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High electricity demand due to hydrogen production for the seasonal storage of significant solar power generation
sun
Photovoltaics as Main Source
By 2050, photovoltaics will generate 76 TWh of electricity in Switzerland, with 72 GW installed capacity
water
Expansion of Wind and Water
An additional 6 TWh from wind power and 1 TWh from hydropower will enhance energy security
snow_flake
Power-to-Gas for Winter Electricity
Excess solar power from summer will be stored as gas and used for electricity generation in winter
power_coord
Electrification of Transport and Heating
Fossil fuels will be replaced by efficient electric solutions in transport and buildings
Energy Mix Year
Production
Demand
Production
2025
Total generation 77 TWh
2050
Total generation 129 TWh
Demand
2025
Total demand 63 TWh
2050
Total demand 113 TWh

Pros and Cons
Pros:
    Cons:
      2050 Year

      Pros:
        Cons:
          Transition Year
          The energy mix as we transition to 2050
          Demand
          PV
          Wind
          Hydro
          Biomass
          Gas
          Nuclear
          Fossil
          2025 Year
          TWh
          Demand
          62.7
          Generation
          77.2
          Deficit
          --
          Import
          --
          Import
          --
          Import atget exceeded
          --
          Generation
          77.2
          Storage reserve used
          --
          PV
          13.3
          PV Roof
          11.8
          PV Alpine
          1.5
          PV Ground
          --
          Wind
          1
          Hydro
          35.8
          Run-of-River
          18.1
          Storage
          17.7
          Biomass
          2.2
          Biomass
          2.2
          CCS Biomass
          --
          Gas
          --
          Market-Gas
          --
          Reserve gas power plants
          --
          Geothermal
          --
          Nuclear
          23
          Nuclear
          23
          New nuclear
          --
          Fossil
          1.9
          Existing fossil fuel power plants
          1.9
          CCS Fossil Fuels
          --
          Hard coal
          --
          Challenges
          sun
          Utilizing Photovoltaic Overcapacity
          Up to 10 TWh of solar power might go unused or unexported due to limited storage capacity
          valve
          Efficiency Losses in Power-to-Gas
          The reconversion of gas from excess solar power causes significant energy losses
          wind_turbine
          Wind Power Expansion for Winter Needs
          Despite wind power expansion, meeting winter electricity demand remains a major challenge
          power_coord
          Increased Electricity Demand for Electrification
          Electrifying transport and heating significantly raises electricity demand, requiring efficient solutions

          The seasonal impact

          Looking at winter, summer, and full year in an energy scenario reveals seasonal variations in demand (e.g., heating vs. cooling) and supply (e.g., solar availability), helping optimize resource use and ensure system resilience year-round.

          Costs
          Total Costs, Revenues and Subsidies in CHF until 2050.
          Total production costs
          302 billion
          Accumulated until 2050
          Revenues
          258 billion
          Assuming an average power price of 75 CHF/MWn
          Subsidies required
          67 billion
          Remaining costs not covered by revenues
          Average cost
          10.8 billion / year
          The annual average of the total cost, 10.8 bn CHF per year, is less than 2% of the (estimated) Swiss GDP in 2024 (825 bn. CHF).
          Levelized cost
          We use Levelized costs of electricity (LCOE). Future costs may rise as cheaper plants are replaced. High demand and costly technologies like rooftop PV can further increase costs. See Expert Mode for details on technology costs.
          2020s
          2030s
          2040s
          Levelized cost (LCOE) ⌀ CHF/MWh

          Levelized Costs of Electricity

          All costs in the following section are Levelized Costs of Electricity (LCOE), a key metric for comparing energy sources. LCOE includes capital, operational, and fuel costs over a plant’s lifetime, offering a transparent view of electricity generation expenses. All values are real 2024.

          About the scenario developer
          Roger Nordmann (SP)
          Roger Nordmann (SP)
          Roger Nordmann is a member of the Swiss Social Democratic Party (SP) and a strong advocate for climate action. He is known for pushing progressive energy policies and the expansion of renewable energy in Switzerland. His focus is on reducing emissions while ensuring social fairness in the energy transition.
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          Legend

          A projection of the energy mix, demand and production for the year 2050 for the given scenario.
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          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
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          Legend

          A projection of the energy mix, demand and production for the year 2050 for the given scenario.
          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
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          Business as usual Without increased investments, winter imports will rise to unsustainable levels, making blackouts likely after the nuclear shutdown

          Legend

          A projection of the energy mix, demand and production for the year 2050 for the given scenario.
          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
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          Methodology reviewed by ETH Zürich