Welcome to IEA Wind Member Country Activities for Switzerland

By the end of 2010, 47 wind turbines were operating in Switzerland with a total rated power of 42.3 MW. These turbines produced 35 GWh of electricity. Since 1 January 2009, a “Cost-covering feed-in-tariff” (FIT) for renewable energy has been implemented in Switzerland (1). This change of politics in promoting wind energy led to a boost of new wind energy projects. The installed capacity multiplied within one year by 2.3-fold from 17.8 MW to 42.3 MW. By the end of 2010, 17 new turbines with a mean rated power of 1.9 MW were installed. Financing was requested for additional 1,212 MW under the FIT scheme. The targets for 2010 (100 GWh/yr) will indeed not be achieved, but based on the rapid development in 2010, wind energy capacity installed has a potential energy yield of about 74 GWh/yr. The vast majority of these turbines were installed by utilities.

In Switzerland, an ancillary industry for wind turbine manufacturers and planners has developed, which acts mainly on an international level. The total turnover is about 1.4 million euro (1.88 million USD). Wind energy research is conducted by the public research institutions, such as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), as well as by experienced private companies. Research activities are internationally cross-linked, mainly in the fields of cold climate, turbulent and remote sites, and social acceptance.