Housing and utilities among energy prize winners

The architecture of Erlenmatt Ost in Basel is designed to conserve energy. Pictured here: Signalstrasse 23/25, Galli Rudolf Architekten Ralph Feiner

Five Swiss innovations have been named winners in the annual Watt d’or competition awarded by the Federal Office of EnergyExternal link.

On Thursday, the energy office presented awards in five different categories. The winning projects were selected from 44 applications submitted last summer.

Energy technologies category

This award goes to DEPsys and IBB Energie for the smart-grid platform GridEyeExternal link, which uses software to measure and control the flow of energy.

“The platform helps grid operators integrate ever-increasing amounts of decentrally-produced fluctuating energy into the grid,” explains the energy office.

Renewable energy category

dhp technology and IBC Energie Wasser Chur got this prize for their floating and collapsible solar power plantExternal link at the Chur wastewater treatment facility.

“The plant produces 540,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which covers around 20% of the electricity requirement of the facility,” writes the energy office.

Energy-efficient mobility category

Railway company BLS and the University of Basel teamed up to cut the energy consumption of trains.

“The impressive results of the campaign led to a comprehensive modernisation programme for 36 NINA suburban trainsExternal link that will be completed in 2019. In this way, and by using further efficiency measures for the remainder of the railway rolling stock, BLS saves about 13 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, an amount equivalent to the annual consumption of 3,000 households,” states the energy office.

Buildings and space category

Habitat Foundation and ADEV Energiegenossenschaft have been recognised for Erlenmatt Ost,External link a sustainable housing development in Basel.

“By the end of 2019 about 500 occupants will live in the area, in more than 200 apartments. One thing is clear now: the district is lively, colourful and sustainable and entirely in harmony with the tenets of the 2000-Watt Society,” enthuses the energy office.

Special transition prize

This goes to NESTExternal link, a “living lab” created by Empa, Eawag and dransfeldarchitekten and meant to help accelerate innovation processes for buildings.

“One particularly attractive unit is the fitness and wellness facility which is entirely solar powered and uses six times less energy than a conventional spa,” remarks the energy office.