Urs Bühler receives the Swiss Solar Award 2021

The now 71-year-old electrical engineer HTL from Hünenberg, Urs Bühler, has been honoured for his work in the field of innovative solutions in solar technology.

The eulogy for the award winner reveals that his participation in the Tour de Sol (1987 - 1990) also led Urs Bühler to work professionally on solar energy. "With his commitment and development activities, he was often a pioneer and was involved in ground-breaking steps in the further development of the photovoltaic system technology."

The qualified designer and graduate electrical engineer worked on the development of photovoltaic (PV) system components at Alpha Real in the 90s, and was the project manager of Solcon, the first industrially-manufactured solar inverter in Europe. A few years later, he developed the Solcolino module inverter practically single-handedly. It was this that made the Solar Power Plant project in the Coop supermarket possible in the first place, whereby customers were able to buy plug-in solar modules for the first time and plug them directly into the power grid.

Urs Bühler - Developer of the first series of solar inverters in Switzerland (Solcon and Solcolino), and founder of the Alustand insertion system®.
Photo: PD

His most significant breakthrough was the development of Alustand, the first European insertion system for mounting PV systems. Before this innovation, many PV modules were attached "somehow", and sometimes even screwed down. According to the eulogy, Alustand enables fast, visually appealing and screwless assembly, and the range has been further developed and perfected.

Urs Bühler has also been involved in smaller projects and, privately, in the use of solar energy (he has had his own PV system since 1994). Even at an early stage, he planned small off-grid systems throughout Switzerland, was the initiator of the PV system on Rigi-Kulm and, as a member of the school building commission, was involved in the first Swiss Minergie-P schoolhouse in Hünenberg in 2008. "Urs Bühler deserves the Swiss Solar Prize 2021 for his tireless, innovative and versatile commitment." In addition to Urs Bühler, Kurt Köhl from Lachen (SZ) and Paul Kalkhoven, architect at Norman Foster, Londeon (GB) will also be honoured.