Switzerland’s Energy Transition

Alpine glaciers have lost about 60% of their volume since the mid-19th century. Image source

When you think of Switzerland, what comes to mind? Is it the majestic Alps, the pristine ski slopes, or perhaps, indulging in a warm, gooey fondue after a day on the pistes? But Switzerland is not just about postcard-perfect landscapes and delicious cheese; it's a nation synonymous with innovation. From the indispensable Swiss Army Knife to the ingenious Velcro, the Swiss knack for inventiveness knows no bounds.

But today, we're interested in a different kind of innovation - Switzerland's energy transition. It's a journey as Swiss as it gets, intertwining the country's commitment to precision, efficiency, and environmental stewardship, all the while maintaining that high quality of life the Swiss are known for. While fondue might not directly fuel Switzerland's green future, the spirit of sustainability certainly melts into every aspect of this transition. How is Switzerland reshaping its electricity mix to transform its buildings, transport, industry and agriculture towards net-zero emissions using cutting-edge Swiss technologies?

Melting glaciers

Switzerland's motivation to tackle climate change is vividly etched in the rapidly changing landscape of its famed Alpine region. The retreat of the Alpine glaciers is a stark reminder of the urgency for action. Since the mid-19th century, these icy giants have lost about 60% of their volume, unavoidable evidence of the warming climate. But it's not just the glaciers that signal change; the very essence of the Swiss winters is transforming. Snowfall is becoming rarer. At elevations of 2,000 meters, snowfall has decreased by 20% since 1970, and at lower altitudes of around 800 meters, it now snows only half as often as it did back then. This decline in snow not only shortens the ski season, a cornerstone of Swiss culture and economy, but also signals profound ecological shifts. For Switzerland, action on climate change is not just a global responsibility but a national imperative to preserve its natural heritage and the very lifestyle that defines it.

Where do Switzerland’s emissions come from?

Switzerland's journey towards eliminating its carbon footprint is already off to a promising start, thanks in part to its already low per capita emissions compared to the European standard, and even below the global average, which is unusual for such a wealthy country. This is largely because of its rich natural hydro resources. Hydroelectric power makes up over half of its electricity mix. Most of the rest is nuclear energy at 30-40%.

However, Switzerland is not without its challenges. The country's cold winters mean a lot of energy to heat buildings and mountainous terrain makes infrastructure projects more complex, impacting sectors from transport to energy distribution. Emissions in Switzerland are generated by transport, accounting for 32%, followed closely by the building and industrial sectors, each contributing 24%. Agriculture is responsible for 16% of emissions. With a commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 and an intermediate target of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030, Switzerland has some big changes to make.

Switzerland's greenhouse gas emissions by sector. Source: Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

Decarbonisation Strategies

Electricity

Switzerland's electricity grid is already relatively clean, made up of over 97% renewables plus nuclear. But despite this, it’s set to undergo a major transformation. The country is moving to phase out nuclear power—a decision largely influenced by the Fukushima incident in 2011 and preceding challenges in gaining public support for new nuclear projects. Switzerland's approach is more measured compared to some, opting to let existing nuclear facilities operate until the end of their natural lifespan.

The country has four nuclear reactors totalling 3 GW, that, until recently, generated up to 40% of its electricity. In a decisive move a few months after the Fukushima accident, parliament resolved not to replace any reactors, and that decision was reinforced by a 2017 referendum.

To fill the impending void left by nuclear energy, Switzerland is turning to renewables, particularly solar power, which has recently seen rapid adoption. In 2023, the country installed 1.5 GW of solar, bringing total installations to 6.2GW and contributing about 5% to the national electricity output. With the expected installation of 2 GW new solar annually through 2027, solar power is on track to quickly supplant the nearly 3 GW of nuclear power, which currently accounts for just under 30% of Switzerland's electricity.

Much of the policy support for solar is aimed at integrating distributed solar energy into the grid, with the intention to open up opportunities to create district system solutions and support electric mobility packages. This focus on solar might sound like a strange thing for a country like Switzerland to be pursuing. In Australia, 1 in 3 houses are equipped with solar panels but snow does not cover most of the country for months of the year, and there are no hundreds of historic villages whose beauty needs to be preserved. What is Switzerland thinking? Turns out they are thinking very differently to traditional rooftop solar. Some examples are building integrated photovoltaics which blend into roofs nearly invisibly made by 3S Swiss Solar Solutions. This company also makes panels you can use on a lovely balcony or façade, whose vertical surface will never be covered by snow and can grab the winter’s low angle sun.

