Capacitor energy storage prices in Zurich Switzerland

Further, the introduction of a cost-covering fee for feed-in to the electricity grid, in order to subsidise new renewable energy sources in Switzerland, disadvantaged traditional hydro electricity producers. As a result, high prices during peak load times dropped, which substantially lowered the revenue stream of pumped storage plants.

Electricity storage is not separately defined in the Swiss legislative framework. The biggest obstacle for electricity companies is to obtain a construction permit and a concession for the operation of a pumped storage plant, which is granted for a maximum of 80 years.

In 2012, the battery was connected to the grid and it is still the most powerful of its kind in the Swiss distribution network. It consists of 10,368 battery cells, similar to the ones used in electric cars. In 2015, the EWZ, the electric power company of the city of Zurich, installed a lithium-ion battery with a capacity 719 kWh.

To put ourresults into the current context using data from2015,awell-designedPV-coupledbatterysystemperformingPVself-consumption in Switzerland could perform up to 250 EFC per year.Asaresult,theLCOESisaround400CHF/MWhevenwithcurrentbattery cell prices of 500 CHF/kWh .

Despite the government's objectives defined in the Energy Strategy 2050, there is currently no direct support via subsidy for pumped storage operators in Switzerland.

In the past, a total of 14, mostly small sized pumped hydro storage plants, were built, the last of which was commissioned in 1990. However, the combined capacity of these plants only amounts to 1380 MW contributing to approximately 4.4% of the total electricity produced in Switzerland.