Let's work together! - uwe - Kanton Luzern

Let’s work together!
Canton of Lucerne on the path towards
a sustainable future energy supply
April 2006
Environment and Energy
umwelt-luzern.ch

Editorial comment
The energy policy of the Canton
of Lucerne focuses on four priorities:
renovation of buildings, use
of wood energy, use of biogas,
and information/communication.
The Canton of Lucerne aims
to intensify its activities in these
areas, and is able to count on
the support of reliable partners
in the trade and industry sectors,
as well as municipalities and
associations, numerous property
managers and owners. A variety
of procedures can lead to success,
but what is required above
all is close co-operation between
the major players at all levels
(trade and industry, municipalities,
federal government, cantonal
authorities). And as this brochure
demonstrates, the first steps in
this direction have already been
taken.
April 2006
Contents
4 Benefits all round
5 Modernising the right way
6 Time to think about alternatives
7 Minergie standard – combining comfort and energy efficiency
8 Minergie-P – pioneering energy efficiency
9 Heat from our forests
10 Large-scale heat production
11 Electricity from the UNESCO biosphere in Entlebuch
12 Sewage as an energy source
13 Green power from the farmyard
14 Motor fuel from biogas
15 General information
Published by:
Umwelt und Energie (uwe)
Kanton Luzern
Libellenrain 15, Postfach 3439
6002 Lucerne
Phone 041 228 60 60
www.energie-luzern.ch
uwe@lu.ch
Concept:
Rudolf Baumann-Hauser,
Head of Energy Section
Supportet by:
Business Development Lucerne
Patrik Wermelinger
Promotion & Marketing
Alpenquai 30, 6005 Lucerne
Phone 041 367 44 00
www.lucerne-business.ch
info@lucerne-business.ch
Production:
Energie Treuhand ETL AG
Stefan Krummenacher
6039 Root Längenbold
Oerlikon Journalisten
Othmar Humm, Donald Sigrist
8050 Zurich
Photos:
Page 9, 14: photocase
Page 12: ARA Region Luzern
Page 13: Kefalas/Coopzeitung
Reference:
The editing of the english version
has been supported by the Swiss
Federal Energy Office SFOE.

We’re all in this together!
Climate protection is something
that concerns us all. Switzerland
has undertaken a commitment
to significantly reduce its CO 2
emissions by 2010, and we, the
citizens of the canton of Lucerne,
want to make our own contribution
»We’re all in this together! So let’s work
together to protect our climate and our
environment.«
towards this goal. We can do this
by reducing energy demand, using
energy more efficiently and fully
exploiting the economic potentials
of renewable forms of energy.
In the canton of Lucerne, we want
to increase energy efficiency by
constructing new buildings with low
energy requirements and improving
energy consumption in existing
buildings. In a heavily forested
canton like Lucerne, it also makes
sense to promote the use of wood
as a fuel, since it is CO 2 -neutral.
And since the structure of our canton
is primarily rural, there is also
a considerable potential for the
utilisation of biomass, especially
in the form of biogas obtained
from farms and sewage treatment
plants.
We are fortunate to have a number
of companies in our canton that
can be regarded as pioneers in the
area of energy-efficient construction.
Our ongoing campaign
aimed at promoting the use of
wood both as a building material
and as an energy source was initiated
more than a year ago. ARA
Region Luzern is the first sewage
treatment plant in Switzerland to
produce sewage gas of equivalent
quality to natural gas, and feed it
into the pipeline. We are making
progress in realising our own
goals and supporting the efforts
of the federal government, but
we also rely heavily on the strong
commitment of players in trade
Max Pfister
and industry, energy specialists,
property owners and of course all
consumers.
This brochure sets out to inform
you about ways in which you,
too, can become active, and to
encourage you to make a practical
contribution.
Our canton is on the path towards
a sustainable future energy supply.
We hope you will accompany us!
Max Pfister, member of the government
of the Canton of Lucerne.

