Switzerland to fund research on PV module, battery, heat pump recycling

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Swiss federal government has launched a funding call for research projects on energy and resource-efficient industrial processes, including the circular economy related to solar modules, batteries, heat pumps and electrolyzers. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is June 30.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Swiss Federal Office of Energy and Swiss Federal Office for the Environment have launched the first call for proposals under a new funding instrument aimed at projects focused on energy and resource-efficient industrial processes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Known as Swiss research for the energy transition and emissions reduction (Sweeter), the funding call has a budget of just under CHF 12 million ($15.3 million).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The call for proposals features two research priorities, one of which covers the circular economy related to solar modules, batteries, heat pumps and electrolyzers. It highlights the reuse, repurpose, remanufacturing and recycling of these components, with a focus on using materials as efficiently as possible, recovering valuable substances and reducing environmental impact.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other research area covered by Sweeter is the decarbonization and optimization of high-temperature processes that currently lack viable commercial solutions and still require work to be transitioned away from fossil energy carriers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additional details on the Swiss government’s website explains that two consortia with the highest-ranking pre-proposals will be invited to submit a full proposal. </span>Funding will be provided to consortium projects that address central research topics of Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050 and the long-term climate strategy, further details add. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Successful consortia are expected to start project work by August 2027 and will receive funding distributed across a two to three year period.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deadline to submit pre-proposals is June 30. Further information is available in the program’s </span><a href="https://cms.news.admin.ch/dam/en/bfe/qC50A04v8l9t/SWEETER_1-2026_Call-Guideline.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">call guidelines</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Swiss grid operator Swissgrid recently released a </span><a href="http://pv-magazine.com/2026/04/10/how-switzerland-plans-to-integrate-40-gw-of-solar-by-2050/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">white paper</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> covering how Switzerland plans to integrate up to 40 GW of solar by 2050. The country’s 2025 solar additions have been estimated at </span><a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/08/switzerland-deploys-1-52-gw-of-solar-in-2025/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1.52 GW</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earlier this month, </span><b>ESS News</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> spoke to Swiss startup Evolium Technologies about its subscription-based business model that offers residential battery owners a lifetime guarantee on </span><a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/03/swiss-startup-offers-lifetime-guarantee-for-second-life-batteries/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">second life batteries</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>