How Axpo saves electricity

Using the latest technology to increase distribution grid capacity from 50 to 110 kilovolts at the Altgass substation near Zug, Axpo also achieved a fourfold reduction in energy losses. This results in sustainable savings comparable to the annual electricity consumption of the town of Brugg/AG with some 10'000 residents.

The Altgass substation in Baar is an important supply node in the Zug region. In the course of voltage changeover from 50 to 110 kilovolts the entire substation was refurbished. Voltage conversion serves to increase grid capacity (a doubling) and general grid optimisation, as well as the reduction of grid losses. Refurbishment of the systems will increase security of supply in the long term.

Owing to steadily growing electricity consumption and the resulting grid bottlenecks, Axpo has been working to expand its cross-regional distribution grid from 50 to 110 kV since the 1980’s. The voltage changeover was carried out in cooperation with the respective cantonal utilities and grid partners – in this case Wasserwerke Zug AG and the national gird company Swissgrid.

Perfectly simple, right?

See for yourself in this video how Axpo acts on sustainability by using the latest technology to increase substation capacity while significantly reduce energy losses that always occur. Roland Ziegler, Head of System Operations at Axpo Power AG, and responsible for the Altgass substations, tells us how this works:

• Rather than building additional conventional, larger grid systems, the existing distribution grids have been refurbished to transport more electricity and, contrary to today, to reduce electricity losses (technical term "friction losses") during distribution. 
• This distribution grid refurbishment (technical term "transformation") saves an electricity volume equalling the annual Swiss electricity consumption of some 10'000 people or a town the size of Ebikon/LU, Brugg/AG, Neuhausen am Rheinfall/SH or Flawil/SG.