At Solar & Storage Live in Zürich, held in September, Solar&StorageXtra spoke to Matthias Egli, Managing Director for Swissolar.
Matthias shed some light on the most prominent solar installations in Switzerland, how the country is looking to expand its projects, Switzerland’s progress towards its energy goals, and the benefits of attending international Solar & Storage Live events.
Interview with Matthias Egli, Managing Director for Swissolar
“In Switzerland, most solar installations are built on roofs or facades which is unlike anywhere else in the world… we’re starting to explore large-scale installations like Alpine PV, which is better for winter production.”
Xtra: Talk to us about Swissolar’s mission, and any achievements over the last year.
Matthias: Our mission is essentially to get the energy transition done. We believe that, by 2050, we believe that 50% of produced energy in Switzerland will be solar energy.
There are a lot of activities we need to do. We are doing a lot of policy work, we’re developing technical standards for the industry, and we also organise educational courses which are important for the industry.
Networking and events like this (Solar & Storage Live) are also important parts of the association’s activities.
Xtra: Swissolar has been advocating for accelerated solar deployment in Switzerland. What are the key announcements or policies that have been introduced recently to support this growth?
Matthias: A new energy law was introduced in June this year. This is important for the future development of renewable energy in Switzerland.
The law makes clear its strategic goal for Switzerland of 35TWh of renewable energy in the next ten years, with 30-40% being solar energy.
The law has new specific changes, one of which is the concept of energy communities. This allows producers to sell energy directly to a community, offering better benefits and offers incentives to build new plants in a community.
Xtra: Can you share insights on any upcoming large-scale solar projects in Switzerland that Swissolar is particularly excited about?
Matthias: I don’t often discuss large-scale projects, because Switzerland is a world leader in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) installations.
In Switzerland, most solar installations are built on roofs or facades which is unlike anywhere else in the world. That’s what’s most important to Switzerland.
Of course, we’re starting to explore large-scale installations like Alpine PV, which is better for winter production.
We expect the first installation to start probably next year, which is exciting. But what’s important is that we have a lot of building-integrated systems, as Switzerland has more of these installations than any other country.
Xtra: Can you talk to us about your keynote presentation?
Matthias: This morning (17/09/2024), I talked about the market outlook for Switzerland. The Swiss market has grown strongly over the last five years, with an annual growth of around 50%.
This progress is important, and we’ve achieved a level where we’re on track to meet our political goals – it’s not impossible anymore! We are on track.
(In) the second part of the presentation, we learned more about the diversity of installations.
Like we discussed earlier, today most installations are rooftop building integrated. In the future, we also see potential in agricultural PV, Alpine PV, and more installations on infrastructure like roads, parking lots, and more. Most importantly, we aim to expand installations on building facades.
Xtra: What benefits can companies see when they attend Solar & Storage Live events?
Matthias: It (the event) is an excellent place for networking. It allows us to get in touch with energy companies, installers, and real estate firms, and also develop an international connection.
Many companies attending come from abroad, which is important and helps us to bring new innovations to Switzerland.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live Zürich, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
