Zurich, Switzerland, can boast of its many advantages—its vibrancy, the postcard-perfect Alps ringing its southern edge—but not of its climate. With an average of only 1,650 hours of sunshine each year, residents of Seattle, Washington,would feel quite at home here. Both climates are characterized by very long but not very severe heating seasons; they have a comparable number of heating degree-days. In winter there can be fog for days, with average temperatures below 32°F (0°C).

Zurich’s cold northern climate does have certain advantages, though. Here it is difficult to ignore the energy penalties of poor building design. Partly for this reason, new ecological and sustainable building design has taken root here as an indispensable tool in the struggle to prevent the extreme effects of global warming. Not coincidentally, this kind of design also substantially increases comfort for the occupants. In order to build sustainably in a climate like Zurich’s, two design strategies have to be followed at the same time: The energy losses in a building must be minimized, and the solar energy gains must be maximized. Even in Zurich, solar building design is still relevant.

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