Highlighting with "inte minst"
When you want to emphasize a particular example or factor within a broader statement, use the phrase inte minst (not least). It acts as a highlighter, showing that a specific item is particularly significant.
| The transition requires renewable energy, not least electricity. | Omställningen kräver förnybar energi, inte minst el. |
If the phrase you are emphasizing uses a preposition, place that preposition right after inte minst to keep the grammar parallel.
| We must reduce the dependence, not least on fossil energy. | Vi måste minska beroendet, inte minst av fossil energi. |
You can also place inte minst at the beginning of a sentence. Remember the V2 rule: because the phrase inte minst under vintern (not least during the winter) takes up the entire first position, the verb (är) must come immediately after it.
| Not least during the winter, the wind turbine is important. | Inte minst under vintern är vindkraftverket viktigt. |
Emphasizing the "what" with "Det är... som"
Another way to emphasize significance is by singling out exactly what is responsible for an action. Swedish frequently does this using the structure Det är [noun] som [verb] (It is [noun] that [verb]).
| It is the wind turbine that generates the electricity here. | Det är vindkraftverket som genererar elen här. |
| It is the solar cell that generates the electricity on the roof. | Det är solcellen som genererar elen på taket. |
By framing the sentence this way, you make it crystal clear that the solar cell—and not something else—is doing the generating!