Sustainability has become vastly more important in recent years, particularly in the real estate sector. The partnership with AMAG and Clyde Mobility shows that the Swiss Homeowners’ Association (HEV) is living up to its responsibility in this regard.
“For most people, buying a house is the biggest investment they’ll ever make. So it’s only logical for owners to take a good look at their property and think about the future.” Markus Meier knows what he is talking about. As Director of the Swiss Homeowners’ Association, he represents around 340,000 homeowners in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. HEV represents the interests of its members vis-à-vis political institutions and authorities and advises them on a whole range of topics – from legal issues to questions relating to sustainability and energy efficiency. “If you want your property to hold its value in the long term, you will have to invest in it sooner or later,” is Markus Meier’s take on this topic.
There can be no dispute: the real estate sector has a major role to play in the future of energy. In Switzerland, buildings are responsible for around 44% of energy consumption and around one-third of CO2 emissions. The federal and cantonal governments have been promoting the reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Switzerland’s buildings with the Building Programme launched back in 2010. This makes the Building Programme an important pillar of Swiss energy and climate policy, and one that HEV has been committed to from day one.
emphasises Markus Meier.
The subsidy programme has received a very positive response from homeowners, as demonstrated by the continued successful energy-efficient refurbishment measures in private residential buildings. The Buildings Programme provides funding for measures such as the replacement of fossil or electric heating systems with renewable energy systems, investments in the thermal insulation of the building envelope, as well as comprehensive energy-efficient refurbishments.
But the following aspect is also important to Markus Meier: “The Swiss Homeowners’ Association is clearly committed to a liberal approach.” This means that the association is focusing first and foremost on the personal responsibility of its members. The HEV Director says that policymakers tend to push changes through as quickly as possible, but he emphasises: “Successful innovation doesn’t happen because it’s enshrined in a piece of legislation, but rather when people are genuinely convinced of the merits of a technical advancement.” HEV’s energy and environmental policy therefore features a specific commitment to incentive systems and overall conditions that ensure building preservation from both a financial and ecological standpoint.
HEV also thinks and acts with an eye on the future when it comes to mobility. The partnership with Clyde is an excellent example. The company, which was established in 2019 as part of AMAG Import AG’s Innovation and Venture LAB, is now the leading provider of electric car subscriptions in Switzerland. Customers pay a fixed monthly rate for the right car as part of a subscription model, which covers all costs such as insurance, servicing and taxes. And because Clyde has been 100% electric since the beginning of 2024, electricity is also included. Clyde is actively promoting carbon-neutral individual mobility as part of the new AMAG Energy & Mobility business unit. The company has set itself the goal of making e-mobility accessible to as many people as possible. And it was precisely this approach that won Markus Meier over, too:
Homeowners who have their own photovoltaic system reap double the benefits: “By charging their electric car using their own PV system, they can double the tariff they would normally receive for feeding their solar power into the grid,” explains Markus Meier. This is because Clyde pays around twice the rate of local electricity suppliers for the privately charged electricity. “This means that the PV system generates a return on investment even sooner.” Most importantly, however, the partnership offers HEV members the opportunity to actively participate in the mobility and energy revolution and to further promote sustainable electricity production within Switzerland. “Ideally, this should be just as much fun as enjoying acceleration and performance in the driver’s seat of an electric car.”
