Confederation: Great potential for renewable energy use
Already, 88% of the electricity and 40% of the thermal energy consumed by the federal government and federal-related businesses comes from renewable sources. A new report shows that the potential could be much higher.
The federal government is fulfilling its exemplary role as part of the first package of measures under the Energy Strategy 2050. By 2020, it aims to increase energy efficiency by 25% compared to the base year 2006. The above-mentioned stakeholders have joined forces to form the Confederation as a role model for energy and have already exceeded this target with an efficiency increase of 26.7% (see media release dated June 29, 2016). Without further efforts, however, there is no guarantee that this value can be maintained or even increased in subsequent years.
The Confederation also wants to make progress in the use and self-production of renewable energies. In mid-2014, the Federal Council therefore invited the players in the Confederation as a role model for energy to carry out corresponding potential analyses. They are to show to what extent and at what cost renewable energies could be produced on their sites and buildings. The consolidated report on the individual potential analyses is now available.
Electricity potential
Today, the stakeholders of Energy Role Model Confederation consume 1,444 gigawatt hours of electricity per year (GWh/a). 88% (1,277 GWh/a) come from renewable sources, 10% (139.4 GWh/a) of which from self-production. The potential analyses show a realistic potential to expand self-production of 232.4 GWh/a. The greatest potential is for solar energy, followed by hydro and wind power. More than 50% of this potential is shown by the DDPS. With the realistic potential, the share of renewable electricity self-production in the total electricity consumption of the actors could be increased from the current 10% to 26%. To note: The electricity used to operate the railroads (traction current) is not part of the potential analysis. More than 90% of the traction current already comes from renewable energy.
The investment costs for exploiting the entire realistic electricity potential are estimated at around 370 million Swiss francs, most of it for photovoltaic systems.
Heat potentials
Today, the actors of Energy Role Model Confederation consume 917.4 gigawatt hours of thermal energy per year. 40% (370.3 GWh/a) come from renewable sources, of which 70% (261.5 GWh/a) are self-produced. The potential analyses show a total technical potential for renewably generated heat (and cooling in the ETH Domain) of 438.0 GWh/a. The largest technical potential lies in the use of environmental energy with 35%, followed by wood with 30%. The economically feasible potential could only be partially determined. However, it is clear that, from today's perspective, only less than a third of the technical potential can be exploited in an economically viable manner.
If existing heating systems have to be replaced in the next 20 to 30 years and 50% of the technical potential is to be tapped in the process, this will lead to additional investment costs in the amount of 59 million francs. For waste heat recovery, heat recovery from biomass (CHP) and the use of environmental energy in the ETH Domain, the additional investment costs are estimated to be at least 215 to 230 million Swiss francs.
Barriers
For all players, the greatest obstacle to implementing the potentials is the provision of the required investment funds. This also applies to solutions that are economical over their entire lifetime, since the initial investment is usually higher than for conventional solutions. In the case of large plants that also produce energy for external customers, one obstacle is that funds are tied up outside the core business. Furthermore, there are sites that would be very well suited for electricity production, but the players do not have their own electricity needs. Since the civilian federal administration, the ETH Domain and the DDPS have no mandate to produce and sell energy, the potential at such sites cannot be exploited at present.
Further procedure
The stakeholders of Energy Role Model are to develop action plans for dealing with the identified potentials and barriers by the end of 2017. In doing so, cost-effectiveness is to be taken into account. Regular reports on progress will be made within the framework of the Federal Government Energy Role Model Coordination Group.
Source: SFOE
