Authorities in the canton of Geneva are considering making access to air conditioning devices simpler, as the region, along with the rest of Switzerland, has been hit by a record-breaking heatwave.
As Swiss communities deem fixed AC units to be huge energy guzzlers, consuming a lot of electricity and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, getting a permit to install one in a private dwelling is a complicated process.
In Geneva, as pretty much everywhere in Switzerland, “air conditioning installations are subject to energy authorisation. It is issued as part of a building permit application submitted to the building permit office” according to the canton’s website.
Applicants need to provide a variety of documents – including the exact planned location for the air conditioner and the technical data of the device – before the permit is granted – or not.
READ MORE: In Switzerland it’s easier to get a work permit than an air conditioning permit
‘Simplify administrative procedures’
“The main problem lies in the complexity of the procedures,” said Delphine Bachmann, who is in charge of Geneva’s Department of Energy.
Therefore, her department is now looking into the feasibility of “simplifying administrative procedures,” while still keeping them within the existing legal framework.
“The goal is not to open the floodgates, but to make the system more practical,” she added, though she did not specify how long this process will take.
‘Meeting a legitimate need’
Bachmann also pointed out that ACs “shouldn’t be demonised. Air conditioning is a tool that can meet a legitimate need for those who suffer greatly from the heat. But it also has consequences: when a home is cooled, heat is released outside.”
“Therefore, air conditioning is one solution, but it shouldn’t become the only one.”
She cites other ‘anti-heat’ measures, such as building renovation, insulation, solar shading, natural ventilation, urban green spaces, and cooling networks.
“These measures take time, but they are essential,” she conceded.
Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, primarily caused by burning coal, oil and gas — and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
