A team of researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) has proposed a public sector-based basic solar supply. According to Empa, this would increase energy autonomy, promote social justice, and encourage further investment in renewable energy sources. The project would require one-third of all roofs in Switzerland and an initial investment of around 58 billion Swiss francs every 30 years.
In their »Solar Basic Supply« model, Harald Desing, Hauke Schlesier, and Marcel Gauch, from the »Technology and Society« department, propose that each person receive a publicly funded »solar power budget« of 500 watts. Desing claims that this output is sufficient in Switzerland to offset the loss of electricity from eliminating fossil fuels. However, the model does not account for public electricity storage. This restriction is intended to motivate recipients to adapt their behavior and consume electricity primarily when it is available free of charge. »The construction of storage facilities makes the energy transition more expensive,« says Desing. »That is why energy storage is not part of the basic supply in our model, but rather a convenience that will require further private investment.«
Desing says the model described in the study is an initial proposal. Its exact implementation must be clarified in public discourse.
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