Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) reports a remarkable uptick in requests for energy-efficient renovation grants in 2022. The Building Program, jointly funded by the Swiss federal and cantonal governments, allocated a record 425 million Swiss Francs (CHF), marking an 18% increase from the previous year.

Since its inception in 2010, the Swiss federal and cantonal buildings program has been championing energy-efficient building renovations, renewable energy adoption, waste heat recovery, and building service technology optimization. It has played a pivotal role in helping Switzerland achieve its national climate goals.

In 2022, cantons channeled 425 million CHF into renovation and construction projects, with a significant portion directed towards building systems, up by 31% compared to 2021. Notably, thousands of heating systems were upgraded, with a substantial majority transitioning to heat pumps. Energy-efficient insulation projects received generous funding, while system upgrades and centralized heating projects also saw substantial increases in support.

For 2023, alongside the cantonal contributions (up 24% from 2022), the federal government granted 414 million CHF in Global Contributions from CO2 earmarking, resulting in a record 633 million CHF for energy consumption reduction and CO2 emission mitigation.

These initiatives collectively saved billions of kWh and millions of tons of CO2 emissions over the year, with an improved cost-effectiveness rate per ton of CO2.

Link to the news source