Newsletter

We will keep you up to date by providing you with information in a nutshell - three times a year (only in German).

Energy company benchmarking analysis 2021/2022

How are energy companies faring with regard to renewables?

, | Jan. 27, 2023


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When it comes to energy efficiency and expanding the use of renewable energies, electricity, heat and gas suppliers play an important role. The latest energy company benchmarking analysis shows where energy companies have already done a great deal – and where a fair bit can still be done. 

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Navigating Report 2021

Blockchain makes verifiable data for climate protection projects possible

, , , | Feb. 21, 2022


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Preventing illegal logging, tracking energy production, and correctly allocating emissions under the polluter pays principle – all of this is possible with blockchain technology. The new Navigating Report 2021 from the Climate Ledger Initiative presents the results of climate-related pilot projects making use of blockchain and other innovative digital technologies.

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Climate protection

Negative emission technologies and emission certificates: Options for the city and canton of Zurich

, , | Nov. 5, 2020


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In the future, both negative emission technologies and trade with international emission certificates are options for municipalities and cantons to reach their climate change mitigation targets. What is their potential, and how suitable are they for the city and for the canton of Zurich on the path to net zero emissions?

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National Research Programme

Businesses still have room for improvement on energy management

, | April 25, 2018


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In Swiss industrial and service companies, energy management is often limited to analysing own energy consumption and to calculating the costs and savings of any efficiency measures. It has little impact on investment decisions, however, as a study as part of National Research Programme NRP 71 shows.

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Network Supplement Refund: From 500 up to 1500 Eligible Companies, Depending on the Implementation F

, , | Sept. 12, 2016



An energy-saving target agreement with the Swiss Federal Government, a share of more than 5% electricity costs per gross value added, and a refund amount of at least CHF 20'000 per year: Under these conditions, large commercial or industrial end users are entitled to a refund of their national network supplement for the promotion of renewable energies.

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Approaches to an opening of the Swiss gas market

, | Jan. 18, 2016

The study examines different variations of market openings. Besides a fully opened market, it also analyses variations with a gradual opening over a period of time or with a differentiation of the opening in regard to customer attributes e.g. the exclusion of market access for households. Furthermore, the issue is being discussed, whether a basic gas supply is necessary at all. The study also evaluates the impacts of a market opening in relation to the economy, the society and the environment. The analyses carried out show that with a continuation of the opening of the gas market, there are positive effects on the economy and the private households to be expected. Moreover, the greatest potentials for efficiency gains can be achieved by a complete opening of the market.

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Second Benchmarking of Energy Suppliers

, | Nov. 17, 2015

Are Swiss energy suppliers fit for the energy future? Answers to this question provides the benchmarking of energy suppliers which INFRAS and Brandes Energie have carried out for the second time on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (BFE). On the basis of practice-related criteria from seven fields of action, the benchmarking compares the different contributions of the energy providers regarding more energy sufficiency and renewable energies.

The results show developments towards an energy turnaround. However, they also indicate that there is still potential for improvement and further action: On average, the participants reach 49% of the goals defined in the benchmarking. As already in the first benchmarking, the differences between the particular energy providers vary to a great extent.

62 companies have voluntarily participated in the second benchmarking – altogether they cover 58% of the Swiss sales volume.

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Key drivers for energy efficiency in industries?

, | July 13, 2015

The research project «M_Key» was started in October 2014 as part of the Swiss National Research Programme «NRP71 Managing Energy Consumption» and is planned to be terminated in autumn 2017. Partners of INFRAS are the University of Neuchatel and Impact Energy Inc. The overarching objective is to gain a better understanding of the determinants of energy-efficiency investments in Swiss companies. The project targets large energy consumer firms in Switzerland in the industrial and services sectors and aims at testing the main hypothesis that energy management significantly raises companies' assessment of the strategic character of energy-efficiency investments. Core elements to answer the research questions are a large national survey, face-to-face interviews and a small number of case studies among/with Swiss large-scale energy consumers.

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