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%.
Pro-Palestine uni protests to be debated in Swiss parliament
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The Swiss People’s Party says it will launch two postulates calling for clarifications about the recent student protests and occupations.
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A 36-year-old man from Ticino lost his life on Saturday in Val Malvaglia, in the north of canton Ticino, during a wingsuit jump from a plane.
Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church numbers dropping in French-speaking Switzerland
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As in German-speaking Switzerland, the number of members of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland is also declining.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
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The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
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Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
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With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
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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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