At the current renovation rate of only around 1.5 % per year for residential and office buildings, the renovation of old buildings will take until the end of this century – far too long to make the expected contribution to the transformation of the energy system. This process must be accelerated. The promotion measures taken so far are proving to be inadequate.

One of the key technologies for the provision of renewable energy is Photovoltaics. Its output should be almost doubled from today until 2050. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary for further space to be made available. While PV parks in open spaces enjoy almost zero acceptance in Switzerland, existing (tourism) infrastructure facilities and, above all, building facades offer available potential. However, building-integrated photovoltaics still have a niche existence today. This is due to a lack of knowledge among building owners and architects, a lack of social and political pressure and, at present, still somewhat uncertain costs. With regard to design requirements, the range of PV panels for building-integrated applications already meets high demands today. However, the diversity of offerings is still growing, also thanks to the work of the NRP “Energy”.

The existing hydropower infrastructure requires considerable maintenance. Due to various uncertainties, however, the necessary investments are not made by the power plant owners. The precarious earnings situation in the short to medium term collides with the long-term nature of the necessary investment of several decades. The applicable concession regulations with the foreseeable threat of a reversion of the power plants from their owners to the grantors of concessions also hamper investment.

The use of hydropower finds itself in a fundamental conflict with the ecology of natural waters. Numerous hydropower plants still have a need for residual flow remediation. At the same time, the current residual flow regulations are insufficiently implemented in order to achieve the desired biodiversity goals. Retreating glaciers are opening up potential for new reservoirs. However, their use requires a comprehensive sustainability assessment. In future it will not only be necessary to assess individual plants, but also to exploit the potential offered throughout Switzerland, as part of an overall assessment, to determine where the relationship between energy use and environmental damage is most favourable. This calls for greater coordination and the consideration of all hydropower plants in equal measure.

Economic considerations only play a secondary role in the decisions taken by people when completing their daily shopping, making purchases and executing investments. The first step is a (product) choice that is strongly influenced by social norms. It is therefore often decisive whether something is socially accepted or even in vogue. Only then does the question of cost arise. For example, if e-bikes are considered “cool”, the willingness to buy this type of bike grows, even if the costs are high. This social assessment and classification plays an important role in the transformation of the energy system. And it can be utilised to advance the transformation process. Turning meaningful energy-efficient behavioural patterns into a trend therefore represents a promising and often underused strategy.

Consumers have a considerable interest in co-financing renewable energy for self-sufficiency. Protected by compensatory feed-in remuneration (KEV) and supported by local and regional energy suppliers, companies or organisations such as energy cooperatives bundle this fragmented financing. A high degree of identification with the structures close to the user proves to be a key factor. This results in a high level of acceptance for local and regional energy measures and investment in renewable energy infrastructure. From this perspective, the approximately 700 existing local and regional energy suppliers represent an important basis for the further transformation of the energy system. They enjoy a high degree of support and credibility for innovative measures and infrastructure investment, even if they are made abroad.

The current energy regime is characterised by the coexistence of the various energy sources and by an energy distribution logic based on a mono-directional supply chain (supply – distribution – use). The transformation of the energy system fundamentally changes this situation. In order to offset the fluctuations in the provision of renewable energy, it is necessary to overcome the separation of the various energy sources by means of sector coupling – specifically, for example, in decentralised multi-energy hub systems (DMES). The increasing importance of prosumers – stakeholders who not only use energy, but also provide it on a decentralised basis – is completely changing the current distribution logic. The present energy legislation, which has a strong sectoral orientation, does not do justice to these new dynamics. It makes it more difficult or even impossible to use various available technologies and to link technologies and energy sources. In many areas, it slows down the good will that exists here to drive forward the transformation of the energy system. The past shows that every energy regime needs its own specific regulatory framework conditions. Ongoing revision work on energy legislation is capable of bringing about some of the necessary adjustments. But only careful re-regulation that goes beyond the energy legislation will create the necessary room for manoeuvre in which technological potential can be realised.

The higher share of solar and wind energy in the energy system of the future will lead to more marked fluctuations in the energy supply. An agile load management system should offset these fluctuations – this will entail great technical challenges in the control system. In addition, more flexibility must be created in the energy system – in terms of space, time and the energy mix. With respect to space, the necessary flexibility can be ensured via efficient distribution grids. The planned expansion of the Swiss electricity distribution grid is therefore necessary and must be implemented accordingly. There is no need for expansion that goes beyond this. Temporal flexibility is created by storage solutions of various types – reservoirs, batteries, compressed air reservoirs, etc. The linking of the various energy sources enables flexibility with regard to the energy mix, for example with the production of hydrogen or synthesised methane using electricity from solar or wind power plants. The greater flexibility of the energy system not only requires technical solutions, but also regulatory ones. The structure of grid charges represents partly insurmountable economic obstacles for sector coupling. Regulatory adjustments can create the necessary room for manoeuvre.

In Switzerland’s federal system, all levels of government deal with energy-policy tasks relating to Energy Strategy 2050. These relate to different implementation areas at the individual levels. However, energy policy activities are not sufficiently coordinated either horizontally or vertically. The increased coordination of these activities and implementation practices has considerable potential to make the transformation of the energy system more effective and thus faster.

Cities and municipalities as well as municipal associations and regions have a great deal of room for manoeuvre to help shape and advance the transformation of the energy system – in terms of planning, organisation and communication. The scope of the municipalities goes far beyond the implementation of the energy legislation. Within the framework of usage planning, they define the planning framework, which, for example, makes possible the realisation of building-integrated photovoltaics, decentralised multi-energy hub systems (DMES) or wind turbines. As (co-)owners of local energy supply companies, they can support the introduction of “smart meters” or help to increase production capacity for renewable energy sources. In doing so, they can rely on a high level of acceptance for state ownership of the energy supply. Cities and municipalities also play a key role in the transport sector and have many competences. For example, they can help to make the distribution of goods more environmentally friendly or convert public buses to renewable energy. Thanks to their proximity to the population, cities and municipalities are predestined to make innovations in the energy sector accessible to them or to motivate the population with information and educational activities to participate in the transformation. They can also support initiatives of local associations and organisations that promote energy-saving behaviour through innovative practices. The “Energy City” and “Energy Region” programmes supported by the federal government enable an exchange of experiences and provide management instruments for the planning, implementation and measurement of a successful communal or regional energy policy.