Renovation of buildings
Benefits all round
Many buildings in our canton are
ageing and need of improvement.
Deteriorating buildings often mean
a higher energy requirement, a
lower standard of comfort, and
in some cases they may even be
structurally damaged. But most of
these undesirable consequences
can be minimised or even eliminated
altogether as the result of
comprehensive modernisation. In
this way we can ease the burden
on the environment, enhance our
level of living comfort and cut our
energy costs, as the example set by
a building co-operative in Kriens
clearly demonstrates. In the period
Thanks to intelligent modernisation,
these two apartment houses
in Kriens now consume 21,000
litres less heating oil a year – a
tangible contribution towards climate
protection.
from 2001 to 2005, »Familienbaugenossenschaft
Kriens« renovated
two apartment houses (Fenkernstrasse
19 and 21) containing
a total of 38 apartments. The installation
of modern windows and
the insulation of the building shell
proved to be highly effective. 40
square metres of solar collectors
make a valuable contribution towards
hot-water production, while
room heating now comes from an
oil-fired condensation system. As a
result of these improvements, the
heating requirements in the two
buildings have fallen by more than
40 percent.
The authorities of the city of
Lucerne want to encourage
property owners to renovate their
buildings, and for this purpose
they are offering financial assistance
as well as energy consulting
services. Further information:
www.luzern-erneuert.ch

Renovation of buildings
Modernising the right way
Structural deterioration of a building
negatively influences its value
on the real estate market, and this
applies to both commercial and
residential property. Furthermore,
sharply rising oil and gas prices
are constantly driving up heating
costs. Once a decision has been
made to modernise a building, it
is essential for the job to be done
properly. In order to preserve the
building’s value over the long
term, and thus secure an adequate
return on investment, it needs to be
modernised comprehensively and
systematically.
With a combination of heat insulation
and high quality windows
it is possible to reduce energy
consumption by half. It also pays
off to insulate the building shell,
since the basic costs for scaffolding
are the same if the façade has to
be renovated in any case, so the
only additional costs are for the
insulating material itself.
Obviously it is necessary to ensure
that the various systems and
installations are suitable for the
standard of insulation of the building.
This applies in particular to
the capacity of the heating system
and the distribution of heat at low
room temperatures, preferably via
floor heating systems or storage
radiators. The possibility of installing
systems that use renewable
energy (e.g. modern wood-fired
heating systems, heat pumps or
solar collectors) should also be
considered. Further information:
www.bau-schlau.ch
»Sustainable modernisation means reducing losses
by properly insulating the building shell, then as far
as possible meeting the building’s energy requirements
through the use of renewable forms of energy.«
Thermographic
images clearly
depict a building’s
weak
points in terms
of heat losses.
The cantonal energy planning
report calls for a programme to
promote the renovation of buildings.
This will not only result in
energy savings, but will also trigger
impulses for the economy.
Further information:
www.energie-luzern.ch

Replacement of household systems
Time to think about
alternatives
Many boilers cause air pollution
and need to be renovated
or replaced, and it is frequently
the case that heating systems are
over-dimensioned, especially in
renovated buildings. Whatever the
situation, when a heating system
needs to be replaced, a decision
has to be made with regard to the
future energy source. Wood-fired
systems (wood chips, pellets, logs)
and heat pumps are two genuine
options that deserve consideration,
especially since the prices of fossil
Making the
right choice:
overview of
household heating
systems.
fuels are likely to continue to rise
sharply. There are now plenty of
suitable systems on the market for
the utilisation of renewable energy
sources such as geothermal heat,
ambient heat and wood, and
the choice is made a little easier
thanks to quality labels. So it’s well
»A strong argument in favour of renewable forms of
energy is that they not only offer long-term supply security,
they also protect the environment.«
worth taking a look at the various
options (further information: www.
holzenergie.ch and www.fws.ch).
Those who want to continue using
the existing energy source should
pay close attention to the aspect
Tendency towards declining CO2 production Increasing investment costs
Environmental
relevance
Non-renewable
energy
Renewable
energy
Energy source
Heating oil
Natural gas
Electricity
Heat pumps
Wood
Solar energy
of energy efficiency: for example,
condensation systems yield more
heat while consuming the same
amount of fuel. In addition, an
oil or gas heating system can be
readily combined with a compact
Heating technology
Wall-mounted or standing
condensation system
Modular wall-mounted or
standing condensation system
Air/water heat pump
Heat pump with
geothermal sensor
Pellet stove
Log stove
Wood chip furnace
Separate wood-fired stove
Solar collectors: area equivalent
to 10 % of heated areas
Additional heating necessery
(e.g. wood-fired)
Hot water
Compact
solar energy
system a
good
solution
(degree of
coverage:
50 %)
Compact solar
energy system
useful,
depending on
situation
Compact solar
energy system
a good
solution
Hot water
production with
solar energy
heating system
solar energy system for hot water
production. For a single-family
house, 5 square metres of solar
collectors will provide around half
the necessary energy for supplying
the household with hot water.

