Rising energy demands and environmental pressures are forcing companies to rethink how facilities are powered, heated, and cooled. You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Businesses that rely on fossil-free energy sources are better positioned to manage costs, strengthen resilience, and reduce their environmental impact.
This year, in OPHARDT’s Switzerland facility, the site underwent a major energy transformation with the installation of a large-scale solar energy system and a new water-to-water heat pump network designed to nullify reliance on fossil fuels and conventional energy sources.
A 201-kilowatt peak solar array was installed across the facility roof. Over the course of a year, the system is expected to generate approximately 200,000 kilowatt hours of electricity — enough to effectively cover the plant’s annual energy usage, which currently sits between 180,000 and 190,000 kilowatt hours. That means the majority of the facility’s daily operations can now be powered directly by renewable energy generated on-site.
During times where there is not enough solar energy available, the plant still draws some hydroelectric power from the Swiss grid, guaranteed by certificates.
The site also installed a 65-kilowatt-hour battery storage system. The battery allows excess solar energy generated during peak daylight hours to be stored and used later when production demands increase or sunlight decreases. Plans are already underway to expand the battery capacity further as the system evolves.
Previously, the facility relied on a traditional gas heating system. That system has now been replaced by a water-to-water heat pump network that uses groundwater as its primary thermal source. The process works by drawing groundwater, naturally sitting at around 12°C, into the heat pump system. Inside the pumps, a refrigerant with a very low boiling point absorbs and amplifies the thermal energy from the water, allowing the system to efficiently heat the entire facility. In summer, the process reverses. Instead of generating heat, the cooler groundwater helps regulate temperatures across the factory, effectively turning the system into a large-scale sustainable cooling solution.
Once the energy exchange process is complete, the groundwater is returned back underground.
The facility currently operates four heat pumps with a combined output of 80 kilowatts. The multi-unit setup offers resilience, for example, if one unit requires maintenance or experiences downtime, the remaining systems can compensate to maintain stable performance across the site.
The movement towards net zero carbon emissions extends to our vehicle fleet as well.
Four electric vehicle charging stations have also been installed at the facility, powered in part by the site’s solar generation. While a small number of company vehicles still operate using conventional fuel, OPHARDT plans to phase these vehicles out over the next two years.
Once completed, the Swiss facility is expected to operate without any fossil fuel-based vehicles or heating systems.
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