As you know by now, getting permission to purchase a fixed AC unit for a private home is a real headache in Switzerland. But some elected officials are now speaking in favour of these devices.
There is no federal legislation concerning air conditiong in general, but every canton has its own energy laws, with some being more restrictive than others when it comes to installation of AC devices.
When applying for a permit to install a unit, many cantons require that applicants prove they need temperature control in their house – for instance, by submitting a medical certificate stating that their health condition requires it. Being comfortable in one’s own home is not a valid ground.
READ MORE: In Switzerland it’s easier to get a work permit than an air conditioning permit
The reason is an environmental one: fixed ACs are huge energy guzzlers, consuming a lot of electricity and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions — a major contribution to ozone depletion.
Basically, when a home is cooled, heat is released outside, adding to the already ‘hot’ environment.
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.
In the meantime, however, summers in Switzerland have gotten much hotter, with July 2026 set to break all records for heat and drought.
‘New reality’
The current climatic situation – with temperatures in Basel reaching 39C – is bringing about a shift in atitudes among politicians in regards to air conditioning.
As MP Martine Docourt put it, “we must get used to a new reality: climate change is already altering our living conditions.”
She and some of her colleagues are therefore calling on permit regulations for the installation of air conditioners to be simplified.
They emphasise, however, that priority should be given to hospitals, schools, retirement homes, as well as other public buildings, before private dwellings.
Energy Minister Albert Rösti also said that he was “generally in favour” of relaxing the existing regulations in this area.
Some cantons are already considering this move
Authorities in Geneva, for example, are thinking about making access to air conditioning devices simpler.
Currently, 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.
However, given the more frequent and intense heatwaves, Delphine Bachmann, who is in charge of Geneva’s Department of Energy, said the canton is now looking into the feasibility of “simplifying administrative procedures” for obtaining a permission.
She 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.”
What needs to be done on the legislative level to make ACs more accessible for general population?
There are two ways to do this.
As air conditioning rules are defined by cantonal energy laws, the first step would be a motion submitted in the canton’s Parliament for the revision of this legislation.
It would then have to be – as all motions are – debated and voted on by deputies.
If passed, MPs would draft a corresponding bill which would be put to a cantonal referendum
Another way, which circumvents the legislative process, would be for a group of citizens to collect a set number of signatures (varying by the canton) and then launch an initiative demanding a change in cantonal energy law to this effect.