This Minergie
house in Zellheim,
near Sursee,
combines
modern-day
living comfort
and low energy
consumption. Its
energy requirements
are met
by wood-fired
heating and
solar energy.
New buildings
Minergie standard –
combining comfort and
energy efficiency
»Minergie buildings combine living comfort and energy
efficiency – and are also competitive in terms of overall
costs.«
Minergie is a quality label for both
new and renovated buildings,
ranging from single-family houses
and apartment blocks to office
buildings, commercial premises and
school buildings. Minergie stands
for greater living comfort and lower
energy consumption. It specifies
targets but does not stipulate how
these have to be met. This means
that architects and planners are
not subjected to any restrictions in
terms of style and design, choice of
materials and energy sources.
A Minergie building usually costs
between 3 and 10 percent more
than a conventional structure, but it
offers enormous benefits in terms of
operating costs, maintenance and
retention of value. According to a
study carried out by the Cantonal
Bank of Zurich, after 30 years a
Minergie house is worth 9 percent
more than a conventional one.
The fact that the Minergie standard
offers numerous benefits is clearly
no longer a secret: since 1998,
some 5,000 properties have been
built or renovated in Switzerland in
accordance with Minergie principles.
Further information:
www.minergie.ch

New buildings
Minergie P – pioneering
energy efficiency in buildings
Buildings constructed on the basis
of the Minergie P standard only
consume a tenth of the energy required
by conventional structures.
And with more than 50 houses
in Switzerland, four of which are
located in the canton of Lucerne,
Minergie P is clearly leading the
way when it comes to energy efficiency
in buildings.
In addition to the ideal positioning
of the building in order to make
maximum use of solar radiation,
the Minergie P standard calls for
highly effective heat insulation and
the use of ventilation with heat
recovery.
We need more
energy-efficient
buildings like
this one: the
pathfinding
»Konstanz«
development in
Rothenburg.
In apartment blocks, these requirements
can be met through the use
of renewable forms of energy. The
»Konstanz« housing development
in Rothenburg is a prime example
of how a high level of comfort
can be combined with low energy
consumption. This housing development,
which has meanwhile
attracted attention well beyond the
canton’s borders, incorporates all
the main elements of this method
of construction: an excellent
building shell and the recovery of
heat from the ventilation system
minimise energy losses, while large
south-facing windows and solar
collectors ensure the increased
use of renewable energy. The very
low residual energy requirement is
met by a gas-fired condensation
system. Further information:
www.minergie.ch

Wood energy
Heat from our forests
There are two equally good reasons
for using wood as an energy
source: firstly, it is a CO 2 -neutral
fuel, since a tree absorbs the same
amount of CO 2 as is released
into the atmosphere through the
combustion process. And secondly,
the canton of Lucerne has a high
proportion of forest in comparison
with many other cantons.
Each year, our forests grow back
between 400,000 and 500,000
cubic metres of wood – which is
more than enough to allow the
intensive, sustainable use of wood
as an energy source. At present,
only half this potential is actually
being utilised, so the cantonal
authorities and an organisation
called Plattform Holz have joined
forces to launch a campaign
(»mehrwertHOLZ«) to promote
wood energy. In addition, the
company Lenca AG is actively
campaigning for the more efficient
use of this clean energy source.
Its aim is to optimise the entire
processing chain, from standing
tree through to end product, and
the key here lies in networking
all players on the Lucerne wood
market.
»The canton of Lucerne is actively
promoting the use of wood as a CO2-
neutral energy source, and is thus making
an additional contribution towards climate
protection.«
Each year, around 200,000 cubic
metres of wood are left unused in
the canton of Lucerne, and this reserve
would be an ideal substitute
for fossil fuels. Further information:
www.mehrwertholz.ch

