Municipality of Vaz/Obervaz
We meet the mayor Aron Moser for a plate of capuns during his lunch break. He is pleased with the good reputation of Vaz/Obervaz, but regrets that something else is less well known: ‘Our municipality is one of the most sustainable in Switzerland,’ says Aron Moser, ‘but we don't publicise this enough.’
In 2003, Vaz/Obervaz was awarded the ‘Energy Town’ label, ‘the first in the canton of Graubünden’, adds Aron Moser. The award certifies that the mountain village exemplifies and implements a sustainable municipal energy policy. Further energy certifications followed in 2007, 2012 and 2016 and this year - hopefully - the crowning glory: Vaz/Obervaz could be awarded the exclusive ‘Energy City Gold’ (in German) label, ‘the highest honour for towns and municipalities that are continuously committed to the efficient use of energy, renewable energies and climate protection’, as stated on the SwissEnergy website.
‘All these honours’, says Aron Moser, “would not have been possible without ewz”. The history of the municipality is closely linked to the electricity utility of the city of Zurich (ewz): Back in July 1900, the municipality of Vaz/Obervaz granted the city of Zurich the right to build an electricity plant in Solis on the Albula. The city of Zurich undertook to pay a one-off fee and also an annual tax. In addition, the municipality initially received 150 hp of electricity free of charge. ‘The relationship between ewz and Vaz/Obervaz is over 100 years old. We have grown together,’ says Aron Moser, ’and together we promote sustainability.’
This includes constantly breaking new ground: ‘In 2013, ewz and we developed a new, innovative solution: the tranche,’ says Edgar Bisig, Head of Works and responsible for electricity procurement at Vaz/Obervaz: In order to be less exposed to the strongly fluctuating electricity price, the municipality can fix the price for a certain amount of electricity - a tranche. Vaz/Obervaz sets 30 such instalments per year. ‘This makes it easier to plan our electricity expenditure,’ says Bisig, ’the price is centred: We don't take every wave - that results in an attractive long-term price.’ Incidentally, the idea for the tranche came from an ewz employee who used to work in the commodities industry, where such models are widespread. Today, electricity procurement in tranches is an industry standard.
‘The cooperation with the municipality is really exceptionally good,’ says Aurelio Capeder, Head of Sales and Consulting Market Grisons at ewz. ’We've known each other for a long time and trust each other.’ 30 ewz customers currently have a tranche solution, but the one for Vaz/Obervaz remains special: ‘The municipality buys specific tranches for the mountain railways, SMEs and hotels and for all other end customers,’ explains Aurelio Capeder: ‘As these end customer groups each have specific usage profiles, they are grouped together in “pools”.
‘All these businesses don't want to worry about electricity procurement,’ says Edgar Bisig, ’a hotel, a restaurant or a bike shop are happy that the tranche solution gives them a good price that is relatively constant and transparent.’ It is also a question of trust: ‘These businesses know that we are behind them and will do everything for them,’ says Edgar Bisig.
In total, the Vaz/Obervaz power plant (in German) supplies around 5,800 end customers with ewz electricity. Consumption is over 50 million kWh per year, whereby only electricity produced with Swiss hydropower is used. ewz operates 12 hydropower plants in the canton of Graubünden alone. ‘There is no grey energy in the whole of Vaz/Obervaz, not even in the basic supply,’ says Edgar Bisig, Head of Plants. In addition, consumers are encouraged to moderate their consumption: ‘We tell them: install a remote control for the heating and only switch it on when you use it,’ says Bisig, ‘and we support façade and heating renovations with advice.’ The message is always the same: Residents should use energy sparingly.
‘We want to live up to the ‘Energy City’ label,’ emphasises municipal president Aron Moser. This is done through small projects such as equipping every new bus stop with a solar lighting system. Or through larger projects such as the huge photovoltaic system on the Lenzerheide Sports Centre (in German), which supplies up to 186,000 kilowatt hours of electricity every year. ‘During the season, we achieve 100 per cent self-consumption,’ says Aron Moser. ewz supported the construction of the photovoltaic system, just as it supported the first electric sports bus in the canton, which celebrated its premiere in the 2019/20 season and is the main sponsor of the region's largest annual event, the Zauberwald Lenzerheide (a sustainable music and light festival).
The population of the five fractions (Lenzerheide, Valbella, Lain, Muldain and Zorten) and the hamlet of Obersolis in Vaz/Obervaz are behind the municipality's sustainable policy: ‘All votes on this issue left no room for doubt: The citizens want such a policy,’ says municipal president Aron Moser. He is full of zest for action and the next projects are already planned: The first 30 km/h zone, year-round e-bus operation (‘the new bus looks great’) and, in perhaps five years' time, an expansion of the heating network.
After a short stop at the new community centre - built to the Minergie-P standard, of course - we leave Lenzerheide. A large turbine wheel with the ewz logo on it stands at the side of the road. The more than 100-year partnership stands for a sustainable future.
