Swiss sign agreement to build China’s first zero-energy building
The technology is already well established in Switzerland by the Minergie A standard used in buildings like the Federal Institute for water supply, wastewater treatment and water pollution control (EAWAG).
Keystone
Switzerland’s minister for energy Doris Leuthard oversaw the signing of a declaration to build a zero-energy building in Beijing using Swiss cleantech technology.
The project called “Swiss House Sunlon” is backed by Swiss companies and will be the first zero energy dwelling in China. The technology used in the building will come from the Swiss cleantech sector and is meant to serve as a showcase for Swiss innovation in the country.
The agreement was signed on Thursday in the presence of Leuthard by the Swiss companies and the Chinese partner New Legend.
According to the La Liberté paper, the four-storey building will serve as an office for Swiss, Chinese and foreign small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and will have a floor space of almost 18,000 square metres. There will also be conference rooms, exhibition areas and a space for shops. The project cost is estimated at CHF140 million ($141 million).
The building will be PlusEnergy certified, which means it will produce as much energy as it consumes via technologies already well established in Switzerland by the Minergie A standardExternal link. The project still needs to be approved by the local authorities.
Following the official signing of the declaration of intent, a Swiss architecture firm will present the concept to the Beijing authorities.
More
More
Why are Swiss-Chinese relations so close?
This content was published on
Hardly a month goes by without a Chinese minister or delegation visiting Switzerland. An ambassador explains why.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss businesses in China upbeat after record export year
This content was published on
Just 5% of business leaders anticipated lower export figures this year, according to the preliminary results of the 2018 Swiss Business in China Survey, which were released Tuesday by Swiss Centers ChinaExternal link. Full results from the survey of 108 Swiss and 440 Chinese business respondents will be published in March. + China tops export destination…
This content was published on
Swiss companies exported machinery product in the value of CHF1.45 billion ($1.46 billion) to China and Hong Kong in the first six months of 2018.
This content was published on
As of June 2015, all refugees from Tibet are automatically assigned a Chinese nationality on their residence in permits in order to conform with Switzerland’s official position on Tibet being a part of China. Prior to this, resident permits bore Tibet or Tibet (China). “Since Switzerland does not recognise Tibet as an independent State but…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.