Alpiq’s programmes for the promotion of electricity efficiency are performing successfully. They target energy-intensive industrial companies with the goal of tapping into energy-saving potentials. Since 2014, Alpiq has advised some 40 industrial companies on the development and realisation of such potentials. In total, over the coming years, these customers will save around 34 million kilowatt hours of electrical energy. They will thus reduce their electricity purchasing costs by around CHF 5 million.
For many of the approximately 40 energy-intensive industrial companies, Alpiq implemented load control systems from Xamax. The Swiss specialist for die-cast metal and builders’ hardware Mega Gossau AG, for example, optimised its galvanising bath temperatures and ventilation systems to achieve electricity savings of around four percent. Many customers converted the lighting in their production halls to efficient LED lights, and electroplating companies replaced their old rectifiers with more efficient electronic models. Alpiq has packaged its energy efficiency measures in the two programmes OPTIMO plus 2014 and OPTIMO plus 2015.
The Swiss Federal Office of Energy promotes electricity efficiency with financial contributions. In total, almost CHF 500,000 in funding was granted from the federal ProKilowatt incentive programme to implement the efficiency measures at the 40 industrial companies. This ensured that the efficiency measures were economically viable and attractive for the industrial customers.