More and more solar plants, heat pumps and charging stations are being installed in Switzerland. What does this mean for the distribution grid? We asked two specialists from Energie Thun AG.

The relationship between Switzerland and the EU poses challenges for all Swiss electricity market players. In the summer of 2023, the Federal Council adopted benchmarks for a negotiating mandate with the EU, thereby driving forward the relationship. The decision on the negotiating mandate is now imminent. In an interview, Marc Ritter, CEO of AEW Energie AG, explains the significance of this development and of a potential electricity agreement with the EU for a Swiss power supply company.

Possible power shortages, power system failures, blackouts – these were topics of much discussion last year. Why is the electricity grid reaching its limits and what is Swissgrid doing to counteract this?

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.

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.

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).

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.