Parliament decides on solar obligation for large new buildings
Bern - National- und Ständerat haben sich auf die Einführung einer Solarpflicht für grosse Neubauten geeinigt. Eine generelle Solarpflicht auch für Umbauten wird dagegen abgelehnt. Bei weiteren Punkten des Mantelerlasses Energie bestehen weiterhin Divergenzen zwischen den beiden Kammern.
The National Council voted 98 to 95 in favour of making solar energy compulsory for new buildings with a roof and façade area of more than 300 square metres. It thus followed a minority vote of its Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy, the parliamentary services inform in a press release. An extension of the solar obligation to include conversions was rejected. The decision of the National Council corresponds to a decision already taken by the Council of States in the context of the discussions on the Energy Mantle Decree.
However, the two chambers have not yet been able to reach an agreement on other points of the Energy Mantle Decree. Deviating from the Council of States, the National Council on Monday continued to support a solar obligation also for car parks above a certain size. With regard to the residual water regulations for hydroelectric power plants, the National Council voted for a stricter limitation of the exceptions than the Council of States. However, there is agreement on the planning of hydropower plants whose residual flow would run through a protected area of national importance. Such projects should not be excluded from the outset.
The federal law on a secure electricity supply with renewable energies, known as the Energy Coat Decree, serves to implement the energy turnaround. In order to avert the danger of a shortage of electricity as quickly as possible, the Energy Decree should be passed by the councils this autumn, if possible, according to a statement by Energy Minister Albert Rösti. After the National Council’s vote, the bill now goes back to the Council of States.