Swiss Federal Office of Energy awards the 2026 Watt d'Or energy prize
Bern, 08.01.2026 — This evening, 8 January 2026, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy will award Switzerland’s prestigious Swiss Energy Prize, the Watt d'Or, for the nineteenth and final time. The winners of gold for 2026 are: The gas supply company Gaznat from Vevey and Aigle (VD) in the Energy Technologies category, endigo Holding AG from Fiesch (VS) in the Renewable Energies category, Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG from Küssnacht am Rigi (SZ) in the Energy Efficient Mobility category, and the building cooperative ‘mehr als wohnen’, Lemon Consult AG and the Low-Tech Lab from Zurich in the Buildings and Spatial Development category. The Watt d’Or trophy – a snow globe – will be presented to the winners by the distinguished jury, headed by Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher, at the Kongresszentrum Kursaal in Bern. The event will also be attended by hundreds of representatives from the Swiss energy scene, including politicians, business people and researchers.
Innovative Swiss companies and universities are successfully and boldly living the energy future and putting new technologies into practice. To honour these efforts, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy created the Watt d'Or as a hallmark of excellence. The Watt d'Or was awarded for the first time in 2007. In 2026, the SFOE is organizing the Watt d'Or for the last time. The goal of the award is to showcase exceptional products or services in the energy sector. The aim was to motivate the private sector, politics and the general public to discover the benefits of innovative energy technologies for themselves.
The Watt d'Or does not offer prize money. 55 applications for the 2026 Watt d'Or were submitted by mid-July 2025 and evaluated by a team of experts. 17 applications reached the final round of judging. From these, the jury selected the winning project in each of the four Watt d'Or categories.
Winners of the 2026 Watt d'Or
Energy Technologies category
Gaznat Innovation Lab: GreenGas for the future. When science and industry collaborate, great things can happen. This is proven by Gaznat's innovation laboratory in Aigle (VD), also known as the Innovation Lab. It is here, at its control and monitoring centre, that Gaznat tests new technologies on an industrial scale in collaboration with EPFL research groups and start-ups. The objective is to bring technologies for sector coupling, decarbonisation and seasonal storage to commercial maturity. The underlying GreenGas concept brings together all the facilities and technologies needed for this purpose at the Aigle site: combined heat and power (CHP), photovoltaics (PV), electrolysis (power-to-gas), hydrogen storage, carbon capture, methanisation and, of course, Gaznat's actual gas network. This energy innovation builds a vital bridge between research and industrial application.
Renewable Energies category
Alpine façade solar power for the Goms valley. The village of Fiesch is located over 1,000 metres above sea level in the upper Rhone Valley. Energy production in this region is largely dominated by hydropower. But now there is something new to see in Fiesch: an Alpine façade solar power system. It was installed at the newly built headquarters of endigo Holding AG, which offers innovative, sustainable and regional solutions in the field of energy and technology in the Goms region. The lightweight timber construction with its slatted façade is an architectural feast for the eyes. And it represents the values of the endigo group of companies: firmly rooted in the region, close to nature, future- and system-oriented, and technically competent.
Energy-Efficient Mobility category
The Rigitrac electric tractor is electrifying the future. The family-owned company Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG, based in Küssnacht am Rigi, has developed the first production-ready electric tractor with European type approval. The Rigitrac SKE 40 e-direct is emission-free, quiet, manoeuvrable and extremely energy-efficient. This makes it ideal for work where exhaust fumes and noise are undesirable, for example for maintenance work by municipal utilities or in vegetable tunnels or indoor sporting events. The electric tractor is a flagship project that demonstrates how even smaller businesses can drive technological innovation forward with passion and perseverance.
Buildings and Spatial Development category
Living in an energy-efficient and climate-friendly way at the Hobelwerk. The Hobelwerk site in Oberwinterthur demonstrates how sustainable construction works. It was developed and built by the building cooperative ‘mehr als wohnen’ (website available in German), Lemon Consult AG (website available in German) and the Low-Tech Lab in collaboration with other partners. They have ensured that an attractive, resource-saving, circular economy-oriented, energy-efficient and socially well-planned residential and commercial district has been created. This was achieved through timber construction, reused materials, intelligent energy systems combined with an innovative ventilation concept, climate architecture and social diversity. The vibrant new district is a model for forward-looking, non-profit housing construction in Switzerland.
Portraits of the winning projects
Further information about the winning projects can be found in the enclosed portraits.
Photos and videos
Photos of the 2026 award presentation ceremony will be freely available on 8 January 2026 at around 6.30pm on Flickr (with source attribution ©BFE2026). Videos of the award presentation ceremony will be freely available on YouTube from around 3pm on 9 January 2026.
Live stream: Starts at 4.20pm on 8 January 2026 on www.wattdor.ch
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