The 3S solar panel is another Swiss innovation that blends sustainability with cutting-edge technology. Source: 3S Swiss Solar Solutions

These building integrated photovoltaics are a gorgeous example of Swiss innovation. Instead of orienting panels to capture the most possible energy over the year, which would mean maximising mid-day summer capture, instead they can be oriented to maximise capture throughout winter and especially in March and April are when the hydro reservoirs are at their lowest. Orienting solar panels to be most efficient at that time will have a lot more impact than optimising for summer production when there is already plenty of production from hydro and solar.

Clever orientation of solar panels can’t completely overcome the variable nature of solar though. It is a fact that the sun sets and it doesn’t shine as bright in the winter.

To deal with that, there is hydro. Hydroelectric power has long been the backbone of Switzerland's electricity supply. 693 hydropower plants collectively generate around 37,000 gigawatt-hours annually, more than half of consumption. The hydro production is almost evenly split between run-of-river (48.4%) and storage power plants (47.4%), with a smaller contribution from pumped storage facilities (4.2%).

Looking to the future, hydro’s potential as energy storage needs to be maximised. That means dam upgrades, mostly raising dam walls to increase the amount of energy storage, and especially adding pumped hydro capacity so that they can turn excess solar power into stored energy to use when they need it. On a daily basis that means in the evenings when the sun has set. It also needs to be there for cloudy days and weeks. And seasonally, they need enough dam storage left to get through to the end of winter.

One of the most ambitious projects underscoring this strategy is the Nant de Drance facility, which was completed in 2022 after 14 years of construction. It is a massive pumped-storage plant nestled between the Emosson and Vieux Emosson reservoirs near the French border. It is 900MW and 20,000 MWh, which means 22 hours of storage at full output which makes it one of the largest of its kind globally.

Switzerland’s planned increase in hydropower storage capacity is not just a domestic affair; it holds significant implications for the broader European energy landscape. During summer months, Swiss hydro often produce more electricity than the country consumes, leading to exports when it’s not really needed by the rest of Europe which means it’s sold at low prices and doesn’t contribute to Europe’s energy security as well as it could if the timing could be better controlled. The rise of wind and especially solar energy exacerbates this surplus, creating a more pronounced disparity between summer production and consumption.

By augmenting the storage capacity of its alpine lakes, Switzerland could more effectively vary hydropower production in response to the availability of wind and solar energy. This enhanced flexibility will not only benefit Switzerland but also positions the country as a key provider of dispatchable power to Europe, facilitating the whole continent's transition to more variable renewable energy sources.

In an era marked by the accelerating retreat of glaciers due to global warming, Switzerland is also exploring the construction of new dams in areas formerly occupied by these icy giants. Glaciers have traditionally served as a natural reservoir for Europe, storing water during the colder months and releasing it gradually throughout the year. However, with the majority of these glaciers sadly expected to vanish within the coming decades, the proposed dams aim to replicate this critical function in terms of water storage and with the additional benefit of energy storage and generation.

Development of power generation by technology outlined by Switzerland's Long-Term Climate Strategy report. Source: Prognos/TEP Energy/Infras/Ecoplan (2020)

Buildings

Moving from the electric grid to buildings, we encounter one of the primary contributors to Switzerland's carbon footprint. Heating is a fundamental necessity given the country's alpine climate, and it has traditionally relied on gas and heating oil, making buildings responsible for 24% of the nation's emissions. Switzerland's goal is eliminate emissions from buildings by 2050. This sector has already seen significant progress, with a more than 20% reduction in emissions, driven in part by the introduction of a CO2 levy on fossil-based heating fuels.

The strategy for decarbonizing the building sector hinges on two main pillars: the transition to low-emission heat sources and improving energy efficiency. Fossil fuel heating is being replaced with heat pumps and renewable energy sources, and there will be a shift away from inefficient, decentralized heating solutions towards local and district heating systems.

Equally important is the drive towards improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Switzerland is setting its sights high, aiming to minimize the energy consumption of its building stock to the lowest technically feasible levels. New constructions and replacement buildings are expected to adhere to stringent energy efficiency standards, offering homeowners incentives to enhance insulation and reduce energy wastage.

Development of the energy consumption of households by energy source outlined by Switzerland's Long-Term Climate Strategy report. Source: Prognos/TEP Energy/Infras/Ecoplan (2020)

Transport

Because emissions from buildings have already declined a decent chunk, transport has now emerged as Switzerland's largest source of greenhouse gases. The nation's strategy to tackle this challenge aligns with global trends, centering on the electrification of ground transport.

Digitalization complements this shift by promoting remote work and digital collaboration, reducing the need for travel and thereby cutting energy consumption. A significant shift from road to rail also forms a critical part of the strategy, along with minimizing unnecessary travel and enhancing sustainable transport options, like cycling.

