Statistics on renewable energies in Switzerland

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Statistics on renewable energies in Switzerland

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Renewable energies will play an even greater role in Switzerland in the future. With the adoption of the Energy Strategy 2050, no new nuclear power plants may be built in Switzerland, and existing ones are to be decommissioned at the end of their safe operating life. Although electricity consumption has recently decreased, the share of electricity produced by nuclear power plants was higher in both 2018 and 2019 than in the three preceding years. To compensate for this, the Energy Strategy calls for increased energy efficiency and the further expansion of renewable energies.

Renewable energies already play a significant role in Switzerland's energy and electricity supply. In 2019, their share of final energy consumption was almost 24.1 percent. Their share of electricity generation is correspondingly high, and the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources is continuously increasing. However, a closer look reveals that the majority of electricity from renewable energy sources in 2019 was generated by hydropower plants (almost 90 percent). Hydropower accounted for approximately 56.4 percent of total electricity generation in Switzerland.
Other renewable energy sources thus represent only a small share of energy generation in Switzerland. Nevertheless, some of these sources are experiencing strong growth. For example, the energy yield of Swiss photovoltaic systems has increased steadily in recent years. The energy yield of solar thermal collectors is also growing continuously. Overall, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy estimates the solar energy potential of Swiss rooftops and facades at around 67 terawatt-hours per year and displays suitable properties in Switzerland on an interactive map.

Other renewable energy sources are still underutilized in Switzerland. The use of renewable components derived from waste generated approximately 4,545 terajoules of energy. Around 473 gigawatt-hours of electricity were generated from biomass in Switzerland in 2019. While wind power generation has increased in recent years, it continues to play a relatively minor role in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, renewable energy is promoted through a feed-in tariff system. Operators of such plants can apply for this compensation to offset the higher production costs. A grid surcharge of 2.3 centimes is levied on electricity customers to finance this system.

Statistics on the electricity market in Switzerland

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The Swiss electricity market will undergo significant changes in the coming years due to national and international developments. The Energy Strategy 2050 envisions, among other things, a phase-out of nuclear power plants, with a focus on promoting and expanding renewable energy sources. At the same time, Switzerland's geographical location gives it a crucial role in cross-border electricity transit. Furthermore, as the EU pursues the further expansion of the European internal electricity market, this will have a further impact on Switzerland. In addition, there are ongoing efforts to extend the liberalization of the electricity market to households and businesses. Large customers have been able to freely choose their supplier since 2009, but opening the market to other consumers has been postponed. However, the current draft revision of the Electricity Supply Act proposes the complete liberalization of the electricity market.

In 2018, Switzerland generated approximately 67.8 terawatt-hours of electricity. The significant increase in production between 2017 and 2019 is attributable to the recommissioning of reactor unit 1 at the Beznau nuclear power plant. Hydropower plants make by far the largest contribution to electricity generation in Switzerland. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, play only a minor role in electricity production.

Looking at electricity consumption by sector, it becomes clear that households were the largest consumers in Switzerland in 2019, with approximately 19.1 terawatt-hours. In the industrial and manufacturing sector, electricity consumption was reduced from 19.2 terawatt-hours in 2011 to 17.3 terawatt-hours in 2019. Switzerland's total electricity consumption in 2019 amounted to about 57.2 terawatt-hours. By comparison, Germany consumed 512 terawatt-hours of electricity in the same year, while Austria's consumption was just under 72 terawatt-hours (2018). Overall, Switzerland succeeded in reducing per capita electricity consumption. In 2010, it was around 7.64 megawatt-hours, while in 2019 it was only 6.67 megawatt-hours.

Switzerland is also known as an electricity hub within Europe. Its electricity import and export figures are correspondingly high compared to the amount of electricity Switzerland generates and consumes. Italy is traditionally the largest importer, while France is the largest supplier.

In 2021, household electricity costs averaged 20.5 centimes per kilowatt-hour. This includes a 2.3 centime share for the cost-covering feed-in tariff (FIT) for renewable energy. Operators of such plants can apply for this tariff to offset higher production costs. For industry, electricity prices are significantly lower than for private consumers, depending on the type of consumer.

In 2018, 338 electricity companies were counted in Switzerland. Among the largest electricity suppliers in 2019 were Alpiq Holding AG, Axpo Holding AG, the BKW Group, and Repower AG. Alpiq Holding AG alone generated revenue of approximately 4.1 billion Swiss francs in 2019.

Statistics on the energy market in Switzerland

Important note: The PDF is password protected. Please contact me. The PDF is, of course, free of charge
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German version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below
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This PDF contains editorially compiled statistics on the Swiss energy market. It provides statistics on energy consumption, generation, and trading. The energy market is further illustrated using typical industry indicators and company data. Finally, the dossier presents statistics on energy prices and energy research in Switzerland.

Related to this:

• Statistics on photovoltaics and the energy transition in Germany
• Statistics on renewable energies in Austria