Burgdorf’s historic industrial canals are unique nowadays. While such canal systems used to exist in many towns, they were abandoned in many places in the 20th century. The canal network in Burgdorf was built to meet the energy demands of industry and the first factories. The oldest written evidence of mills running on hydropower dates back to the 13th century, while weaving mills and other factories came later. In the late 19th century, there were some 35 industrial companies in Burgdorf, half of which used their own hydropower plants. The first canal agreement between the municipality and the Burgdorf hydropower plant cooperative, which brought together the owners of small hydropower plants, was signed in 1841. They now have a joint concession agreement with the canton and pass on their knowledge and expertise regarding the maintenance and use of the old, extremely well-preserved facilities to future generations.
Various activities and services, run for example by museums and the tourist information office, teach the public about how the industrial canals were used in the past, how they are used today, and how the town and region became a key location for renewable energies. A particular emphasis can be placed on the pioneering achievements in solar power, which were promoted early on in the canton of Bern through the Mont-Soleil solar power plant in the Bernese Jura. The Mont-Crosin wind park was also subsequently built in this region. The Espace découverte Energie conveys the history and importance of renewable energies in the Bernese Jura.
