Free solar power for everyone: Swiss mega plans are causing a stir!

Free solar power for everyone: Swiss mega plans are causing a stir!

Swiss researchers at the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute (Empa) have presented an ambitious idea that is causing a stir: a “basic solar supply”. Its goal is to offer free solar power to all citizens, financed by public funds. This innovative proposal was published in the trade journal *Progress in Energy* by Harald Desing, Hauke ​​Schlesier and Marcel Gauch.

As part of this concept, every citizen in Switzerland should receive a personal electricity budget of 500 watts, which corresponds to around 4,400 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. However, in order to achieve this goal, around 58 billion Swiss francs would have to be invested. This sum corresponds to around one percent of Switzerland's gross domestic product and could be used to install photovoltaic systems on around a third of all roofs in the country over the next five years.

Sustainable approaches and challenges

The proposal also envisages using alternative areas such as parking lots, noise barriers and areas along highways to install solar systems. The researchers want to create an ecologically and socially sustainable system that also benefits tenants and people with low incomes, as previous subsidies mainly benefit owners.

However, many questions about implementation remain unanswered. Critics criticize the lack of energy storage in the model, which makes the supply of electricity at night problematic. While the researchers argue that energy storage would make the energy transition more expensive, the research team focused on optimizing electricity consumption during the day.

Economic considerations

Financial concerns are also raised. The 58 billion francs could alternatively be used to build new nuclear power plants that continuously supply electricity. However, the researchers counter that the expenditure could be paid off within six to seven years, particularly by eliminating fossil energy costs of around 20 billion francs annually. Solar power has high potential in Switzerland because there is suitable roof space and good solar radiation.

In summary, it can be said that the expansion of photovoltaic systems in Switzerland is becoming increasingly important and can make a significant contribution to electricity supply in the long term. The Innovative Proposal for “Basic Solar Supply” represents a forward-looking idea that could appear promising in the current debate about renewable energies. According to study author Harald Desing, these basic services are viewed similarly to essential services such as roads, education, water supply and sewerage and could play a crucial role in future energy policy.

For more information read the full article Mercury and up Swissinfo.