Targets for expanding renewable energy are realistic according to study
Published: Wednesday, Jan 10th 2024, 10:20
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According to a new study, Switzerland's green electricity targets are realistic. The targets are technically achievable without nuclear energy and large fossil-fuel power plants, the universities involved announced on Tuesday.
The research consortium Sweet Edge (Swiss Energy research for the Energy Transition) has investigated various options for achieving the goals of the Federal Act on a Secure Electricity Supply with Renewable Energies, or Mantelerlass for short, which was revised by the Swiss Parliament in September 2023. The consortium brings together researchers from the Universities of Geneva and Bern, EPFL and ETH Zurich.
The framework decree provides for the expansion of renewable energies to 35 terawatt hours (TWh) per year by 2035. This corresponds to around half of Switzerland's expected electricity requirements for 2035. In the report, the researchers defined three possible strategies for achieving this target.
More solar systems
According to the report, the expansion of photovoltaic solar systems is crucial to achieving the targets. However, where these photovoltaic systems are installed can vary: Only on roofs and facades or also on open spaces in open, undeveloped areas, such as in the Alps. However, according to the report, the expansion of photovoltaics on roofs and façades alone is not enough to achieve the targets.
According to the report, one possibility is to combine solar systems with a variety of other technologies. For example, with wind turbines and energy generation from waste. The researchers see another possible strategy in combining solar systems with storage batteries for self-consumption on private roofs. According to the universities involved, this strategy would require more active involvement from citizens, but would have the advantage of avoiding certain less accepted technologies.
Costs and new jobs
The third option mentioned by the researchers is to place solar and wind power plants in the most efficient locations possible. The majority of solar energy would be concentrated in Alpine communities, particularly in Valais and Graubünden, as the University of Bern wrote in the press release.
Depending on the strategy, the researchers anticipate that investments of between 1.4 and 1.7 billion Swiss francs per year will be required between 2023 and 2035. According to their calculations, however, this would also create up to 57,000 new full-time jobs.
©Keystone/SDA
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