The Swiss ski resort Verbier, part of the municipality of Bagnes, is located in the southwestern Canton of Valais (Wallis). Verbier ski resort’s operator, Téléverbier SA, has taken important steps towards a low-carbon economy in the last few years and builds upon existing systems and expertise to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy use within the Smart altitude project.

In 2016, Téléverbier introduced a strategy promoting sustainable development. It resulted in the implementation of an energy monitoring platform “OBSERV”. This valuable tool, which is continuously updated and improved, supports decisions on energy efficiency measures, identifies issues and helps to promote the use of renewable energy. Téléverbier consequently introduced various energy saving measures such as lifts speed regulation, snow groomers motor optimization, replacement of fossil heating by renewable solutions or sustainable public transportation.

In 2014 Bagnes received the label “Energy City” and in 2018 it had implemented 66% of potential energy reduction actions, thus showing a great commitment to efficient use of energy, climate protection and renewable energies. Along these lines, Smart Altitude project partner Centre de Recherches Energétiques et Municipales (CREM) has analysed Téléverbier’s energy-climate inventory and its evolution through the years. Energy demand is now clearly identified and classified by energy agents and consumption items. KPIs are now going to be set and by the end of the Smart Altitude project, energy saving policies and actions will be harmonized across the territory in order to reach the “Energy City” gold label, thereby taking continuous, coherent and important steps toward a low-carbon, energy-efficient economy.

In 2020, Verbier officially entered the Smart Altitude project thanks to the co-financing under the NPR (SECO) through the Regional Development Fund and the support of the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE).

For more information on living lab Verbier click here.