Situation in alpine areas

The referendum in 20138 on the revision of the spatial planning act has led to a disintegration of cultural assets in the Swiss alpine regions. «Maiensässe», simple mountain cabins in the Alps, are the product of traditional mountain farming with its classical tiered operation, «but with the decline of the number of farmers, the development of infrastructure and technological development, many buildings have lost their original function».9 This also applies to barns in the alpine areas. As a result of the legal framework, such unused buildings cannot be renovated profitably, and in many cases, they collapse, since there is no incentive to preserve them.

The current building law situation has the following consequences: The scenery, an important factor for tourism, is defaced by collapsed objects, thereby reducing revenues from this sector’s local industry and leading to sales losses in the communities. To owners of such barns, often a community of owners, they frequently become a burden.10 In general, the conversion of such buildings is possible as long as there are no structural changes involved in the process. Former fortresses of the Swiss army, e.g., have been converted into high security server farms or privately managed bullion vaults. The conversion of army fortresses falls under the same legislation as the re-use of barns.

Opportunities

All the above mentioned arguments provide significant opportunities for Swiss Alps Energy AG’s operational activities:
• the blockchain technology has profound implications for the future IT infrastructure
• the exponential growth of the energy consumption of the crypto currency mining ecosystem requires more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions
• the unsatisfactory situation in the Alpine areas spoils the landscape and is a burden on the residents
• the competitiveness of Swiss producers in the electricity market of the border areas is reduced