WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

organizations, and public and private agencies. It has
already made a positive impact, significantly improving
energy efficiency and increasing the proportion of
renewable energy, while becoming a major driving force
behind innovation in Switzerland's economy. 4
The term ‘renewable energy’ refers both to
conventional hydropower and to other ‘new’ forms of
renewable energy. The proportion of the latter to
Switzerland's overall energy consumption is still very
modest today, but thanks to technological progress,
increasing economic competitiveness and the positive
image of renewable energy, its growth prospects are
excellent, both in the near future and over the long
term. The introduction in 2008 of remuneration at cost
for input into the grid will give electricity from
renewable energy sources a considerable boost.
On 23 March 2007, the Parliament revised the Swiss
Federal Energy Act at the same time as it adopted the
Swiss Federal Electricity Supply Act. The revised Energy
Act stipulates that the production of electricity from
renewable energy sources must be increased by at least
5,400 GWh by 2030. It also contains a package of
measures for promoting renewable energy and efficient
electricity use. Here the most significant measure
concerns cost-covering feed-in tariffs for electricity
produced from renewable energy sources. The sum of
around 247 million Swiss francs (about US$261.5
million) per annum will be available for offsetting the
difference between remuneration and market price.
This form of remuneration is to apply to the following
technologies: hydropower (up to 10 MW), photovoltaic,
wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass and waste
material from biomass. The tariffs for remuneration for
electricity from renewable energy sources (green
power) have been specified on the basis of reference
facilities for each technology and output category.
Remuneration will be applicable for a period of 20-25
years, depending on the technology. A gradual
downward curve is foreseen for these tariffs in view of
the anticipated technological progress and the fact that
it will be possible to bring more and more of these
technologies onto the market. These reductions will
only apply to registered production facilities, which will
then receive remuneration on the basis of a constant
tariff throughout the entire period of remuneration.
Producers who decide in favour of the cost-covering
remuneration option cannot simultaneously sell their
green power on the free ecological electricity market.
The provisions governing cost-covering remuneration
are laid down in the amended Swiss Federal Energy
Ordinance and came into effect on 1 January 2009.
Facilities that were put into operation after 1 January
2006 can benefit from this form of remuneration, and
their operators can register these facilities with
Swissgrid (the national network operator). Information
about the registration procedure can be found on the
Swissgrid website. 5
Legislation on small hydropower
The framework conditions for hydropower development
are defined within different Federal Acts and Decrees.
The most important are Bundesgesetz über die
Fischerei, (Federal Act of fishery), Gewässerschutz-
Gesetz (Federal Act of water protection), Natur- und
Heimatschutzgesetz (Federal Act of Nature and
Homeland protection), Umweltschutzgesetz (Federal act
of environmental protection), Raumplanungsgesetz
(Federal Act of spatial planning) and Waldgesetz
(Federal Act of Forestry protection).
Water usage rights are awarded by the Cantons,
sometimes even at district or community level. It is
within their responsibility to assess the legality and
sustainability of the project. This decentralization leads
to different decision practices from location to location.
Barriers to small hydropower development
In each canton, the procedure to obtain water usage
rights is different, which makes it a challenge for
investors and planners for every single project. In some
cantons, the water usage rights are awarded even at
community level (but normally need at least acceptance
from the canton). This requires a lot of experience to
assess the feasibility of a project and the required steps
for implementation.
Since the introduction of the new FIT, the sector is
booming and caused work overload at planning offices
and public authorities. The water protection
stakeholders feared many new water constructions and
the loss of the remaining natural open water bodies.
Public authorities reacted with guidelines for the
assessment of a project, which protects on one hand
natural regions but stopped as well sustainable planned
projects without considering them in detail.
Due to the high demand for engineering services and
hydropower equipment prices rose drastically and
stopped projects because of the lack of profitability.
References
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2012). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook.
2. Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
MeteoSwiss (2008). Swiss climate - A Short Overview.
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