Wind Energy

Wind energy in Switzerland: 17.5 MW in 2009

Switzerland has a limited number of wind turbines, but the Jura wind farm is the first to be financed by a broad citizen base: some 600 private investors are behind the two 2 MW wind turbines. Suisse Eole predicts an increase of 200 MW of wind power by 2015.

By 2030 wind power in Switzerland could provide 2.5 percent of the national electricity supply, and by 2050 that figure will jump to 7 percent, according to Suisse Eole.

The figures show the promise of wind energy in Switzerland, although newly published international figures indicate that Switzerland is unlikely to match some other European countries’ adoption of wind power.

Switzerland, like many other nations, is an importer and exporter of several sources of energy including coal, crude oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro-electric and renewable sources like solar, wind and geothermal energy.

The development of wind energy technologies will enable Switzerland to generate and sell power to an integrated European electricity market, says Suisse Eole.

The European Union in December 2008 agreed to an integrated market plan designed to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost renewable energies by 20 percent by 2020.

Wind power in Switzerland will also provide incentives for investment and open doors for international trade, the association argues.

The country’s capacity is nevertheless limited, in large part by Switzerland not being “a windy country” reports Sebastien Vogler of Juvent SA, the country’s largest wind power producer.

http://www.suisse-eole.ch/uploads/media/CP-SuisseEole-EWEA-03022010.pdf

www.suisse-eole.ch/