© Federal Office of Energy
The "MakeHeatSimple" programme (www.makeheatsimple.ch ) of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy aims to reduce energy consumption in second homes by means of smart remote heating control systems. CSD INGENIEURE AG and the communication agency Franz&René are responsible for the implementation of the programme with the aim of increasing its awareness in Switzerland.
We asked CSD project manager Cornelia Winkler (foto on the right) about this programme. 
Ms Winkler, what is the "MakeHeatSimple" programme about?
There are about 700,000 second homes in Switzerland, and they all need to be heated, but preferably only when necessary. Remote heating controls can optimally adjust almost all heating systems to use, except for manual logwood heating systems. A heating system can thus be switched on by smartphone shortly before you arrive, and if you forget to switch it off before leaving, you can do so on the way back home. Such a system already pays for itself after a few years and is therefore not only useful for environmental, but also for financial reasons.
What is the task of CSD INGENIEURE AG?
In order to help achieve the energy saving goals of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), CSD INGENIEURE AG will coordinate the programme with all partners over the next three years, plan various activities and training courses and provide technical support. The aim is to raise awareness among the various partners, get the municipalities on board, organise events with second-home owners, convince property managers and provide various support tools.
How did CSD INGENIEURE AG get this mandate?
4 years ago, I carried out various preliminary clarifications for the SFOE in this thematic area. After that, I was involved in the implementation of various activities of the MakeHeatSimple campaign for the first two years. During this time, I was playing a significant role in shaping the programme and have since joined CSD INGENIEURE AG as an employee. Together with Enerconom (an electrical engineering company), CSD won the tender against three competitors. The contract is fixed for three years with an option for extension.
What are the challenges of this mandate?
There is no direct access to second home owners at the moment. Only the municipalities have access to the data. It is important to reach the second-home owners to make them aware of the programme. Measuring success is also only possible indirectly - we will collect sales figures from the suppliers of remote heating controls, but we would also like to know how many owners have installed them themselves.
To what extent does the second home owner benefit?
I have installed such a system myself: I can now switch the heating on and off when and where I like. This brings a lot of comfort, independence from third parties (e.g. concierge) and the possibility of remote control. And there is a solution for all heating systems except manual logwood heating.
Let's say I have a chalet in the mountains, how should I proceed?
First of all, visit the website: www.makeheatsimple.ch. There you can fill out an online questionnaire to clarify your needs and find installers in the vicinity who can prepare an individual offer based on the questionnaire.