Energy Summer School 2023: Energy Technology, Policy and Politics – How to Build a Net-Zero GHG Emissions Energy System

Lecturers:

• Prof. Dr. Heleen de Coninck (TU/e, NL)
• Prof. Dr. Itay Fishhendler (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IL)
  
• Prof. Dr. Gabriela Hug (ETH Zurich, CH)
• Prof. Dr. Anna Korre (Imperial College London, UK)
  
• Patrik Meli (MAN Energy Solutions Schweiz AG, CH)
  
• Prof. Dr. Øystein Ulleberg (IFE, NO)
• Dr. Christian Schaffner (ETH Zurich, CH)
• Prof. Dr. Arno Schlüter (ETH Zurich, CH)
• Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt (ETH Zurich, CH)
• Prof. Dr. Jan Steckel (MCC, DE)
• Prof. Dr. Bjarne Steffen (ETH Zurich, CH)
• Prof. Dr. Massimo Tavoni (PoliMI, IT)

Who participated?  

The school was open to early-stage researchers (PhD students and postgraduate students) from around the world, who wanted to gain an in-depth understanding of the energy sector. Participation was highly competitive and the total number of participants was limited.

What were the Topics

The scientific programme strongly built on inputs from renowned experts. Participants  actively took part in workshops that allowed them to dive more deeply into relevant scientific aspects. Participants learned about the key issues surrounding the following questions as well as solution paths.

• How does the energy supply system function today and potentially in the future?
• What are the main challenges and opportunities in achieving a net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions energy supply system?
• How can needed investments in the energy system be realised?
• How can policy accelerate the transition to a net zero energy system?
• How can political ambition be increased or implement such accelerating policies?

The summer school used different formats including keynote lectures, poster sessions, case studies and panel discussions to convey information as well as to create a space to develop strategies and test ideas. This provided an opportunity to get an interdisciplinary and broad overview of the topics and look at specifics more closely. In this sense, the conference enabled young scientists to contribute towards the transformation and decarbonisation of the energy system, which ultimately will help to  solve the challenge of climate change.

The Summer School "Energy Technology, Policy and Politics" was an ETH Zurich course which corresponded to 2 ECTS (ECTS: European Credit Transfer System; 1 ECTS credit equals approx. 25-30 hours of work). After successful participation in the Summer School, the organisers issued a confirmation of successful participation. However, the crediting of ECTS was subject to the home university.  

Location

The school took place at  external page Monte Verità in Ascona, Switzerland from 27 August to 1 September 2023.

Expenses

The registration fee was 380 CHF and the estimated costs for full board accommodation, excursion, and teaching materials were approximately 1000 CHF.

Participants had to pay for their own travel costs.

The summer school was organised back-to-back with the Swiss Climate Summer School “Climate-Water-Energy-Food Nexus”, which took place 3 - 8 September 2023 (external page climateresearch.ch). This allowsed interested participants to attend both schools and provides them with a broader perspective of the tightly-interwoven energy and climate change challenges.