Energie Service Biel/Bienne

Energie Service Biel/Bienne (ESB) is the municipal energy and water utility of the city of Biel/Bienne in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It supplies customers with electricity, gas, water, heating and cooling products, and telecommunications services. Since 1 January 2013, following a decision by the Biel electorate, ESB has operated as an independent public-law institution (selbstständiges Gemeindeunternehmen) wholly owned by the City of Biel/Bienne. The company employed 169 people as of December 2019 and generated revenue of CHF 120.9 million in 2019. ESB traces its roots to the founding of the Biel gas lighting company and the commissioning of the Biel gasworks in 1862. The Biel waterworks followed in 1875, and the electricity works was established in 1894 with power transmission from Bözingen to Biel. In 1994, the electricity, gas and water works merged to form Energie Service Biel/Bienne. In 2015, ESB consolidated its two locations at its modernized headquarters on Gottstattstrasse. ESB is committed to sustainable energy production and efficient energy use. Since 2017, it has supplied customers exclusively with electricity from renewable Swiss sources. Its standard product is sustainably produced electricity from the Brügg and Hagneck hydroelectric plants, supplemented by Swiss hydroelectric power. The company supports the construction of wind turbines and builds its own solar power plants, such as the photovoltaic installation on the roof of the Tissot Arena in Biel. Its green electricity product "Biel/Bienne-Strom" is certified "naturemade star," and part of its ecological added value flows into the ESB Eco Fund, which co-finances ecological improvement measures near its production sites. ESB also introduced Gaz Plus as a standard product, consisting of 80% natural gas and a fixed 20% biogas share, making it one of the first gas suppliers in Switzerland to include a 20% biogas share across its entire tariff customer gas supply. ESB is connected to the Gasverbund Mittelland network. ESB operates a charging network in Biel and offers charging solutions for private and business customers. Its power plants include the Hagneck, Brügg and Bözingen hydroelectric plants, a small hydroelectric plant in the Taubenloch gorge, and the Tissot Arena solar plant. According to its website, ESB supplies 55,000 customers with electricity and 64,000 with drinking water, and its efficiency programs have saved 1,038 MWh to date.

The roots of Energie Service Biel/Bienne go back to the founding of the Gasbeleuchtungsgesellschaft Biel (Biel gas lighting company) and the commissioning of the Biel gasworks in 1862. In 1875, the Biel waterworks was founded and began building a water pipeline network. Another milestone followed in 1894 with the transmission of electricity from Bözingen to Biel and the founding of the Elektrizitätswerk Biel (Biel electricity works). In 1994, the electricity, gas and water works of Biel merged to form Energie Service Biel/Bienne. Following a decision by the Biel population, ESB became an independent public-law institution (selbständige, öffentlich-rechtliche Anstalt) on 1 January 2013, with the City of Biel/Bienne as its owner. In 2015, ESB consolidated its two locations at its modernized headquarters on Gottstattstrasse. As of December 2019, the company employed 169 people and generated revenue of CHF 120.9 million in 2019. Since 2017, ESB has supplied its customers with electricity exclusively from renewable sources from Swiss suppliers.

• 2017

  ESB begins supplying electricity exclusively from renewable Swiss sources.

• 2015

  Consolidation of ESB's two locations at the modernized headquarters on Gottstattstrasse.

• 2013

  ESB becomes an independent public-law institution owned by the City of Biel/Bienne (1 January).

• 1994

  Merger of the electricity, gas and water works of Biel to form Energie Service Biel/Bienne.

• 1894

  Electricity transmission from Bözingen to Biel and founding of the Elektrizitätswerk Biel.

• 1875

  Founding of the Biel waterworks and start of building a water pipeline network.

• 1862

  Founding of the Gasbeleuchtungsgesellschaft Biel and commissioning of the Biel gasworks.

Municipal utility focused on sustainable, renewable energy and efficient resource use for the Biel/Bienne region.

• Biel/Bienne-Strom

  Green electricity product certified 'naturemade star', with part of its ecological added value flowing into the ESB Eco Fund.

• Gaz Plus

  Standard gas product consisting of 80% natural gas and a fixed 20% biogas share.

• E-mobility charging solutions

  Charging network in Biel and charging solutions for private and business customers.

• Photovoltaic systems

  Solar power plants including the photovoltaic installation on the roof of the Tissot Arena.

1. 1ESB • Energie für die Region Bielesb.ch
2. 2Energie Service Biel/Biennede.wikipedia.org
3. 3Energie Service Biel/Biennewikidata.org