Disbursements of subsidies for energy-efficient refurbishments stagnate in 2024
The disbursement of subsidies for energy-efficient renovations stagnated in 2024 for the first time since 2016 and totalled CHF 528 million. The subsidies reduced the energy consumption of buildings by 12 billion kilowatt hours and CO2 emissions by 3.5 million tonnes.
The Swiss federal and cantonal building programme, which promotes measures to reduce the energy consumption or CO2 emissions of properties, distributed around CHF 528 million in subsidies in 2024. According to a press release, the amount paid out remains at the level of the record year 2023 and has stagnated for the first time since 2016.
The subsidies for technical building systems increased by 5 per cent in 2024 to around 228 million francs (2023: 216 million francs) and enabled the replacement of 25,633 oil, gas or electric heating systems, 84 per cent of which with climate-friendly heat pumps. CHF 131 million was spent on thermal insulation projects, CHF 89 million on system renovations and CHF 23 million on district heating projects.
Energy-efficient new buildings in accordance with Minergie-P or GEAK-A/A standards received CHF 43 million last year, a significant increase of 76 per cent compared to the previous year. cHF 17 million went towards information and training projects as well as quality assurance, two thirds of which went towards the creation of cantonal energy certificates with an advisory report.
Subsidy commitments from the buildings programme amounted to around CHF 542.5 million in 2024, the majority of which (CHF 190 million) went to building technology projects and around a quarter (CHF 123 million) to system renovations.
Thanks to the federal and cantonal subsidies, measures were implemented in 2024 that will save around 12 billion kilowatt hours and 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime, according to the press release. The impact per franc of funding also improved from 152 francs per tonne of CO2 (2023) to 147 francs in 2024.