One thing seems clear: a secure and affordable energy supply improves living conditions and enables stable production processes for goods and services. Energy access for all is therefore key to sustainable development, reducing poverty and protecting the climate. Switzerland is committed to developing pragmatic and concrete solutions to these challenges, especially in the areas of air quality and energy efficient buildings. Until very recently, the pursuit of energy access for all has relied on centralised heavy infrastructure like power plants and distribution grids. Digital and other technologies are changing this, and more local, flexible solutions are now beginning to spread to the four corners of the world. We are seeing the emergence of decentralised storage solutions, microgrids and energy management platforms for connected devices. Working with Leclanché, one of the world’s leading battery storage solutions companies, Switzerland is in a position to offer solutions like these.

Capturing CO2 in the air for long-term storage

Simple and effective, the technology developed by Climeworks involves using giant ‘hoovers’ to capture airborne CO2 in order to store it sustainably in the ground and thus combat global warming. The company raised CHF 600 million in early 2022, and its technology is currently being used in a pilot plant in Iceland. The CO2 captured is mixed with water before being sent 700m underground. When brought into contact with volcanic rock, the carbon dioxide is transformed into a limestone, which no longer poses any danger to the environment. A second facility, around ten times larger than the first, was commissioned in early summer 2024. Others are planned in the United States, Kenya, Canada and Norway. In the United States, Climeworks has been shortlisted to build three capture facilities, for which the US government plans to provide a total of USD 600 million in funding. By 2050, the Zurich-based company aims to remove at least one billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby making a significant contribution to the fight against climate change.

Solar Facades with Style

Together with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), Solaxess has developed a nanotech film that is taking the construction industry by storm. The film can be applied directly onto solar panels to obtain a white or coloured surface without affecting the efficiency of the panel. It works like a selective mirror, scattering visible light to create a white surface while allowing infrared light to reach the solar cells behind. Surfaces covered in the innovative solar film are both more attractive than conventional solar panels and help to insulate the building. Solaxess panels are already in use on the exteriors of buildings in China, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.

The Ecological Alternative to Polystyrene Insulation

Fixit is the world’s first company to market an aerogel for the environmentally-friendly thermal insulation of buildings. Composed of minerals and over 90% air, Fixit plaster is ideal for the renovation of listed buildings to 21st century standards, reducing their energy consumption. Its high water vapour permeability prevents mould. The aerogel is an environmentally-friendly alternative to polystyrene insulating panels, which are neither recyclable nor renewable. The Fixit Group is already present in 19 European countries including Russia.

Access to Electricity for All

1.6 billion people in the world are not connected to an electric grid. The Studer Innotec company develops a range of inverters; a power electronic device that makes it possible to flexibly manage the power flow between renewable production – mostly solar – and consumers. This system ensures a continuous supply of electricity by alternating between a battery, renewable energy production and sometimes the grid. Studer Innotec inverters, which are widely used in Africa and Asia, have proven ideal for isolated areas. They are also used in off-grid buildings, such as mountain huts, in-vehicle systems and emergency power supplies for hospitals and industry.