Construction represents a key area for sustainable energy use, according to the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA), and the Energy Strategy 2050 would require architects and engineers to take action in this regard. “They have to use the energy required for a building in an economical and efficient manner, and a substantial proportion has to come from renewable resources,” writes the SIA.

The professional association is in favour of the new Energy Act, which will go to voters in a referendum on 21 May. It proposes putting renewable energy on equal footing with other national interests, which the SIA regards as a prerequisite for “the rapid expansion of fossil-free energy generation”. It also regards the promotion of decentralised energy supply via expanded self-consumption as a step in the right direction as this would “promote innovative energy concepts, allowing for a particularly efficient consumption of locally produced energy on site”.

The Energy Act would also reward investments in efficient energy consumption. For instance, overall building technology is included in the Energy Act, which means that targeted measures with a large impact and good cost-benefit ratio can be implemented. The current legal regulations, in contrast, only support improvements to the building envelope.