Interface and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems Technology and Innovation Research compared the evolution, implementation and stringency of Switzerland's energy standards with those of four other European countries on behalf of the research programme on energy policy fundamentals. The term "energy standards" refers to legally anchored provisions governing energy consumption (room heating, hot water and electricity) that must be observed when a building is to be constructed. The countries with which Switzerland's standards were compared were Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. The objective of the study was to position Switzerland's energy standards in an international context and identify similarities and differences. The analysis served as the basis for drawing conclusions and proposing recommendations. 

Stefan Rieder

Andreas Balthasar 

In collaboration with Wolfgang Eichhammer and Jürgen Reichert, Fraunhofer-Institut für Systemtechnik und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe