Massive investment in low-carbon infrastructure is required to put Europe on a path to net zero by 2050. While this is no big surprise, it is astonishing that investments are still growing rather slowly, even for market-ready technologies such as...
Through different scales and spaces in the city of Zurich, this article analyzes the potential for UIPV (Urban Integrated Photovoltaics). Based on interviews with stakeholders such as architects, engineers, and the city of Zurich, the article suggests various PV implementations...
In an increasingly decentralized and electrified energy system, electric vehicle (EV) users and their diverse behaviors could both drastically hinder or substantially support current energy transition efforts in many regions globally. The negative or positive effect depends on how users...
Electricity systems require more and more flexibility to integrate increasing shares of variable renewable electricity and avoid costly grid expansion. The demand side - involving electricity end-users - will be key in providing relatively cheap flexibility. Looking beyond the technical...
Security of electricity supply and electricity costs have become major business concerns for the Swiss industry sector. On the current trajectory towards a clean energy system, situations in winter with reduced availability of electricity followed by soaring prices may occur...
The secret to getting through the energy crisis is that everyone in Europe does their part. And a bit of luck. In this blogpost, we highlight some preliminary results from our investigation of the gas shortage in Europe - because...
This blogpost discusses a key shortcoming in electrification models used by policymakers and international organizations to chart electricity access pathways in sub-Saharan Africa - unrealistic financing cost assumptions. We highlight why this often overlooked flaw in electrification models could slacken...
The deployment of clean and sustainable energy is regarded as a pillar of sustainable global development according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Counter-intuitively, this goal can sometimes directly interfere with other developmental objectives. Based on a working paper by...
After the Fukushima disaster, the Swiss Federation decided to boost energy research in support of the Energy Strategy 2050. Its primary goal was to replace nuclear electricity generation with renewables while maintaining a secure and affordable energy supply. This research...
Today, only a minority of Swiss households have air conditioners installed for cooling. This might change due to the warming climate and the growing integration of heat pumps to new buildings, which can be used for heating and cooling. The...
Our goal is not to predict the future, rather to shape it. Net-zero scenarios for the energy system help us do that. Although they deliver only a blurred view of the future, they allow us to guess the shape of...
Energy storage is required to reliably and sustainably integrate renewable energy into the energy system. Diverse storage technology options are necessary to deal with the variability of energy generation and demand at different time scales, ranging from mere seconds to...
