The Zurich cantonal building insurance company (GVZ) has restricted the use of solar panels on facades of large buildings due to fire risk. Renewable energy campaigners argue the decision is a blow to the country’s climate goals.
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Tages-Anzeiger/Keystone-SDA/jdp
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В Цюрихе ограничат масштабы установки солнечных панелей
Anyone who wants to construct a multi-story building higher than 11 metres and equip the facades with solar panels in the canton of Zurich must now prove that a fire could not spread beyond two stories. This is based on a decision by the cantonal insurance company according to a reportExternal link in the Tages-Anzeiger, which was confirmed by news agency Keystone-SDA on Saturday.
The decision was taken because solar panels were reclassified from “non-combustible” to “hardly combustible” due to the plastic connectors and foils in photovoltaic cells. This means there is a small risk of a fire.
David Galeuchet, cantonal parliamentarian from the Green Party and vice-president of Swissolar trade association, told the paper that he’s aware of 12 projects that have been rejected on these grounds.
Such extensive testing is complicated and costly that it will delay the transition to solar energy at a time that it is most needed to achieve climate goals, argued Galeuchet. “We should support such [solar construction] projects and not stall them.” The group is now looking into systematic fire tests that can convince GVZ to change their minds.
The decision comes as Switzerland seeks ways to replace fossil fuels and nuclear power by 2050. To do so it will need to generate ten times more electricity from photovoltaics than today. Nearly 60% of electricity production comes from hydropower. Nuclear power plants account for just over 30% followed by conventional thermal power. Solar power accounts for just under 4% of electricity production.
The Swiss parliament has been debatingExternal link the mandatory use of solar panels on all new buildings.
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The list of cities in the running as well as the requirements they need to meet have not been disclosed. A decision is to be made by the end of August.
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