watt-Gesellschaft in der Gemeindeordnung und die aktuellen Bestrebungen in Richtung Klimaneutralität. Grundlage dafür seien die im Masterplan Energie der Stadt Zürich definierten energiepolitischen Schwerpunkte.