immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Verfahren

  • Digitisation of building permit procedures in the canton of Zurich

    Digitisation of building permit procedures in the canton of Zurich

    As part of its efforts to modernise and digitalise administrative processes, the canton of Zurich has taken a decisive step to simplify and speed up the building permit procedure. From 1 April 2024, the procedure for submitting building applications will be completely digitalised with the introduction of the platform. This development marks a step forward in the administration and processing of building projects by reducing paper consumption and increasing efficiency.

    Since its launch in February 2020, the platform has already made a significant contribution to simplifying the building permit process. It enables a smooth exchange of information between applicants, authorities and other parties involved and supports the entire process from submission to approval of a building project. Until now, however, the process was not completely paperless, as legal provisions prevented the exclusive use of digital means.

    The latest amendments to the Planning and Building Act, the Building Procedure Ordinance (BVV) and the Special Building Ordinance I, which were passed by the Government Council, remove these hurdles. The new legal basis paves the way for a fully digitalised building permit procedure. Building Director Martin Neukom emphasises the importance of this development and stresses that the implementation of this digital project will create a customer-oriented and resource-saving service that meets today’s requirements and simplifies the processing of building applications for all parties involved.

    To ensure full implementation, all cities and municipalities in the canton of Zurich must switch to the new, exclusively electronic process within three years. This changeover promises to make the building permit process more efficient and environmentally friendly, which represents a significant innovation for property management professionals.

  • 10 million Swiss francs in funding for concrete recycling technology

    10 million Swiss francs in funding for concrete recycling technology

    Almost 40% of global CO2 emissions are attributable to the construction and building sector. Around 30 billion tonnes of concrete are produced worldwide every year and demand continues to rise. The binding agent cement and the composite material concrete are important building materials – but their production contributes to climate change. Estimates suggest that the cement industry alone is responsible for more than 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With reCO2ver® Sika has developed an innovative technology that enables complete recycling of concrete demolition material and is unique in the concrete industry.

    17,000 tonnes of CO2 storage in concrete demolition material by the end of 2030

    Sikas not only processes old concrete into the high-quality individual components gravel, sand and cement stone, but can also bind additional CO2 thanks to a chemical process. Approximately 15 kilogrammes of CO2 can be permanently stored per tonne of demolition material. In addition, the performance of the cement paste powder produced in the process is optimised by Sika additives

    Additives and can thus be used again as a cement substitute in concrete production. A pilot plant has been in operation in Switzerland since October 2021 – the test phase has now been successfully completed.

    In order to be able to provide standardised proof of the plants’ added climate value, Sika is developing a climate protection programme together with South Pole in accordance with the specifications of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU). A significant milestone has now been reached with regard to the implementation and use of this technology for CO2 capture and storage: the Swiss Climate Cent Foundation guarantees the purchase of CO2 certificates from this programme of initially CHF 10 million until the end of 2030.

    The implementation of the industrial plants is a central component of the certified climate protection programme. By the end of 2030, around 17,000 tonnes of CO2 are to be stored in concrete demolition material. This is roughly equivalent to the amount of CO2 released during the construction of 850 single-family houses made of concrete. Philippe Jost, Head Construction Sika: “With our innovative strength and our sustainable technologies, we enable our customers in the construction and automotive industries to reduce their ecological footprint and make the transition to more sustainability. We are very pleased that the reCO2ver® technology is being specifically promoted. We are convinced that through the programme we are creating great added value for the construction industry, the environment and for future generations.”

  • With microorganisms against the winter power shortage

    With microorganisms against the winter power shortage

    The joint study by Energie 360° and partners now shows that implementation is possible and economically interesting if existing gas storage facilities are used. These exist in Switzerland’s neighbouring countries. To this end, Switzerland must agree on rules for the import of renewable gas with its neighbouring countries. In geo-methanisation, surplus renewable energy, for example solar power, is converted into hydrogen (H2) in summer. This is injected into a natural underground storage facility together with CO2, which comes from biogas plants, for example. At a depth of more than 1000 metres, microorganisms – primeval bacteria known as archaea – combine hydrogen and carbon to form renewable methane gas (CH4). In winter, when the demand for electricity and heat is high, the renewable gas can be stored and used in a variety of ways.

    Realisation possible in nearby countries
    The research project “Underground Sun Conversion – Flexible Storage” (USC-FlexStore) by Energie 360° and the Austrian energy storage company RAG Austria AG investigated technical, operational, economic, ecological and regulatory aspects of the innovative process. The University of Bern, Empa and the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland collaborated as Swiss research partners. The results of the project now show that such storage facilities are feasible – ideally, for economic reasons, where storage facilities already exist, for example in the Austrian Pilsbach.