Wood energy
Large-scale heat production
The canton of Lucerne has been
actively promoting the use of wood
energy for many years, and there
are now dozens of wood chip incinerators
in operation here today.
For example, a wood chip incinerator
supplies 2.5 million kilowatt
hours – which is equivalent to
250,000 litres of heating oil – to
the Schlossfeld district heating system
in Willisau. The incinerator has
a capacity of 1,000 kilowatts, and
the silo holds 375 cubic metres of
wood chips, so this facility is able
to produce an impressive quantity
of wood energy!
For more modest requirements,
e.g. in houses and small apartment
buildings, wood can also be used
as an energy source in the form of
pellets or small logs. Pellet stoves
are rapidly gaining in popularity,
and models are now available on
the market for both manual and
automatic operation. Further information:
www.holzenergie.ch
»Wood can be used as an energy source in
the form of chips, logs or pellets.«
The municipality
of Willisau heats
with wood chips
and supplies
heat to twelve
(in some cases
large-scale)
public buildings.
10

The Feldmoos
wind power
generator near
Entlebuch turns
a powerful force
of nature into
clean electricity.
Wind energy
Electricity from the UNESCO
biosphere in Entlebuch
Wind energy is both clean and
elegant. The Feldmoos wind power
generator in the municipality of Entlebuch
is both environment-friendly
and efficient. Its 3-blade propeller
has a diameter of 52.2 metres,
and the tower height at the hub is
60 metres. This impressive structure
may be regarded as a symbol for
renewable energy: thanks to a
combination of engineering expertise
and entrepreneurial action it is
possible to produce energy from a
constantly renewable source, to the
benefit of both the economy and
the general population. Further
information: www.windpower.ch
11

Biogas
Sewage as an energy source
At the beginning of 2005, a pilot
project of national importance
was launched in Lucerne: roughly
25 percent of the approximately 2
million cubic metres of sewage gas
produced at the ARA Region Luzern
sewage treatment plant is now being
processed so that it can be fed
into the natural gas pipeline. As a
motor fuel for gas-powered vehicles,
this ecological gas substitutes
almost 400,000 litres of petrol,
and the remainder is used in the
normal way for the production of
heat and electricity. The pilot facility
in Lucerne is the first in Switzerland
to process sewage gas in this way,
and it will yield useful findings for
the operation of additional biogas
production plants in the future.
»Together with the Coop Naturaplan and Swiss Farmer
Power projects, the pilot sewage gas processing plant
operated by ARA Region Luzern represents a further
important step in research into the production, refinement
and utilisation of biogas.«
The ARA Region Luzern sewage treatment plant produces sewage gas of
the same quality as natural gas and suitable for use as a motor fuel.
What exactly is biogas?
Biogas is a gas mixture comprising
two-thirds methane and
one-third carbon dioxide. It is
produced in special facilities in
which bacteria break down biomass
and release gas. Suitable
forms of biomass include liquid
manure, sewage sludge, organic
waste and a variety of specially
cultivated plants and crops.
Biogas can be used in a broad
variety of ways: for example,
as a natural fuel it is suitable
for the production of electricity
and heat in block-type thermal
power plants, in which a
motor fuelled by biogas drives
a generator, and the resulting
waste heat is used for heating
purposes. Further information:
www.biomasseenergie.ch
12

Retailer Coop is supporting 50
small-scale biogas production
plants throughout Switzerland in
the form of financial contributions
amounting to 50,000 Swiss francs
each. In order to qualify for this
support, the facilities are required
to process substrate resulting from
Coop’s »Naturaplan« production.
The first such facility to receive
financial support from Coop is
in Altishofen. It hopes to attract
additional investors by inviting
»Working in close
harmony with nature
– new opportunities for
rural areas«
Biogas
Green power from
the farmyard
Meinrad Pfister and Thomas
Hunkeler from Altishofen believe
in green power from the farmyard:
the biogas production facility they
are currently developing is the first
of a total of 50 to be established in
Switzerland within the scope of the
Coop Naturaplan programme.
anyone who is interested to pay
it a visit and see how it functions.
Co-operative operations like this
have the best chances of success
if they are located in an area with
a high density of livestock farming
and breeding. Within the scope of
the Coop Naturaplan project, five
to ten biogas facilities are expected
to be established in the canton of
Lucerne alone, which will produce
a total of 6 to 12 million kilowatt
hours of electricity. The canton
of Lucerne and SwissEnergy are
both partners of the Naturaplan
programme.
Further information: www.coop.ch/
naturaplan-fonds
13

