carbon dioxide
The CO2 concentration is on the high alpine research station Jungfraujoch from Empa researchers measured. The data access via the European research infrastructure ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) to us. For better presentation, we calculate the monthly average from the data.
Summer and hot days
Summer and hot days are standard values that are used worldwide and are calculated uniformly. In our case we use all homogeneous measurement series from the Swiss climate measurement network back, which include the daily maximum temperatures.
Our calculation to date follows the same principles as that World Meteorological Society Guide for calculating monthly values. This means that measurement series with too many gaps (1/3 of all days or 5 days in a row) are not taken into account and cuts are only calculated if there are enough years with valid data.
Daytime temperatures
The average daily temperatures are based on homogenized series of measurements from the Swiss climate measurement network. They refer to the average daily temperature. We calculate an average of this per day and reference period. Since weather and especially temperatures are very variable per day, we not only show the average, but also a temperature range in which “normal” temperatures lie for this period. The range shows the measurements from the 20th to 80th percentile.
Linking communities with measuring stations
In order to be as close as possible to reality, we show data from the measuring station that is meteorologically closest to your place of residence. The links between the communities and the respective measuring stations are based on calculations by our colleagues at SRF Meteo.
dryness
The calculation of soil moisture is based on a hydrological model from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Land Research WSL. The WSL calculates a soil moisture map for the whole of Switzerland based on various variables such as precipitation, temperature and duration of sunshine. Based on historical data, SRF calculates the normal range (the interquartile range) of all values for the reference period 1981-2010 per pixel and puts the current values in relation to them. The calculated values are summarized in a hexagon grid and displayed on a map.
glacier
To calculate how much ice the Swiss glaciers are currently losing, we rely on calculations from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS). The model is based on glacier measurements from the last few decades and calculates the approximate daily loss depending on the current temperature at six measuring stations in the Alps.
To get a better sense of the quantity, we indicate the quantity in bathtubs. We assume 120 L per bathtub.
When it comes to the number of water consumption per capita, we use projections from the SVGW from: In a private household, one resident in Switzerland uses around 142 liters of water per day. This number was multiplied by the number of registered residents of the municipalities.
Renewable energy
The data comes from Energy Reportera project by Energy Switzerland, geoimpact and WWF Switzerland. The Energy Reporter is produced by Energie Schweiz and the Federal Office of Energy (BFE) supported. The information presented does not correspond to any official federal statistics.
Electric cars
All passenger cars and vans that are currently in traffic are taken into account. The vehicles are assigned using the postal code and location name of the owner’s address in a municipality.
Electric cars are vehicles with:
– an electric drive
– an electric drive with range extender
– a hydrogen/electric drive.
Vehicles with a maximum of 9 seats including the driver’s seat are counted as passenger cars. Vehicles used to transport goods with a maximum gross weight of 3.5 tonnes are counted as delivery vans.
The data is updated monthly. The raw data comes from Federal Roads Office FEDRO and swisstopo. Geoimpact is responsible for the methodology and the results displayed.
Renewable heating systems
Buildings that are supplied with heat by an installed heating system are taken into account. The registered primary heat generation systems form the total number of heating systems. Buildings without a heating system or with an unclear heating system are not taken into account.
Based on the energy/heat source used and the heat generator, heating systems are divided into renewable and non-renewable categories.
Renewable heating systems use a renewable energy or heat source. Examples of renewable energy or heat sources include air, geothermal energy, water, waste heat, wood or sun. Examples of non-renewable energy sources are gas or heating oil. Furthermore, electric heating systems are considered non-renewable heating systems.
For heaters that are connected to a heating network, the primary energy source of the heating center is crucial when classifying them as renewable or non-renewable. If a heating system is recorded for less than 80% of the buildings in a community, the data is considered insufficient and no value is displayed.
The data is updated monthly.
Solar potential
The values indicate the installed solar power in percent, based on the economically and technically feasible potential on roof surfaces.
The installed capacity includes all existing photovoltaic systems that have been registered for federal funding in the feed-in tariff system (EVS) or for the one-off payment (EIV). The majority of all Swiss photovoltaic systems are recorded in one of these two data sources. The allocation of photovoltaic systems to the communities is based on the addresses recorded in the proof of origin system.
To calculate the economic and technical potential, the roof area of all buildings within the community suitable for solar power is used. Facade areas are not taken into account. Roof areas of buildings that are located in more than one municipal area are assigned to the municipalities based on the addresses within the building.
A suitable roof area is 10 square meters or more and has at least an average annual solar radiation of over 1,000 kilowatt hours per square meter. The occupancy rate of the roof area (percentage of the roof area that can be covered by photovoltaic modules) is assumed to be 70%. In addition, a module efficiency of 17% is assumed for photovoltaics.
The data is updated monthly. The raw data is from Federal Office of Energy SFOE, Pronovo and swisstopo based.
Responsibility for the methodology and the results displayed lies with geoimpact.