Solar power has been flowing from the grain silo of Stadtmühle CMZ Zurich to the mains grid of Zurichs power company (EWZ) since November 28, 1996. «Sirius» was the first of now 78 solar power systems in Zurich and raised the cities solar power output by 50% on one go.
The EWZ Solar Power Exchange
In 1995 EWZ conducted a representative poll of 3,500 randomly selected customers. Around 7% of the respondents said that they would be willing to pay for a selectable amount of solar power even though it costs more than regular electricity. In response to this demand, EWZ created the «solar power exchange». This exchange allows the power company to act as an active mediator between the producers and consumers of solar energy. The company buys solar power from the providers and then turns around and sells it to customers at the same price.
Stadtmühle as First Provider
EWZ issued a public request for proposals to various suppliers in the spring of this year. Out of the 21 projects received, 12 were chosen for having the best offers. The first definitive contract was reached with the Stadtmühle CMZ in Zurich, which belongs to the majority in the Coop Group. Stadtmühle is the largest producer of baking flour in Switzerland and processes about 120,000 tons of grain each year. While renovating its 6,000-ton grain silo in the Limmatstrasse, Stadtmühle installed a total of 232 m2 solar cells on the south facade and the roof for the «Sirius» power plant. ÒSiriusÓ has an output of 32 kilovolt-amperes and supplies around 20,000 kWh of solar power each year.
Solar Power For All
All EWZ customers have been able to purchase solar power since the spring of 1997. At a price of 1,20 CHF per kWh, solar power is significantly more expensive than the 16 Rp/kWh price of regular electricity. Nonetheless, EWZ hopes that customers will have the desire and willingness to invest in a renewable energy in the future. A Solar Subscription allows you to choose how much you want to personally contribute. You can receive solar energy for one whole year starting at only 21,60 CHF with no limitations. As demand increases, more solar energy plants will be built in Zurich and the solar power provided by EWZ will become cheaper.