In addition to the high security of supply, an attractive electricity price is important to the Swiss industry. Currently, the free market offers attractive conditions for the coming three to five years. Savings potential: Up to several tens of thousands of Swiss francs per year. Stalder is also taking the step onto the free market. As of 1 January 2014 the Swiss galvanising company will purchase its electricity from Alpiq. "The deciding factors were the prices that were fixed over several years combined with the possibility to benefit if the prices continue to fall thanks to a special adaptation clause," says Christoph Stalder, Managing Director of Stalder AG.
Peak load - up to 30 percent of electricity costs
Alpiq offers Stalder more than purely supplying electricity at attractive prices. De-pending on the supplier the monthly or even annual peak load, the so-called quarter-hour of highest consumption, has an impact on what is charged. It can account for up to 30 percent of a company's electricity costs. These costs are not charged by Alpiq as the electricity supplier but by the local distribution network operator as a component of the grid usage cost accounting. Thanks to the Xamax energy optimising system, which was installed in summer 2013, Stalder was able to reduce these peak loads from over 800 kilowatts to approximately 630 kilowatts. Thereby the company saves approximately 14,000 Swiss francs per year. At Stalder, the Xamax optimising system from Alpiq monitors and regulates systems including galvanic baths, degreasing systems and dryers.
The Stalder family business is one of Switzerland's largest galvanising companies and offers a comprehensive range of services in the field of metallic surface finishing. Its offers range from galvanising, over chromium coating and electro-polishing through to anodic oxidation of aluminium surfaces.