Promotion of geothermal energy in Switzerland: a recent programme for a long-term task

In 2001, a 10-year programme called ‘‘SwissEnergy’’ was initiated by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, mainly devoted to a more efficient use of energy, with specific tasks such as energy saving, reduction of CO2 emissions and a definitive increase in the contribution of renewable energies. The Swiss Geothermal Society (SGS) was therefore given a mandate to promote the application of geothermal energy at a national level. The main objectives of their programme are to develop a sound image for geothermal energy in general, to disseminate information on the various technologies already in use all over the country and to illustrate the future potential of this sector. All entities involved in the energy sector are to be called on to collaborate in the programme, including the Federal Office of Energy, local utility companies and energy agencies, as well as the various networks present in the field of renewable energy (geothermal, sun, wind and biomass). The programme covers all the geothermal resources and technologies available in Switzerland, such as borehole heat exchangers, groundwater wells, foundation piles, thermal springs, deep aquifers and warm tunnel drainage waters. The programme is organised into five activity modules, i.e. Information, Basic and continuous education, Marketing, Quality insurance, and Consulting services. Three Regional Promotion Centres (RPC) have also been set up in the three linguistic regions of Switzerland, one in the German-speaking region, one in the French-speaking region and one in the Italianspeaking region. The staff consists of 13 part-time experts. The strong interest and favourable reception given to all aspects of the Swiss geothermal promotion programme during its first 2 years of activity have confirmed how important it is to disseminate information on energy matters. # 2003 CNR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved