3010) "Wind Energy", Switzerland: A Three Coin Series kickstarted by the SwissMint in 2021 titled - "Energy of the Future": The third 20 Swiss Franc Silver Coin in the Series is a Proof Coin featuring Wind Energy: Year of Coin issue: 21.09.2023:
In 09/2023 the Swiss Federal Mint (Swissmint) has issued the third and final Silver Coin on the theme - "Wind Energy" in a three-part Coin Series titled - “Energy of the Future.”
For the third time in its minting history, the Swiss Federal Mint has issued a colour coin with additional fluorescent elements, enabling it to glow in the dark, which is available in Proof quality.
With its "Energy of the Future" Coin Series, Swissmint has drawn attention to the issues of Climate Change and Renewable Energies, which are important globally, and is continuing the three-part series launched in 2021 with the "Hydro Power (Water) Energy" special coin. After the "Solar Energy" Coin in 2022, this year the Series is being completed with a 20 Franc Coin titled "Wind Power".
Energy is a precious commodity and an indispensable part of our everyday lives.
Whether it’s to brew a pot of coffee first thing in the morning, to prepare meals at lunchtime, or to read children a bedtime story in dimmed light — we have become ultimately dependent on reliable on-demand energy as part of our everyday requirements.
A sustainable energy supply plays an important role in this and natural resources such as water, wind, and sun are being further developed to meet the needs of future generations and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The main sources of renewable energy in Switzerland are "Water", Solar and "Wind" Power.
The use of inexhaustible renewable energies should help to reduce dependence on oil, gas and nuclear technology, and, in the longer term, even help to phase out fossil energy supplies.
Wind Energy:
Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work.
Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but presently it is mostly used to generate electricity.
Presently, wind power is generated almost completely with wind turbines, generally grouped into wind farms and connected to the electrical grid.
In 2022, wind supplied over 2000 TWh of electricity, which was over 7% of world electricity and about 2% of world energy. With about 100 GW added during 2021, global installed wind power capacity exceeded 800 GW.
To help meet the Paris Agreement goals to limit climate change, analysts say it should expand much faster - by over 1% of electricity generation per year.
Wind power is considered a sustainable, renewable energy source, and has a much smaller impact on the environment compared to burning fossil fuels.
Wind power is variable, so it needs energy storage or other dispatchable generation energy sources to attain a reliable supply of electricity.
Land-based (onshore) wind farms have a greater visual impact on the landscape than most other power stations per energy produced.
Wind farms sited offshore have less visual impact and have higher capacity factors, although they are generally more expensive.
Offshore wind power currently has a share of about 10% of new installations.
Wind power is one of the lowest-cost electricity sources per unit of energy produced. In many locations, new onshore wind farms are cheaper than new coal or gas plants.
Regions in the higher northern and southern latitudes have the highest potential for wind power.
In most regions, wind power generation is higher in nighttime, and in winter when solar power output is low. For this reason, combinations of wind and solar power are suitable in many countries.
Wind is used to produce electricity by converting the kinetic energy of air in motion into electricity. In modern wind turbines, wind rotates the rotor blades, which convert kinetic energy into rotational energy. This rotational energy is transferred by a shaft which to the generator, thereby producing electrical energy.
Wind power has grown rapidly since 2000, driven by R&D, supportive policies and falling costs. Global installed wind generation capacity – both onshore and offshore – has increased by tremendously in the past two decades.
Both onshore and offshore wind still have tremendous potential for greater deployment and improvement, globally.
The amount of power that can be harvested from wind depends on the size of the turbine and the length of its blades. The output is proportional to the dimensions of the rotor and to the cube of the wind speed. Theoretically, when wind speed doubles, the wind power potential increases by a factor of eight.
Wind turbines first emerged more than a century ago:
Following the invention of the electric generator in the 1830s, engineers started attempting to harness wind energy to produce electricity.
Wind power generation took place in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1887 and 1888, but modern wind power is considered to have been first developed in Denmark, where horizontal-axis wind turbines were built in 1891 and a 22.8 metre wind turbine began operation in 1897.
The modern wind power sector emerged in the 1980s.
