
Winterthur is turning to solar power from the local area
Seven out of ten households in Winterthur currently have access to solar power from their local area. This is provided by 155 local communities, which bring together 535 of the 2,500 solar installations in Winterthur. The federal government supports local consumption by offering a

The City of Biel believes it is on track to meet its climate targets despite the obstacles
The city of Biel is well on its way to becoming climate-neutral in its administrative operations by 2040 and across the entire city by 2050. However, to achieve these goals in the long term, public participation is becoming increasingly

Zurich Soft Robotics installs a Solskin façade on the KELLER Diamant building
Zurich Soft Robotics GmbH is carrying out its largest project to date using its Solskin façade technology. An adaptive building envelope comprising 3,500 modules covering 1,300 square metres has been installed on the KELLER Diamant building in Winterthur. The façade combines dynamic shading with

Strategic reorientation with a focus on energy and technology
Margarita Aleksieva will take over as Head of BKW's Energy Production division at the beginning of April. She will also be promoted to the Group Executive Board. The current Head of Wind & Solar at the Bern-based energy supplier will follow in the footsteps of Philipp

Hydrogen can do a lot, but not everything
Hydrogen is supposed to heat houses, power cars and save industry. That sounds like a simple solution to a complex problem. The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research has now evaluated more than 100 studies and the result is clear: hydrogen is not a panacea, but a targeted tool.

Five stones, 220 apartments, one future
On April 2, 2026, a stone fell on one of Baden's last large building land reservoirs - five to be precise. The Brisgi site in the Kappelerhof district entered its decisive phase with a symbolic laying of the foundation stone. Around 220 affordable apartments will be built here by 2028, providing a

Largest solar power plant in the canton of Zurich goes into operation
The Zurich Cantonal Electricity Board (EKZ) has installed a solar power plant on the roofs of the Embraport with a total capacity of up to 4.5 megawatts. A further 1 megawatt and a large-scale battery are in the planning stage. The plant is operated and maintained by

Aargau Verkehr is relying on its own electricity supply for its electric buses
Aargau Verkehr AG has installed a solar power system at the bus depot in Fahrwangen in collaboration with AEW Energie AG. The system has been generating solar power since March. It is expected to be fully operational by the time the new electric buses are launched in October


Expansion of the district heating network strengthens the energy supply in Baden and Ennetbaden
Regionalwerke AG Baden is commencing work on the expansion of the Ennetbaden district heating network. The aim is to ensure a long-term, climate-friendly heat supply as part of the journey towards the net-zero target. Two construction phases are planned between 20 April and 31

District heating project boosts energy supply in Adligenswil
EBL Energie Rigi has broken ground on the connecting pipeline between the Haltikon energy centre and the Adligenswil district heating network. The pipeline is the first phase of construction for the expanded heating network. It will enable the outdated heating plant in Adligenswil to be

The Swiss market for battery storage is growing rapidly
In Switzerland, around 555 new battery storage systems were installed in 2025. This brings the total number of storage systems connected to the grid to 1,451. This is according to Swissolar’s Battery Monitor 2026. The association expects this figure to rise to 2,461 installed systems by

Major contracts are boosting the building construction business both at home and abroad
The construction group Implenia has secured several building contracts in Switzerland and Germany with a total value of 310 million Swiss francs. These include the Jardins en Ville development in Vevey (VD), projects for sustainable housing, and contracts in the justice, education, research and

Sawdust is said to keep the fire at bay
Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology are developing an insulation material made from sawdust that can be used for fire protection. The material, which is mixed with minerals, is intended for use in fire-resistant interior

Renovation project focuses on the circular economy and reducing CO2 emissions
Sika is supporting the HIL Living Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) during the first three phases of the project. The teaching and research building for architecture and construction sciences (HIL) is being renovated and extended as a real-world case study for circular

Proptech in the life cycle
Today, digital technologies accompany properties through all phases of their life cycle. From the initial investment idea through construction and operation to refurbishment, decarbonisation and demolition. Proptech solutions make data usable, reduce costs and emissions and open up new services for

New district heating network makes efficient use of waste heat and water from the Rhine
AEW Energie AG has begun construction of a district heating network in Augst. With an investment of 8 million Swiss francs, AEW aims to ensure a sustainable heat supply for the region from the 2026/2027 heating season onwards. The plant is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,200 tonnes per

District heating networks are becoming increasingly important for urban energy supply
Researchers at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) are working on the development of thermal networks. In the face of global warming, these are becoming increasingly important for cooling densely built-up cities. In this context, the university held a seminar with participants

Swiss construction project focuses on sustainable earthen architecture abroad
The new Swiss Embassy in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, is being built using locally sourced clay in an environmentally friendly way. A mineral activator from Oxara transforms the clay into pressed bricks. In this way, Oxara makes circular, low-carbon clay construction faster, simpler and

The circular economy is gaining in importance in the construction and civil engineering sectors
INDUNI has developed a three-stage approach to the reuse of reinforced concrete. This approach takes into account the future use of concrete elements right from the demolition stage. The company is also supporting the 10th anniversary of the Matériuum association, which is committed to the

Partnership drives smart urban development in the region
The City of Thun and the Smart Regio Thunersee association have agreed to collaborate. The aim is to promote sustainable urban and regional development through innovative means. This includes initiatives such as cargo bikes and the circular economy in the construction

Climate project establishes CO2 storage within the building materials cycle
The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has registered zirkulit Beton AG’s climate protection programme for the permanent storage of CO₂ in circular concrete as a project aimed at increasing domestic carbon sequestration capacity. It comprises several CO₂ storage facilities operated by

The city is exploring new approaches to reducing waste and resource consumption
The Government Council of Basel-Stadt is considering launching a pilot project with Pretty Good to facilitate the drop-off of used items at recycling points. In doing so, it is following the example set by Bern and Zug. It intends to involve the local second-hand and repair sector in the

New building standard defines climate neutrality across the entire life cycle
Climate-friendly buildings that can demonstrate net-zero status over their entire lifecycle are to be awarded the Minergie Net Zero standard. The new label was unveiled by Minergie and is intended to accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral construction. The aim is for Switzerland to achieve

Local energy cooperatives are driving the expansion of solar energy
ewz has attracted 6,000 customers for its new product, ewz.solarquartier. Around 130 local electricity cooperatives feed their locally generated solar power into the grid, which is then consumed within the neighbourhood. The Zurich-based energy supplier is thus providing incentives for the use of

Who pays, who lives, who benefits?
How social are Swiss real estate portfolios really? Until now, this question has remained a contentious issue without a data basis. The SOSDA Benchmark 2025 fundamentally changes this. For the first time, an empirical framework provides reliable figures on the social performance of residential real

Data partnership transforms decision-making processes in the property portfolio
The Zurich-based proptech start-up OPTIML is combining its decision intelligence platform with the sustainability data infrastructure of Scaler, a New York-based company that also operates in Europe. This is intended to make it easier for institutional property investors to manage their assets in a

Wind measurements provide the basis for new energy projects
Zürich Wind will begin taking measurements in Zünikon during the week of 16 March. The 125-metre-high measurement mast will be used to collect data on wind conditions and bat flight patterns. Two further masts in Ossingen and Rickenbach (ZH) are set to

