Organisation for Electricity Supply in the Event of a Crisis (OSTRAL)
OSTRAL is the organisation responsible for supplying electricity in the event of a crisis. It is governed by the Swiss National Economic Supply and is activated on its orders if an electricity shortage occurs.
An electricity shortage is considered to be a serious shortage. In such a situation, the Confederation is responsible for preparing and implementing measures to ensure that the country is supplied with essential goods such as electricity.
The aim of the OSTRAL plan is to do everything possible to prevent the Swiss economy from coming to a standstill as a result of a general electricity shortage (long-term blackout). Household habits and the operation of major consumer sites will be affected by these measures.
The OSTRAL plan at UNIL
"Large consumers" are organisations whose annual electricity consumption exceeds 100 MWh. This is the case for UNIL, which is therefore directly affected by the implementation of the OSTRAL plan, and in particular by the quotas, which are designed to maintain electricity supplies.
Major energy savings will have to be made at UNIL If the OSTRAL plan is activated. Measures will have to be put in place quickly, as ordered by the Federal Council. A strategy and responsibilities must be defined in advance in order to keep the disruption to operations to a minimum.
Towards energy sobriety. Less is not just good – it's better.
We are currently facing an enormous challenge, with a situation that is unprecedented in modern history. It is essential for all the players involved to work hand in hand to get through this stage as smoothly as possible. Unibat is therefore working with the University's various departments, Faculties and services to identify ways of reducing our energy consumption at this critical time and in the future.
It should be noted that, in the event of a shortage, the power to decide on the supply of electricity lies with the network operator. Unfortunately, it is not within UNIL's remit to decide whether or not to keep all of its facilities running.
You can find more information about OSTRAL, as well as the specifics of its deployment at UNIL, in the "documents" section, which will be updated regularly.
We also encourage you to consult our guide "Towards energy sobriety", available in English and French, in which you can find more information about what UNIL is doing to reduce its energy consumption, as well as advice on how you can contribute to our joint efforts.
We welcome your ideas and questions, so please contact us at energie@unil.ch!