An organisation called Swiss
Farmer Power is engaged in an
ambitious project in Inwil aimed
at producing biogas from liquid
manure and mulch. They aim to
convert more than 35,000 tonnes
of liquid manure, dung and mulch
a year into biogas with an annual
energy content of around 10 million
kilowatts. The process also
yields around 5,000 tonnes of
fertiliser. The produced biogas is
then refined and fed into the local
gas pipeline. The overall quantity
Processing liquid manure and mulch
Motor fuel from biogas
It’s amazing
how much
energy can
be produced
from dung and
manure!
of biogas produced in this way
is sufficient to fuel a vehicle fleet
with more than 1,000 gas-powered
cars that each travel around
12,000 kilometres per annum.
The system is expected to be up
and running by the beginning of
2007. This exemplary project combines
ecological and economic
benefits in a number of ways. The
processing chain utilises renewable
energy obtained from agriculture,
while the entire region benefits
from the resulting added value.
Further information: www.swissfarmerpower.ch
14

www.energie-luzern.ch
The Environment and Energy
Competence Centre of the Canton
of Lucerne and the energy
offices of the cantons of Central
Switzerland offer a broad range
of information services and training
courses, and they also organise
special events for developers
and property owners. Details can
be obtained from the respective
web sites (www.energie-zentralschweiz.ch
and www.energieluzern.ch).
Examples:
►Further education courses for
employees of the cantonal
authorities
►In-house training for architects
►Further education courses for
janitors and employees of technical
services evening
►conferences (»energy apéro«)
focusing on issues relating to
energy efficiency and renewable
energy
►Information sessions for house
owners (together with organisations
such as the Lucerne section
of the Association of Swiss
Homeowners)
Useful Internet addresses
www.ara-luzern.ch
www.bau-schlau.ch
www.ckw.ch
www.energieantworten.ch
www.energie-apero-luzern.ch
www.energieetikette.ch
www.energie-luzern.ch
www.energie-schweiz.ch
www.energiestadt.ch
www.energie-zentralschweiz.ch
www.erdgas.ch
www.erneuerbar.ch
www.ewl-luzern.ch
www.fws.ch
www.geothermal-energy.ch
www.heizoel.ch
www.hev-schweiz.ch
www.holzenergie.ch
www.itz.ch
www.kgl.ch
www.lucerne-business.ch
www.minergie.ch
www.solarbegeistert.ch
www.solarsupport.ch
www.swissoil.ch
www.swissolar.ch
www.topten.ch
www.umweltberatungluzern.ch
www.waermekraftkopplung.ch
ARA Region Luzern: sewage treatment plant that produces energy from sewage
Intelligent renovation of buildings and assessment of energy consumption
Electricity supply and services in Central Switzerland
Hints on saving energy
Public energy-related events (»energy apéro«) at Lucerne railway station
Energy label for household appliances and motor vehicles
Environment and Energy Competence Centre of the Canton of Lucerne
SwissEnergy programme of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE)
Label for municipalities that promote efficient energy use and renewable energy
Enforcement, training, legislation, forms
Information about natural gas
Information about renewable energy
»Energie Wasser Luzern«: energy and water supply and services
Information about heat pumps
Information about geothermal energy
Information about heating oil
Information about the Association of Swiss Homeowners
Information about wood heating systems
»InnovationsTransfer Zentralschweiz« (innovation transfer in Central Switzerland)
Site of the Trade and Commerce Association of the Canton of Lucerne
Lucerne Business Development
More comfort, less energy consumption: label for energy efficiency in buildings
Campaign promoting the use of solar energy for heating and hot water
How to install your own solar collectors
Association of Swiss Fuel Traders
Information about solar energy
List of the most energy-efficient appliances
Advice on energy and the environment for private individuals and companies
Information about combined heat and power
15

N
»In the heart of Switzerland – Lucerne«
Leader in renewable energy projects
ITZ InnovationTransfer Central Switzerland
Willy Kuechler, Manager
Technikumstrasse 21
6048 Horw/Lucerne
Phone 041 349 50 60
www.itz.ch
wk@itz.ch
Further information, assistance,
lectures, etc.
Environment and Energy
Competence Centre (uwe)
Canton of Lucerne
Rudolf Baumann-Hauser
Head of Energy Section
Phone 041 228 60 75
www.energie-luzern.ch
rudolf.baumann@lu.ch
Order no. 902040
Environment and Energy
umwelt-luzern.ch