Electricity is always flowing and the energy sector is always active – 24/7, 365 days a year. New grid projects, exciting facts about electricity, digitalisation, innovations, the environment – we regularly publish informative articles on a wide range of topics. Always up-to-date, always with our finger on the pulse. Welcome to our blog!
Crude oil has been used in Switzerland since the end of the 19th century. Again, Switzerland has always been dependent on foreign countries for this raw material.
How a unified Swiss electricity grid came into being
Electricity was never invented – it has always existed. It is a natural phenomenon. But everything relating to electricity was invented: how we produce it, how we transport it to businesses and households, and how we use it in everyday life.
When it comes to the grid of the future, the cantons are an important player too. In an interview, two experts discuss how they could play an even greater role.
In July and August, severe thunderstorms repeatedly swept across Switzerland – with hail, strong or even gale-force winds, and lots of lightning. The employees in the Swissgrid grid control rooms have to be especially attentive whenever thunderstorms are forecast. How should they react if a line is struck by lightning? Or if a branch falls on a line? Let’s take a look at their work and the difficulties they face in the summer.
A technical report commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) on the electromagnetic fields generated by power technologies has recently been published.
«As far as possible, energy should be produced where it is consumed.»
If the switch to renewable energies is to succeed, there needs to be more electrification and networking of buildings and mobility both regionally and locally. A conversation with Dr Kristina Orehounig, Head of the Urban Energy Systems department at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa).
«Price signals are probably the strongest argument.»
Electricity no longer seems to be available as a matter of course. We need to change our behaviour in order to utilise this resource in a more sustainable way. A conversation with Dr Christian Berger, research associate at the University of Bern’s Institute for Organisation and Human Resource Management (IOP).
It was at the Lucerne trade fair in April 2022 that a girl accompanied by her grandmother asked one of our employees, «But if the lines are in the ground, where do all the birds sit?» Fortunately, Switzerland is full of trees – so alternatives are available. Nevertheless, the girl was right: birds like to perch on overhead lines. Find out in our blog post whether this is dangerous and, if so, what the dangers are.
The grid must always be taken into account when installing a solar plant
Large solar plants are to be built in the Swiss mountains by as early as 2025. This represents a challenge for grid operators: they have to implement the grid connections.
Unplanned flows in the grid – a risk for Switzerland
The grid capacity of the Swiss transmission grid is precisely calculated to the nearest quarter of an hour. If unplanned electricity suddenly flows through our grid, i.e. electricity that was not foreseen in the calculations, this can cause overloads of grid elements.
Whether Sotto or Sopraceneri, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland is a captivating location with picturesque mountain scenery and deep blue lakes. Just like elsewhere in Switzerland, these landscapes must be protected. Swissgrid has taken this to heart in the Airolo – Lavorgo grid construction project.
