Switzerland’s national rail system has been recognised for its innovative approach to regulating electricity consumption that could serve as a blueprint for the country’s grid.
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Sistema ferroviario suizo, entre los ganadores del premio de energía
Swiss Federal Railways has developed an IT system that temporarily switches off heating in carriages when they are full during peak hours. In this way, the railway network says it will be able to flexibly manage the consumption of 70 megawatts of power by 2023.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) has awarded its annual Watt d’Or prizeExternal link to the Railways along with two other Swiss energy-saving projects in the fields of agriculture and construction.
A group of farmers in canton Zug, who formed the company Verora, are fellow recipients of the prize for their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.
Verora designed and built a system for burning vegetation to create a type of charcoal known as biochar. This is added to livestock feed to reduce the amount of gases cattle produce when digesting their food.
It is also credited with producing more nutrient-rich fertilizer for crop production.
The RaumRaster prefabricated building design, created by the company schaerraum, has also been recognised by Seco this year. This comprises of a wooden structure, made of local materials, fixed onto a concrete base.
When combined with smart energy systems, the building skeletons are said to produce 50% more energy than they consume.
The construction allows houses to be built within eight months at a cheaper cost than traditional construction methods. The company says this could reduce rent prices by up to 20%.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
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The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
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The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
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Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
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Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
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New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
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In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
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Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
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Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
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From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
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‘Farting archaeobacteria’ awarded Swiss energy prize
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Flatulent bacteria, electric vehicles and a supply network for greenhouses are among the winners of this year’s Watt d’Or competition.
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Canton Zurich’s utility company EKZ won the Energy Technology category for designing road lights, linked to sensors, that increase or reduce the amount of light produced according to the volume of traffic. The system, designed with technology company Schréder, can save a third of the energy consumption used in street lighting. Also honoured during the…
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Lutz, who took a prize in the building category, is one of the pioneers of putting ecology and sustainable development into architecture. The Federal Energy Office, which makes the awards, decided to honour the recipients of its “energy Oscars” with a glamorous ceremony earlier this month in the Swiss capital, Bern. “This honorary prize awards…
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