Industry

Industry is the hard part of the transition. Everything mentioned so far should be able to completely decarbonise without too much trouble, but decarbonizing industry is not as straightforward. Process heat, the primary source of industrial emissions in Switzerland, can be substantially decarbonized but after that is done, Switzerland still expects to only halve emissions from industry. The stubborn remainders are primarily from sectors like cement production, waste incineration, and the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries. The path forward for these sectors is complex and will require new solutions as outlined below.

Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the most iconic aspects of Switzerland and makes up 14% of Switzerland’s emissions. If you think of Switzerland in the summer, you probably think of cows and that is indeed where the bulk of their agricultural emissions come from, with methane from digestion making up about 45% of agricultural emissions. Soil management and manure storage also contribute significantly through nitrous oxide and methane emissions. Technological interventions, such as optimizing fodder and more precise fertilizer application, offer some mitigation potential.

However, most of the reduction in emissions from agriculture is expected to come from lifestyle changes: eating less dairy and beef, and less food waste from households. That was a bit unexpected coming from the country that intentionally invented and promoted fondue as a means to increase dairy consumption and support cattle farmers. With all their planned measures in place, that should lead to somewhere between a one third to two thirds reduction in emissions from agriculture.

CCS and negative emissions

All the measures mentioned earlier don’t quite get Switzerland to net zero. There are still emissions left from places that are technically hard to decarbonise, like waste incineration, cement production, chemicals and agriculture. What is the plan for that?

The plan for waste incineration starts with improving sorting to improve recycling rates – the Swiss are already keen recyclers so this part makes sense. And then for whatever incineration remains, they say they’re going to add carbon capture. Similarly for the cement industry, carbon capture and storage, CCS, is considered essential to get rid of emissions.

CCS involves separating CO2 from point sources like flue gases or cement kilns and then transporting it to be stored permanently underground. It’s a controversial technology because there are a lot of examples of failed CCS projects over the past few decades, and very few examples of successful ones. It’s made even more challenging for Switzerland because they don’t have good domestic storage potential, so the CO2 would have to be transported over long distances. It’s also expensive, transporting CO2 is risky and the public generally don’t like it.

Three main steps in CCS: capture, transport and store.

For the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and agriculture, the challenge to get rid of the final bit of emissions there is even harder. CCS is not feasible due to the lack of concentrated CO2 point sources. These sectors are likely to continue emitting, and will need Negative Emission Technologies such as direct air capture, DAC, to balance out these unavoidable emissions. It just so happens that one of the leading DAC companies, Climeworks, is another example of Swiss innovation.

Climeworks launched the world's first commercial direct air capture plant on a Swiss waste incineration facility's roof in 2017. The plant used waste heat to power the machines and the captured CO2 was used by a nearby greenhouse and to produce sparkling water for Coca-Cola. So that particular plant wasn’t a negative emissions technology as all the CO2 ended up back in the atmosphere, and it ceased operating in 2022. Now Climeworks has shifted focus to permanent underground CO2 storage at its Orca plant in Iceland, and that is very likely to be how Switzerland approaches its negative emissions too, with projects abroad where storage is easier.

Legal action

It is easy to make emissions reductions targets and claim that negative emissions from abroad will mitigate any residual local emissions. However, a recent legal finding has made it clear that nice words and vague plans are not enough, and actual emissions reductions are required because Switzerland is not on track.

The European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that Switzerland has failed to meet its obligations to protect its citizens from the effects of climate change, in a case brought by a group of older Swiss women, who argued that their rights were being violated due to the country's insufficient action on climate change. These women highlighted the particular vulnerability of older people to the effects of rising temperatures, and the court agreed with them.

Switzerland has promised to “in good faith, implement and execute the judgment,” which means coming up with ways to significantly enhance its domestic emissions reduction efforts and probably also adjust its reliance on international carbon credits.

The court's decision against Switzerland marks the first time an international human rights court has ruled on climate change, which might seem to suggest Switzerland is uniquely lagging in climate action. Climate Action Tracker assess countries reduction targets and whether they are on track, and they find that Switzerland’s overall rating is “insufficient” like the rest of Europe, with the exception of Norway who are “almost sufficient”. Norway is on track for reductions in line with 2 degrees warming if everyone did as much as Norway, but not 1.5 degrees.

Beyond the borders of Europe, the majority of the world's nations are classified as either "highly" or "critically" insufficient in terms of their climate action. This decision speaks not only to the situation in Switzerland but also reflects broader trends across Europe and the entire world. It is a big deal about the finding, because this precedent seems very likely to influence future climate litigation across Europe and likely inspire similar cases elsewhere.

Conclusion

As we wrap up our exploration into Switzerland's approach to energy transition, we return to where we began: a nation known for its landscapes and innovations. The journey ahead for Switzerland, like any, holds challenges and opportunities. However, given the country's ambitious goals, we can maintain a hopeful outlook for the success of its energy transition.

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