Once called windmills, the technology used to harness the power of wind has advanced significantly over the past ten years. Wind turbines, as they are now called, collect and convert the kinetic energy that wind produces into electricity to help power the grid.
Wind energy is actually a byproduct of the sun. The sun’s uneven heating of the atmosphere, the earth’s irregular surfaces (mountains and valleys), and the planet's revolution around the sun all combine to create wind. Since wind is in plentiful supply, it’s a sustainable resource for as long as the sun’s rays heat the planet.
In addition, because wind power is a growing industry, it is adding jobs to communities around the world.
Wind Energy in Switzerland:
Around 42,000 households in Switzerland could be supplied with clean wind power in 2019 through pure wind energy.
Especially when energy demand is high in the winter months, wind energy, together with solar energy and hydropower, makes a valuable contribution to meeting Switzerland's electricity needs.
Wind power plants are being expanded in the coming years.
Presently, 37 large-scale wind turbines with a total capacity of 75 megawatts (MW) are in operation throughout Switzerland.
In the future, the federal government have plans to cover seven percent of Switzerland's electricity needs with wind energy.
In Europe today, 15 percent of electricity comes from wind power - worldwide the figure is six percent.
The Coin:
The 20-franc silver is the great conclusion of a three-part series on the theme of renewable energy. It is inked at the Schaffhausen-based printing specialist Teca-Print.
The specifications of this Coin are:
Country of issue: Switzerland; Coin Series Theme: "Energy Of The Future"; Coin Theme: "Wind Energy"; Date/Year: 21.09.2023; Denomination/Face Value: 20 Swiss Franc; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 20.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 33.00 mm; Coin Quality: Proof Coin with additional fluorescent elements which glow in the dark; Mint: Swiss Federal Mint, Switzerland; Mintage: 10,000 pieces; Presentation Box/Case: Yes, Each Coin is presented in a heavy gauge Card Case; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes, Numbered; Designer: Remo Mascherini and Benjamin Daniel Emil Löbbert (Obverse & Reverse).
13) 100 years of the Swiss National Circus - "Knie" celebrated with the issue os 20 Swiss francs coin from the Swiss Mint stable (2019): Issue date: 24.01.2019
15) "Crocodile" Locomotives, Switzerland: Centenary Celebration: Swiss Mint issues a 50 Francs Commemorative Gold Coin: Coin release date: 09.05.2019
16) "The Art of Brewing Beer" Stamp, Swiss Post: A set of two Stamps depicting two varieties of Beer, popular in Switzerland, issued by Swiss Post: Date of issue: 05.09.2019
17) Roger Federer, Switzerland: A 20 Francs Silver Coin issued by the Federal Swiss Mint commemorating the achievements of the legendary Tennis Player: Coin issue date: 23.01.2020
18) Edelweiss (Mountain Star), Swiss Alps, Mongolia: minted under the series titled "Numismatic Sculptures": Commemorative Gold Coins of 1000 Togrog and Silver Coins of 500 Togrog issued by Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich for Mongolia
19) Federal Shooting Festival, Switzerland celebrated with the release of Silver 50 Franc and Gold 500 Franc "Talers" (or Medals) that are valid during the duration of the Festival: Issue Year: 2020
20) 200 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank, Switzerland on 12.09.2019: Sixth and last of the six Banknotes in the Ninth Banknote Series released by the Bank in a phased manner
21) International Year of Plant Health, Switzerland: A Postage Stamp of CHF 0.85 issued by Swiss Post depicting a Japanese beetle eating a healthy plant leaf: Date os stamp issue: 05.03.2020
23) Orell Fussli (1519-2019), Switzerland: Celebrating the 500th Anniversary milestone of the Banknote and Security Paper printng major with the issue of a House Note
25) Microscopic Art, Switzerland: A set of two stamps of the values of 0.85 and 1.00 Swiss franc issued by Swiss Post: Date of Stamp set issue: 07.05.2020
26) 150th Anniversary of the Swiss Fire Brigade Association, Switzerland: A 20 Swiss Franc Silver Coin issued by the Swiss Mint, commemorates the milestone: Date of Coin issue: 03.09.2020
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