Swiss BESS site screening:
nationwide scan, site-specific grid assessment.
CurvatureEnergy combines nationwide automated BESS site screening with site-specific network enquiries. This anonymised case study shows the scale of the programme and how shortlisted locations progress into preliminary grid-connection assessment in Switzerland.
Initial network assessment received. Upstream-network check requested.
No connection capacity, connection cost or delivery date has been confirmed.
National coverage.
A reviewable candidate pool.
The national run completed on 2 September 2026 screened industrial, commercial and related land-use zones using official zoning data and OpenStreetMap. Its output contains candidate geometries attributed across all 26 Swiss cantons.[1]
Zones screened
Industrial, commercial and related land-use zones covered by the national scan.
Swiss areas mapped
Across all 26 cantons, including areas excluded by screening.
Prioritised for visual review
Swiss candidate areas in the two highest screening tiers.
This case study
Sites submitted
Both received preliminary network assessments.
Further check requested
Upstream-network capacity check requested for one of the two sites.
National screening gives site selection a consistent starting point. The case below shows the site-specific work that follows: preparing technical information, obtaining network feedback and defining the next development step.
A suitable-looking site.
But can it connect?
BESS site selection starts with a location, but a viable battery energy storage system also needs a workable grid connection. A parcel’s dimensions, land-use designation and road access help frame the enquiry; they do not establish available electrical capacity.[2]
CurvatureEnergy submitted two shortlisted Swiss locations to the responsible distribution network operator (DSO), specifying the proposed battery configuration and the power required in both directions: import for charging and export for discharging. The operator provided preliminary, non-binding assessments identifying different network requirements and indicative lead times.[3]
Following that feedback, CurvatureEnergy requested the recommended upstream-network capacity check for one location. This is a documented next step in development, not an approved connection or a completed feasibility study.[3]
Three stages.
Different evidence.
A clear development record distinguishes what has been prepared, what the network operator has assessed, and what has only been requested.
- 01 · Prepared
Site-specific enquiry
Two locations were submitted with proposed storage configurations and import/export requirements.
- 02 · Received
Preliminary feedback
The operator identified different infrastructure requirements and indicative lead times.
- 03 · Requested
Upstream-network check
CurvatureEnergy asked the operator to carry out its recommended further check for one location.
Automated screening.
Human judgement at the next step.
CurvatureEnergy’s automated scan combines land-use data with proximity to substations, then assesses candidate geometry, road access, neighbouring uses, environmental constraints and data confidence. These checks support ranking and identify questions for manual review; grid proximity is not a capacity assessment.[1]
Visual-review images are tied to the exact candidate geometry. Review distinguishes apparently clear land from existing open uses such as storage or parking, so an open-looking footprint is not automatically described as vacant or available. Public geodata tools support this work, but neither imagery nor a screening score confirms land rights or connection capacity.[1, 4]
For the location taken forward, the technical brief recorded the parcel reference, land-use zone, indicative footprint and existing road access. It also set out the proposed storage configuration and preferred connection level, explicitly subject to the operator’s technical assessment.[2]
The distinction between a recorded feature and a verified condition matters. The brief left land availability and usability to be confirmed, and noted that suitability for heavy transport still needed checking. A map entry or a shortlisted footprint is not evidence of secured land rights.[2]
The purpose of screening is to make the next enquiry more precise. It does not replace land, permitting or network feasibility checks.
Turn a candidate into
an assessable brief.
The submitted material made the proposed use and the outstanding questions explicit. These are distinct inputs to a preliminary BESS grid-connection assessment.[2]
Location and footprint
An identifiable site, its land-use zone and an indicative area. These define the enquiry without implying that the land is available or permitted.
Storage and power requirements
The proposed battery configuration, charging and discharging power, and preferred connection level. Import and export requirements are stated separately.
Assumptions and open questions
The connection concept remains subject to network assessment. Land usability and transport access remain to be verified.
Two candidates.
Different network constraints.
The operator’s response demonstrated why site-by-site network engagement is needed. The findings below are paraphrased and deliberately omit locations, capacities and precise timelines.[3]
Additional infrastructure needed
The preliminary assessment identified a need for additional substation and network capacity, with a materially longer indicative lead time.
Further capacity check requested
The preliminary assessment indicated a shorter lead time. The operator recommended an upstream-network capacity check, which CurvatureEnergy subsequently requested.
The next check concerns the upstream network serving the existing substation. It should not be read as confirmation of a direct high-voltage connection for the battery.[3]
The response also identified possible operating restrictions during network or substation events, with details to be addressed in an operating agreement. Indicative connection and reinforcement costs remain to be clarified; an early lead-time estimate is not a committed delivery date.[3]
What remains
to be established.
A preliminary response narrows the questions. It does not make a project ready-to-build. For the location taken forward, the following points remain unresolved in the material reviewed.
Network capacity and conditions
The upstream assessment outcome, available import/export capacity, connection configuration and any operating restrictions.
Connection costs and timing
Indicative connection charges, any reinforcement requirements and a substantiated programme for the connection.
Land, access and permissions
Land availability and rights, suitability for transport and construction, and the necessary planning and permitting checks.
The practical outcome so far is a more informed next step: two locations assessed preliminarily, with further network clarification requested for one. The value of the method is in distinguishing a candidate, an assessment and an agreed connection.
Project log · — First publication: initial network assessments received for two sites; further check requested for one. This record will be updated as further network findings are confirmed.
Put the next step
in context.
Sources and
evidence notes.
Prepared on 4 September 2026 from CurvatureEnergy’s scan records, aggregate scan summary, project brief and network correspondence. Private records support the case narrative; they are not publicly accessible. The public reference concerns geodata tools, not verification or endorsement of the projects.
- CurvatureEnergy — national scan records and aggregate summaryPrivate run records · aggregate counts verifiedInternal scan records and aggregate summary, 2 September 2026. The Swiss total covers candidate geometries across all classification tiers, including exclusions; the priority total covers the two highest tiers. Figures describe screening outputs, not available projects. Identifying data are withheld.
- CurvatureEnergy — site-specific technical briefPrivate project record · paraphrasedSupports the proposed configuration, requested import/export power, site information and explicitly unresolved land and access questions. Identifying details are withheld.
- Network-operator correspondence and CurvatureEnergy’s follow-upPrivate correspondence · paraphrasedSupports the preliminary assessments, recommended upstream check and request to proceed. The supplied exchange does not confirm that the further check has started or that capacity has been approved.
- geo.admin.ch — Swiss federal map viewerPublic referenceDescribes the federal map viewer.Source excerpt · English · sentence fragment
Discover maps and geodata