Joël Marmy, Managing Director for French-speaking Switzerland, Hoval Switzerland
Hoval positions itself as a full-service provider across all energy vectors marketed in heating and air-conditioning technology. Anyone building today, whether it is a factory or a family home, is spoilt for choice when it comes to heating.
Monde Économique : Which systems are most widely used in Switzerland today?
Joël Marmy : As one might expect, fossil-fuel generators (oil and gas boilers) still hold a dominant position in the heat generation market, thanks in particular to their proven technology, low investment costs compared with other heat-producing systems and — provided they are properly maintained — their particularly long service life. Over the past five years, however, this hegemony has been in clear decline. At Hoval, we record annual sales growth in the renewable energy segment that is well above the market average, which shows us that the ecological transition is already a reality in the Swiss heat-generation market.
Monde Économique : Which systems will shape the future of heating?
Joël Marmy : High energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy sources and the integration of digital capabilities make up the winning formula for the heat generators of tomorrow. It is precisely in connection with the increasingly frequent implementation of the “Cantonal Energy Regulations Model” (also known as ‘MoPEC 2014’) that the heating system of the future must meet these three criteria. A homeowner who uses an eco-friendly air-to-water heat pump and also controls it remotely via an app, thereby avoiding unnecessary heating operation in their absence, is making the right choice for the next 15 years.
Monde Économique : Will long-term research be carried out even where usefulness has not yet been demonstrated, but potential can already be seen?
Joël Marmy : The gas industry has set itself the goal of increasing the share of renewable gases to 30% by 2030. What this proportion will consist of still needs to be defined. However, as boiler specialists, we are required to develop products that meet the demands of regenerative fuels. At present, a range of options is available to us. Hydrogen is certainly set to play a leading role. Renewable gases have certain characteristics that make them compelling future fuels: they can be produced synthetically using renewable energy, and their combustion process emits no environmentally harmful CO2. The Power-to-Gas approach, which makes it possible to methanise surplus electricity from the grid and thus store energy, is also particularly interesting.
Monde Économique : What milestones can a company like Hoval set, for example in research and development?
Joël Marmy : In the market, the continuous development of heating and air-conditioning systems rests on two essential pillars: fundamental academic research and its translation into market-ready heat generators by the development departments of large HVAC companies. Hoval SA is among the international leaders in heating and indoor climate solutions. Over more than 75 years in business, we have consistently managed to anticipate a number of market trends and protect through patents the products that have made a major contribution to them.
Monde Économique : What is the real impact of digital transformation on the industry today?
Joël Marmy : Digitalisation is also generating a huge wave of innovation and transformation in the HVAC sector, which we can only welcome. The “Internet of Things” segment, for example, opens up entirely new possibilities for the control, maintenance and optimisation of comfort heating and ventilation systems. What in the pre-digital era was only possible in person now also works remotely thanks to a suitable digital ecosystem. This is a positive development, particularly for system owners, who gain access to operational data with full transparency and benefit from lower costs through optimised heating operation.
We are also seeing greater digitalisation in the professional segment, which simplifies commercial processes and improves efficiency. Installers and fitters are increasingly turning to e-commerce. This saves valuable working time.
Monde Économique : Both then and now, you offer a very broad product range. Is that the result of gradual growth or the outcome of a clear strategic decision?
Joël Marmy : It is clear that Hoval does not position itself as a segment specialist, but rather as a comprehensive provider of energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning solutions with measurable added value. This approach is built on a very clear strategy: because we develop, manufacture and market all types of conventional heat generators, we are able to guarantee maximum compatibility across our products. They can therefore be easily combined into an integrated system, since all components are perfectly matched to one another.
For example, we can easily combine our condensing gas boilers with our heat pumps — giving owners a heating system with relatively low investment costs that also meets the requirements of MoPEC 2014. The broad diversity of our product portfolio also allows us to respond with great flexibility to customer demand. Given the differences between buildings and heating-system requirements, a “one fits all” solution in heat generation would show a lack of customer and market orientation.
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