Heat pumps and the energy transition in Switzerland: key perspectives from Vaud & Geneva

Executive Summary

This paper examines Switzerland’s energy transition, with a focus on the cantons of Vaud and Geneva, where different approaches to decarbonising heating are being explored.

Heating is at the core of the net zero challenge: around 70% of building energy use goes to space heating and hot water, making buildings responsible for about 22% of the country’s CO₂ emissions. Reaching net zero by 2050 will therefore depend on replacing oil and gas boilers with cleaner solutions.

Heat pumps are a practical alternative: powered by electricity, they capture heat from natural sources and deliver warmth far more efficiently than a traditional boiler.

Adoption has grown rapidly. Heat pumps are now the leading option for new homes: three-quarters of Swiss buildings built in the last ten years already have a heat pump. But the picture is different for existing houses, especially in cities like Lausanne and Geneva, where retrofits are harder to carry out because of higher costs, technical constraints and complex legal framework.

Cantons are taking action. Vaud has introduced subsidies, streamlined permits and passed a law to phase out fossil heating by 2040. Geneva has gone further, setting a 2030 deadline. Both municipalities in Vaud and Geneva are pushing collective solutions such as district heating. Still, key challenges remain: high upfront costs, differing rules across cantons and technical requirements in old buildings. In addition, the shortage of skilled professionals and the difficulty of coordinating decisions among multiple owners, tenants and municipalities often delay retrofits. Addressing these barriers requires a balanced mix of measures, including simplified permitting, predictable financial support, long-term planning and pilot projects that demonstrate viable trade-offs between cost, comfort and efficiency.

The rewards are significant. For households, heat pumps mean lower and more predictable bills (if gas and fossil fuels are progressively phased out), greater comfort and higher property values in the long term. For investors, heat pumps open a stable, long-term market aligned with climate goals. For society, heat pumps deliver lower emissions, new jobs and more energy security.

Heat pumps are no longer experimental. With clear policies, affordable finance and better coordination across cantons and utilities, they can move from today’s niche to the backbone of Switzerland’s residential heating by 2050.