The Valais Energy Demonstrators, one step closer to the energies of the future

The development of clean energies is increasing in Valais. The Canton has indeed granted its support to demonstrator projects in the field of Energy on its territory and within the Energypolis Campus through a dedicated fund, up to a total amount of 5 million francs. At this stage, the first six projects selected, which have been the subject of a rigorous selection process involving reviews by independent international experts, have obtained total funding of 10.2 million francs, of which 5.9 million from third-party capital and 4.3 million from the Canton of Valais.

The systemic demonstrator on a cantonal scale

The systemic demonstrator is intended to make the Valais region the preferred test area in Switzerland and Europe in terms of energy. Unlike the neighborhood demonstrator, the systemic demonstrator aims to provide an experimentation platform at the canton level. It therefore implies greater openness to Valais issues and solutions in the field of energy and requires a “bottom-up” approach”.

The district demonstrator, at city or regional scale

The aim of the district demonstrator is to prove the viability of the technologies developed on the Energypolis Campus, in particular CO2 management. The CO2 is captured, transformed and recycled in the form of energy at various levels. It also demonstrates the way in which it is possible to remotely exploit and control an energy system with the increased use of renewable energy sources.gy is continuing to grow in the canton of Valais. Indeed, the canton is providing up to 5 million Swiss francs in funding to support demonstrator projects in the field of Energy within its territory and on the Energypolis Campus. At this stage, the first six selected projects, which underwent a rigorous selection process involving independent international experts, have received a total of 10.2 million Swiss francs in funding, including 5.9 million from third-party funding and 4.3 million from the canton of Valais.

Full-scale laboratories

The Valais Energy Demonstrators Fund (Fonds Démonstrateurs Énergie Valais) was formed to support the creation of energy demonstration facilities in the Valais region. In concrete terms, these are full-scale facilities, at a cantonal scale (systemic demonstrator) or at an urban scale (district demonstrator), for conducting tests in real conditions on technologies developed in EPFL Valais Wallis laboratories, in collaboration with local partners and the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis. They contribute to the implementation of the Energy Strategy 2050 developed by the Swiss Federal Council and are in line with the energy policy of the canton of Valais.

The Energypolis campus provides an ecosystem of innovation, bringing together skills and knowledge from EPFL Valais Wallis, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, The Ark Foundation and many other contributors influential in the fields of energy, green chemistry, alpine and polar environments, and health. Together, these partners respond to today’s major concerns, such as aging populations, global warming, energy and mobility. The Energypolis campus seeks to transfer cutting-edge technology to the economic fabric, thereby creating jobs with high added value in the Valais region.

The Valais Energy Demonstrators Fund (Fonds Démonstrateurs Énergie Valais) was formed to support the creation of energy demonstration facilities in the Valais region. In concrete terms, these are full-scale facilities, at a cantonal scale (systemic demonstrator) or at an urban scale (district demonstrator), for conducting tests in real conditions on technologies developed in EPFL Valais Wallis laboratories, in collaboration with local partners and the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis. They contribute to the implementation of the Energy Strategy 2050 developed by the Swiss Federal Council and are in line with the energy policy of the canton of Valais.

The Energypolis campus provides an ecosystem of innovation, bringing together skills and knowledge from EPFL Valais Wallis, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, The Ark Foundation and many other contributors influential in the fields of energy, green chemistry, alpine and polar environments, and health. Together, these partners respond to today’s major concerns, such as aging populations, global warming, energy and mobility. The Energypolis campus seeks to transfer cutting-edge technology to the economic fabric, thereby creating jobs with high added value in the Valais region.

Contacts

Sophia Dini, Valais cantonal delegate for the economy and the environment, [email protected] – 079 470 97 47

Yasmine Calisesi, Operational Director of the  of Energy Center at EPFL (CEN), [email protected] – 021 693 72 68

Marc-André Berclaz, Operational Director, EPFL Valais Wallis, [email protected] – 021 693 42 09