    Enormous potential for energy demand in Switzerland
    The existing and good international cooperation on energy supply issues remains central. Thus, the existing infrastructure, i.e. the European gas grid, can be used and the stored energy can be used as renewable gas or electricity for industrial processes and peak load coverage, for example. Jörg Wild, CEO of Energie 360°: “The potential is enormous: annually, renewable energy of several terawatt hours can be stored seasonally with this process. This will substantially alleviate the winter electricity shortfall in Switzerland.” However, a prerequisite for the use of winter energy is that Switzerland concludes binding regulations with its neighbouring countries for the purchase of renewable gases.

    Energie 360° is examining participation in the project
    In a next step, Energie 360° wants to deepen the expertise it has gained for geo-methanisation and storage and to contribute its know-how to future projects in Switzerland and internationally. In addition, the company is looking into participating in a renewable gas storage project in a neighbouring country.

  • Five technologies on the way to net zero

    Five technologies on the way to net zero

    The TA-Swiss study aims to inform policy-makers and the public about the opportunities, limits and risks of different methods for CO2 extraction and storage. Aspects such as feasibility, climate effectiveness, costs, resource consumption and impacts on the environment and population were considered.

    The five technologies are:

    • the storage of CO2 as biomass in forests and the use of wood
    • storage in the form of humus in the soil and the use of plant carbon
    • capture and storage of CO2 from biomass combustion (BECCS)
    • removal from the air and storage (DACCS)
    • the accelerated weathering of demolition concrete and rock (carbonation)

    Each of the five NETs was assessed based on the current state of knowledge and with the help of expert interviews. Potential opportunities, risks, synergies and conflicts were identified and considered from a system perspective. Based on this, general and specific, technology-related options for action and recommendations were derived and reflected on together with selected stakeholders.

    The most important general recommendations of the study
    In order for NET’s contribution to the net-zero target to be implemented in an environmentally and socially compatible manner, politics and society should address the issue at an early stage. This requires in particular that the public is involved in shaping the conditions of use of NET by means of fact-based and comprehensible information.

    There is a need for an overarching strategy for the use of limited resources, such as renewable energy, water, biomass and soil, and for financing for the development and implementation of NET.

    Further research is needed to determine the potential of the different technologies.

    It must be possible to record the amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere in the long term in a transparent and simple way to create a reliable assessment framework and avoid counting the same CO2 more than once.

    The minimum period of CO2 fixation from which a technology or NET project is recognised in terms of the Climate Strategy should be reflected.

    NETs can only be used as a supplement to the priority reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when achieving the net zero target. Therefore, it is important that separate targets apply to the reduction of CO2 emissions and to CO2 removal.

    Switzerland currently has a pioneering role in the development of NET. This competitive advantage should be further strengthened by promoting the relevant research and development, as well as demonstration projects.

  • New process enables individual design of bricks

    New process enables individual design of bricks

    Keller Unternehmungen, based in Pfungen, and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts(HSLU) have developed a process for customising bricks. It allows builders and architects new design options in series production for the visible surface of the bricks, according to a media release.

    According to the new process, the natural irregularities of historic bricks in texture and colour are brought to bear. This means that the uniqueness of a stone can be used specifically to design a façade.

    “Our goal was to revive and complement these deviations, which have largely disappeared in modern brick production,” project manager Cornelia Gassler is quoted as saying.

    With the cooperation of an interdisciplinary research team consisting of product designers, mechanical engineers and architects, modular tool attachments for the design of the brick surface were thus created. “The production of bricks is a technique that is thousands of years old,” Gassler continues. “Our approach, with its technically simple attachments, reflects that, but at the same time can be controlled very precisely thanks to modern digital control.”

    In modern industrial brickmaking, uniformity is usually sought in bricks. Cornelia Gassler initially questioned this in her Master’s thesis in 2018 and received the Master of Arts Design promotional award from HSLU for it. In 2019, this developed into the research project ExxE, funded by Innosuisse, the Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion, in cooperation with Keller companies.

    The new designs are now available under the kelesto Signa brand from Keller Systeme AG.

  • The Federal Office of Energy is funding significantly more projects

    The Federal Office of Energy is funding significantly more projects

    In 2021, the Federal Office of Energy funded a total of 79 new projects and 13 new programs as part of competitive tenders to save electricity in the industrial and service sectors and in households. The number of subsidized projects was thus significantly higher than in 2020, according to a press release . In 2020, the number of funded projects was 39 and the number of funded programs was 15.

    According to the Federal Office of Energy, this increase in projects is “at least partly due to the softened selection process in 2021”. It was introduced as an "immediate measure for projects due to the Covid 19 pandemic". In 2021, the beneficiaries received a total of 40 million francs.

    The subsidies were used, among other things, to optimize shaft heating for snowmaking systems in terms of energy, to replace a production system for drawers at a furniture manufacturer and to replace vacuum pumps in a paper production machine.

    Taken together, the funded projects and programs save 90 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. "That corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of 16,000 households," says the press release.

    The competitive tenders for 2022 have meanwhile already begun. Interested parties can submit programs until May 2nd. Applications for projects can be submitted at any time throughout the year. The entry is made online. The participants will receive confirmations and rejection of funding after four weeks at the latest.