Faced with the explosion in demand, the Federal Council must increase the installation of photovoltaic solar panels in Switzerland. Guest on Thursday in La Matinale, Jacques Mauron, CEO of Groupe E, delivers his analysis of the country’s energy strategy and the many challenges to be met.
Among the motions adopted by the National on Thursday is an accelerated installation of solar panels along national roads and railroads. “Any drop of water is good to take, but we must be aware that photovoltaics alone will not be enough to solve the electricity shortage”, relativizes Jacques Mauron, managing director of Groupe E, producer and distributor of Swiss electricity.
Because if the photovoltaic produces three quarters of its energy during the summer, its production remains insufficient during the winter. “If we had completely carried out the energy transition, we would not be suffering from this dependence on Russia today”, points out the specialist. As he explains, the energy transition must also go through the energy efficiency of buildings, particularly in terms of insulation and through the development of other renewable energies.
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canceled orders
In addition, and while demand is only increasing, the photovoltaic sector suffers from a shortage of personnel and equipment. The reason: fear of a blackout and soaring electricity prices linked to the war in Ukraine.
In Aigle (VD), the small company Swiss solar facility engineering faces a chronic lack of equipment. “Often, the model received is not the one originally planned. Delivery times last between six and eight months. Before, there was always stock”, testifies Samuel, who is at the head of this company, at the microphone of the RTS.
The ongoing Covid crisis in China is also weighing heavily on the entire industry. “Overnight, container deliveries can be cancelled. We then spend hours on the phone to find solutions, which leads to an overload of work”, continues the engineer.
>> Listen to the report from La Matinale à Aigle:
Shortages that Jacques Mauron sees rather favorably. “There is a real awareness of the need to achieve this energy transition. Now, you have to be able to keep up.” And for good reason: requests from individuals to obtain federal grants amounted to nearly 9,500 for the first four months of the year, or 40% more than last year.
If the orders are linked, the recruitment of qualified personnel remains very complicated for the specialized companies. Indeed, there is currently no established sector in the profession. A situation that the Federal Council wants to correct with the creation of an apprenticeship in the field of photovoltaics. A roadmap in this direction has already been drawn up.
Risks of shortage not excluded
The Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom) for its part announced on Thursday that electricity prices will rise sharply at many suppliers next year. Uncertainties also remain on the security of supply next winter and shortages cannot be ruled out.
According to ElCom, for a five-room household with an average annual consumption of 4,500 kilowatt hours, the price of electricity would rise from around 21 cents per kilowatt hour in 2022 to almost 25 cents in 2023, i.e. an additional financial burden of around 180 francs per year.
>> The explanations of La Matinale:
However, the differences may be greater in some cases. To lighten the bill, simple gestures exist. “Lowering the temperature of the heating has an efficiency on the price, we are talking about 6% savings per degree less on these energies”, specifies Jacques Mauron.
Interview by Valérie Hauert
Web texts: Hélène Krähenbühl