Margaux Peltier reveals the energy hidden beneath our feet with Enerdrape
To celebrate 15 years of commitment to sustainable innovation, CleantechAlps is launching the “15 years – 15 faces” initiative, highlighting personalities who are shaping the Swiss cleantech ecosystem. Among the faces that embody the cleantech momentum in Western Switzerland, Margaux Peltier embodies intelligent simplicity. An innovation born in a parking lot in the canton of Vaud, driven by an engineer who never planned to become an entrepreneur but was guided by meaning and impact.
It was while studying at EPFL that the idea for Enerdrape was born: why not capture thermal energy from underground infrastructures (parking lots, tunnels, metro stations), without drilling or heavy construction? With her co-founders, Prof. Lyesse Laloui and Dr. Alessandro Rotta Loria, she designed prefabricated geothermal panels to be fixed directly onto existing walls. ” “A solution so obvious that we are often asked: why didn’t it exist before?”
Margaux Peltier’s career began in Monaco, where she was drawn to architecture and engineering. She eventually opted for civil engineering, then specialized in energy and building physics. A master’s project on “energy tunnels” and a trip to Canada changed everything. “I wanted to do something useful and meaningful. Without realizing it, I was already laying the groundwork for an entrepreneurial project.”
From technical intuition to a concrete solution
Today, Enerdrape is a fast-growing start-up recognized for its ability to make complex geo-energy technology accessible. Winner of the Prix SUD award and numerous other distinctions, the young company stands out for its ability to offer a simple, quick-to-install solution that is perfectly suited to the contemporary challenges of energy renovation. By targeting existing infrastructure—parking lots, tunnels, stations—Enerdrape is opening up a new field of application for renewable energy without the need for heavy construction or prohibitive costs.
“Our strength lies in translating a technical idea into a concrete, intuitive solution ready for adoption.” This work of popularization and simplification was a key success factor.
In a sector that is still very male-dominated, Margaux Peltier embraces her status as a leader. “I never questioned my legitimacy. But I know that not everyone is given this confidence. It’s an opportunity that I would like to pass on and perpetuate.”
Growing up in an ecosystem conducive to transforming norms
Her commitment is part of a particularly dynamic innovation ecosystem, which she describes as essential for transforming an idea into a structured project. She emphasizes how important the support mechanisms in Western Switzerland have been in the development of Enerdrape: strategic guidance, financial support, coaching programs, competitions such as Venture Kick, and structures such as platinn, Genilem, and Innosuisse. These resources enabled her to test, frame, promote and build credibility for her project from the very beginning. “What makes the difference is the connections, the support and the visibility from the outset.” This early visibility, combined with institutional recognition, opened the right doors at the right time and accelerated the transition from idea to concrete solution. CleantechAlps played a key role in these areas in particular.
What does the future hold? She sees Enerdrape becoming the obvious choice for energy renovation, just like solar panels on roofs. “When we look at a parking garage wall or a tunnel, I want us to automatically think about turning it into a source of energy.”
For her, the energy transition will not come about by miracle, but through a smart combination of concrete solutions. And she intends to make hers a new standard in sustainable building.
Additional information : Untapped Underground Energy – enerdrape
Margaux Peltier's favorite quote
« All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; and Third, it is accepted as self-evident. »
– Arthur Schopenhauer
In her view, this maxim perfectly sums up Enerdrape’s history of innovation and ambition: to gradually raise the standards of sustainable building until the idea of capturing energy from underground becomes second nature. As she herself puts it with conviction:
“It is this vision—to evolve standards, gently but profoundly—that motivates me every day.”
An innovative solution for the energy transition
Enerdrape is a start-up based in the canton of Vaud, founded in 2021 and originating from EPFL. It is developing an innovative solution for geothermal panels to be installed on the walls of car parks, tunnels and other underground infrastructure, enabling the capture and use of thermal energy from the ground without drilling.
CleantechAlps has supported the start-up since its inception by facilitating its integration into the economic fabric and continues to promote its solution to stakeholders involved in the energy transition.
The 15-year anniversary concept
For the past 15 years, CleantechAlps has been committed to advancing its vision and connecting talents, stakeholders and solutions that drive the transition toward a more sustainable future in Western Switzerland. To mark this anniversary, we wish to highlight the individuals who bring our ecosystem to life every day — through their projects, their dedication and their vision.
“15 Years – 15 Faces” features fifteen personalities, fifteen journeys, fifteen voices that embody cleantech. From technology to policy, from research to industry, from local to international — these women and men are building, each in their own way, the cleantech solutions of today and tomorrow. Through their stories, we share with you the successes to which CleantechAlps has contributed — notably by serving as a facilitator of connections, dialogue, and collaboration. Discover their passion. Their inspiration. And their vision for a more sustainable future.
