29.5 TWh per year, roughly half of its own energy needs: this is the amount of wind energy that Switzerland could produce by investing in its wind potential.

The Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) has released the data from the survey to determine Switzerland's actual wind energy potential, carried out by the company Meteotest AG: every year, 29.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) of wind energy could be generated — roughly half the country's annual energy needs.

To achieve such a result, it would be enough to develop 30% of the total wind potential (approximately 1,000 wind installations) and, thanks to the latest-generation turbines, the Confederation could produce as much as 8.9 TWh per year from these alone. That figure rises to 29.5 TWh when existing operational installations are taken into account.

Switzerland's solution for reducing its energy dependence

Switzerland has yet to seize this opportunity, having instead opted to promote a broad voluntary energy-saving campaign among households and businesses.

This is because the last wind potential study prior to the Meteotest AG survey was carried out in 2012, when technological advances had not yet made it possible to build much larger and more powerful wind installations. Taking into account the survey's findings, and making use of all available land (excluding inhabited areas, nature and landscape conservation zones, and areas deemed to pose safety risks), if Switzerland were to decide to develop 30% of its wind potential it could contribute significantly to a more self-sufficient electricity supply, reducing its dependence on foreign sources.

L'approfondimento di questa notizia a cura della redazione è su Money.it