Finally the warming sun above the sea of fog at Giferspitz
#Gstaad in front of a beautiful winter panorama.
Sustainable energy
«Suveranity depends not on having a lot, but on needing little» (Niko Paech)
The holiday region Gstaad is striving to generate more and more energy from water, sun and wood residues and to use more sustainable energy. Sustainable energy refers to the use of energy sources and technologies that can be used in the long term without negative impacts on the environment and future generations. A lot of pioneering work was done and innovative ideas implemented a long time ago.
For example, the hydroelectric power station in Gsteig has been in operation since 1959 and as early as 1988 the municipality of Saanen, together with a number of private individuals, opened the first district heating plant in Saanen.
Gstaad Saanenland Tourism also obtains 100% of its electricity from renewable energy, mainly from Swiss hydropower.
Forest for immersion and refuelling
The power of wood
Almost 400 buildings are heated with wood from the nearby forests and demolished buildings. The heat from the three district heating plants in Saanen, Schönried and Gsteig is used to supply most public buildings (schools, administrations, etc.) and hotels, as well as some private houses.
This reduces CO2 emissions by 8'700 tonnes, or 4 - 4.5 million litres less heating oil are needed per year.
The power of water
Almost 9'000 households are supplied with clean and renewable energy from the two hydroelectric power plants in Gsteig and Lauenen.The Sanetsch hydroelectric power station produces around 40 Gwh of clean, renewable energy per year. In addition, the small hydroelectric power plant in Lauenen supplies around 1'000 more households. The Sanetsch power plant was presented as an official construction project as early as 1920. After political and social obstacles, however, the path to realising the power plant was not cleared until 1959.
Fantastic mountain lake with a view.
Autumn atmosphere with a sea of fog and sun over Turbachtal valley
The power of the sun
In the holiday region Gstaad, two different systems are used for sustainable energy generation - hot water production and electricity generation. Two local companies are leading the way and are pleased that more and more people are turning to CO2-neutral electricity and heat generation.
solarUp energie GmbH plans and builds photovoltaic systems for electricity production. They installed about 270 systems by the end of 2022 and thus 1'400 households obtain their annual electricity from renewable energy. So far they have covered an area of about 30'000 m2 with panels.
Local company Zmotec Solartechnick GmbH has specialised in solar thermal systems for hot water and for heating support since 1997. They have equipped more than 430 roofs with systems, which together cover an area of 8'600 m2.