Builders of this sustainable complex are also upgrading the hydro power plant to make it more environment friendly and efficient.A new apartment complex called Papieri Cham that opened on the shores of Lake Zug in Cham, Switzerland, boasts carbon neutrality thanks to a combination of geothermal, hydro, and photovoltaic energy systems.
To counter the warming planet, countries have set ambitious goals of achieving net-zero emissions in the coming decades. Achieving these goals requires national-scale planning to counter emissions, but when individual units start working toward carbon neutrality, the target becomes more attainable. The builders also ensured they used short transport routes to complete the construction while relying on Swiss building materials to keep the construction footprint minimal. Interestingly, the apartment complex’s location has a history of pioneering work. Back in the 1650s, when people in the area could not read or write, a paper mill was set up on the site, which then went on to become a major paper factory.
Georg Dubacher, the project’s energy consultant, explained that the project revolves around the concept of a 2,000-watt society. The system aims to reduce Switzerland’s per capita annual energy consumption from 8,000 watts to a quarter of this figure. installations that provide up to 50 percent of its energy requirement. About 40 percent of the energy is provided by a hydropower plant that runs on the Lorze River nearby.