ESC News

How can the Bündner Rheintal, an urban-industrial cluster, achieve
cost-effective decarbonization despite having CO₂ emissions per capita
that are two times higher than the Swiss average? Researchers from Empa, in collaboration with the Canton of Graubünden, regional energy
providers, and industry, have tackled this challenge using a holistic
energy system modeling and optimization approach. 

The Energy Science Center (ESC) is very pleased to welcome Jan Abrell, Dr. Ali Darudi, Fabian Stieger, Maike Heller and Sven Rüegg to the executive office team. Jan joined the ESC already in February 2025 , Ali, Fabian and Maike in May 2025 and Sven in July 2025. 

As the Energy Blog celebrates its 100th post, we spoke with two of its founders, Yael Borofsky and Florian Egli, to look back on its origins,  impact, and the evolving world of energy research. What started as a casual idea among friends during a winter course at ETH Zurich has grown into a respected platform bridging academia, policy, and public conversation.

For the first time, ETH Researcher mapped all energy infrastructure in Ukraine (more than 1700 units), identified energy sector damages and calculated detailed renewable energy potential by region, using a comprehensive spatial analysis that integrates environmental, social, and technical factors. Research identifies priority regions for solar and wind energy development, offering a strategic blueprint for the country’s post-war energy recovery.

A high-level delegation from Thailand’s Standing Steering Committee on the Green Parliament visited ETH Zurich on May 5 to explore Switzerland’s climate policy and energy systems.

The Energy Science Center (ESC) is growing and welcomes three new members: Milica Topalović, Manuela Brunner and Felix Donat become part of the competence center.

The Energy Science Center (ESC) welcomes Dr. Blazhe Gjorgiev as a new member of the competence center.

MAN Energy Solutions Schweiz AG and ETH Zurich are forming a strategic partnership to support postdoctoral researchers in the field of sector coupling and energy models.

Five ESC members have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate – one for the first time, one for the eleventh time in a row.

Auch an der diesjährigen ETH Energy Week gaben Experten aus der Wissenschaft, der Branche und der Politik spannende Einblicke in die Welt der Energie. Elcom-Geschäftsführer Urs Meister machte beispielsweise darauf aufmerksam, dass es in der Schweiz beinahe so viele Stunden mit stark negativen Strompreisen gibt, wie in Deutschland. Grund dafür seien vor allem Anreizprobleme.

The Energy Science Center (ESC) is very pleased to welcome Irina Simmen and Corina Oertli to the executive team. Irina joined the ESC in August 2024, Corina in September 2024. Both, Irina and Corina, support the Outreach Team with communication activities and event organisation at the ESC.

In the latest episode of the podcast "Die Energie-Enthusiasten", hostet by Lang Energie AG und Osterwalder Zürich AG, Christian Schaffner from the Energy Science Center and Karl-Paul Zwick discuss the Swiss power grid. They dive deep into key metrics, discuss the impact of power outages, and explore how renewable energy is being integrated. 

Eine klimafreundliche Zukunft in den Themengebieten Energie und Mobilität gemeinsam angehen, sich zu bestehende Entwicklungen, Herausforderungen und Erkenntnissen mit Akteuren aus Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft kurzschliessen sowie praxisnahe Lösungsansätze erarbeiten: Diese zahlreichen Aktivitäten werden nun in dem neu gegründete Reallabor Sisslerfeld gebündelt.

After a week of interactive keynotes, torrential rain, case study analysis, thunderstorms, and captivating poster presentations, the 2023 Summer School on Energy Technology, Policy, and Politics has officially come to a close.  

Jonas Savelsberg joined the Energy Science Center as a senior project manager for Nexus-e in August 2023.

Matthieu Boubat joined the Energy Science Center (ESC) in July 2023 as a scientific assistant. He is working on scenario developments for various projects at ESC and collaborating toward making the Nexus-e platform open source.

Upon application of ETH President Joël Mesot, the ETH Board promoted three ETH professors who are also members of the Energy Science Center.

You are probably aware that your daily commute contributes to climate change. But just how much? In the latest post on the Energy Blog @ ETH Zurich, the authors offer a detailed look at the carbon footprint of various transport modes, from bicycles and scooters to cars and public transit. Learn how everyday choices can significantly affect your impact on the environment and discover more sustainable options for urban mobility.  

Auctions for renewable energy support have become the standard way to give out subsidies to solar energy projects and other renewables in Europe. In an auction, investors usually compete to receive the subsidy based on their offered support price, where the bidders with the lowest offered prices win. The Swiss government has started using auctions to award investment subsidies to larger PV projects. Are the auctions designed well and fit for purpose? How have the auctions performed until now?

Navigating the complexities of bioenergy, its potential for carbon neutrality, and its conflicts with land, food, and feed resources is a pressing issue. What if we could circumvent these issues and focus solely on land-free bioenergy, similar to growing mushrooms on waste coffee grounds for a delicious dish? Waste and byproducts can generate valuable bioenergy, playing strategic roles in a future sustainable energy system.

ETH Zurich and EPFL want to work with partners from politics, science and industry to push innovative storage and transport solutions for renewable energy carriers. The overall goal is to create a climate-​neutral and flexible energy system for Switzerland. Around 20 partners and industrial companies have already voiced their interest in a collaboration.

Gabriela Hug and Christian Schaffner argue that securing an affordable energy supply from renewable sources is not a utopian ideal for Switzerland, but rather a practical and feasible necessity.

Every time we calculate the environmental impacts of an electric vehicle, we use data from the lithium carbonate production at the Salar de Atacama in Chile. To meet soaring lithium demand, other, more polluting mining pathways are emerging. However, poor data availability is preventing proper accounting, leading to underestimated environmental damages. What we need are more transparent supply chains for a low-carbon society.