Maximum additions of wind and alpine PV as well as more hydro power balance strongly increasing demand. Few imports needed.
Lots of wind and alpine PV
Maximum buildout of alpine PV and wind to match strong increase in electromobility and heat pumps
~150 turbines each year
Adding ~150 wind turbines each year strongly increases renewable winter production
PV: alpine only
Focus PV build-out on the alps to maximize contribution in winter. No roof-top added
Some hydro added
Addition of hydro where possible, focus on storage plants
Low import dependency
Only little imports needed thanks to strong domestic build-out
Energy Mix
Production
Demand
Production
2024
Total generation 78 TWh
2050
Total generation 127 TWh
Demand
2024
Total demand 70 TWh
2050
Total demand 112 TWh
The assumed electricity production and demand in 2050
Transition
The energy mix as we transition to 2050
Demand
Import
PV
Wind
Hydro
Biomass
Nuclear
Fossil
Challenges
Expensive scenario
Alpine solar and hydro additions are expensive, the scenario adds a lot of them
Public opinion
Big shift in public opition needed to build a lot of wind and alpine PV
Weather dependency
System quickly gets more weather-dependent with wind, solar and hydro
About the scenario developer
Georg Schwarz (ENSI)
Georg Schwarz, the former Deputy Director of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), is an expert in energy systems and sustainability. Through his blog, georgschwarz.ch, he presents scenarios for a climate-neutral Switzerland. His approach emphasizes replacing fossil fuels with heat pumps for heating and electric vehicles for mobility. Unlike other models, Schwarz’s scenario takes a more conservative stance on energy savings and efficiency gains, projecting a significant increase in electricity demand—about 80% higher by 2050.
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