ETH News

For Switzerland to achieve its net zero climate target, not only must it reduce its CO₂ emissions, it must also find a way to store the greenhouse gas permanently. Researchers at ETH Zurich have investigated whether, and under what conditions, CO₂ could be stored underground in Switzerland.

Founded with a view to boosting the lifespan and reliability of wind turbines, the ETH spin-off RTDT is now improving the devices¡¯ electricity production and performance ¨C all with the help of an intelligent plaster for rotor blades.

ETH Zurich¡¯s CAS programme in Applied Technology in Energy provides a deeper understanding of the energy system. It enables participants to play a part in shaping the energy future of their company or industry and therefore in achieving the climate target of net zero.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and ZHAW Winterthur are simulating in a new study how the future Swiss power system could be structured to withstand a drastic fall in gas and electricity imports. By doing so, they aim to contribute to the discussion surrounding Switzerland¡¯s supply security.

An international team of researchers has examined the environmental, social, economic and legal aspects of wind energy. In this interview, Russell McKenna, an expert in energy system analysis, explains where he sees the greatest need for action to further develop wind energy.

Deep geothermal energy is climate-friendly and base-load capable - but how can this heat be tapped safely? ETH researchers are working on minimizing the earthquake risk and developing completely new systems, for example with closed CO₂ cycles.

Marco Mazzotti will be conferred emeritus status at the end of January 2025. A good reason for a portrait of this dedicated process engineer, who came to his field of research quite unexpectedly.

Hydrogen-powered planes are set to take wing around the world in the future. To make this possible, engineers have to develop the jet engines that will power them. Experiments by researchers at ETH Zurich are now providing the necessary basis for making these engines powerful and durable.

A secure supply of electricity from renewable energies can only succeed if we also modernise the grid infrastructure. At the Energy Science Centre (ESC), ETH researchers are looking for smart ways to make the electricity grid fit for the energy transition without expensive expansion.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have been working with researchers from Ukraine and Germany to investigate how to rebuild Ukraine¡¯s destroyed energy infrastructure based on renewable energy. They have determined that solar and wind energy would quickly deliver a distributed power supply system and prevent corruption.

Researchers at ETH Zurich are using iron to store hydrogen safely and for long periods. In the future, this technology could be used for seasonal energy storage.

From devising forecasting models for the Federal Finance Administration and describing the latest trends in civil protection, ETH researchers routinely supply vital support to the Swiss state and help drive innovation.

Whether sustainably produced hydrogen needs to be 100 percent green is currently under debate. Using the production of ammonia and artificial fertiliser as examples, researchers have calculated that "nearly sustainable" hydrogen would be better in the end.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences have developed a novel solution for heat pumps. Using this new approach, companies can generate carbon-free process heat at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius while also drastically reducing the number of different heat pumps required.

Instead of burning coal or oil to produce cement or steel, in the future solar energy could be used for this purpose. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a thermal trap that can absorb concentrated sunlight and deliver heat at over thousand degrees Celsius.

Researchers at ETH Zurich led by Robert Boes are developing specific solutions to optimise electricity production from Swiss hydropower plants. This will ensure that hydropower remains the backbone of Switzerland¡¯s electricity supply in the future.

For Anthony Patt, Europe¡¯s ambitious plans for a hydrogen economy may be too ambitious, tipping the scales towards the interests of the fossil fuel industry, rather than energy consumers and the climate. Switzerland should be careful before jumping fully on board, he argues.

Researchers at ETH Zurich are developing a new method to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. It involves molecules that become acidic when exposed to light. Their new process requires much less energy than conventional technologies.

ETH Zurich researchers from the Automatic Control Laboratory and the electricity supplier AEW Energie AG have won the 2024 Watt d¡¯Or award in the Energy Technologies category. Their algorithm, which was implemented at AEW Energie, makes it possible to optimise electricity grid operations.

Climate neutrality and nuclear phase-out: Switzerland's ambitious green electricity targets are realistic if the electricity supply is profoundly and rapidly transformed, as a study by the SWEET EDGE consortium shows. The researchers developed three strategies for expanding renewable energies.

Capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and storing it either in recycled concrete aggregate or in geological reservoirs in Iceland is not only technically feasible, but also has a positive carbon footprint. These are the findings of a pilot project lead by ETH Zurich and commissioned by the Swiss confederation.

Researchers from ETH Zurich, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, and Stanford have taken snapshots of the crystal structure of perovskite nanocrystals as it was deformed by excited electrons. To their surprise, the deformation straightened out the skewed crystal structure rather than making it more disordered.

Using a new 3D printing technique, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed special ceramic structures for a solar reactor. Initial experimental testing show that these structures can boost the production yield of solar fuels.

Turning unused waste from food production into clean energy: Researchers at ETH Zurich and Nanyang Technological University Singapore are using chicken feathers to make fuel cells more cost-effective and sustainable.

Researchers at ETH have created an antenna for light sources on a chip using an unusual placement of a semiconductor material. In the future, efficient nanoscale LEDs and lasers could be produced in this way.

Gabriela Hug ¨C an expert in power transmission networks ¨C argues that securing an affordable energy supply from renewable sources is not a utopian ideal for Switzerland, but rather a practical and feasible necessity.

During her doctoral studies, Liliane Ableitner developed a trading and billing tool for energy communities. Three years on, she is CEO of a flourishing start-up with 20 employees.

Security of energy supply in a fossil-free Switzerland is feasible and affordable according to a new white paper from an expert group at the Energy Science Center. It will require increased production of renewables and efficient energy trading with neighbouring countries.

Yesterday, Swiss President Alain Berset toured the Carbfix plant in Iceland and visited the facilities where the pilot project "DemoUpCARMA" is implemented. The project aims at injecting and storing CO₂ in the Icelandic underground. Marco Mazzotti, project coordinator and ETH Zurich professor, explains why Swiss CO₂ is being shipped all the way to Iceland.

If European countries collaborate, they can avoid severe energy scarcity due to a gas shortage. This is the finding of a new study by ETH Zurich researchers.

To decarbonize our economy, electricity will replace oil and natural gas as the primary energy carrier. Where should that power come from? Many people argue that all of it should be produced domestically. Careful analysis suggests some share of it should be imported, says Anthony Patt.

A study by researchers at ETH Zurich shows for the first time how a relaxation of Swiss spatial planning policy would affect the locations of wind turbines. If the aim is to have as few wind turbines as possible in the Alps and in Switzerland in general, it would be worth considering using windy agricultural areas on the western Swiss Plateau.

Whether rooftop solar panels are worth the cost is largely dependent in Switzerland on local compensation rates for solar power and on electricity prices in general ¨C these are the findings of a study by researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Bern. Many power grid operators pay too little, thereby limiting the expansion of solar power.

Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Carnegie Institution for Science have shown how nitrogen fertiliser could be produced more sustainably. This is necessary not only to protect the climate, but also to reduce dependence on imported natural gas and to increase food security.

While the economic impacts of climate policy are generally perceived as costs, Anthony Patt proposes the opposite perspective. For Switzerland, converting the energy system and reaching the net-zero target may net benefit the economy, he finds.

How much electricity is generated from hydropower? How many batteries are recycled? And what has been the increase in electric car registrations? Put your knowledge to the test by taking our energy quiz* about facts and figures from Switzerland.

If the transition to renewables is to succeed, we will need a viable means of storing surplus heat and electricity. Globe spoke to experts from ETH Zurich about the promising technologies that could help us reach net zero.

ETH Zurich¡¯s course in Applied Technology in Energy brings managers up to speed on the latest energy technologies, enabling them to make informed decisions in their day-to-day work.

We all understand the importance of energy security. To maintain it, we need to chart the right course. But how can we know what that is?

Five ETH spin-offs are displaying the kind of innovative thinking that will determine the success of the energy transition.

An ETH risk researcher has concluded that Energy Strategy 2050 doesn¡¯t work. The Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich disagrees: extensive research shows that the energy transition is feasible and makes sense, writes Gabriela Hug together with her ESC colleagues.

Does nuclear power have a future? Are electric cars dirty? In a four-part series, the ETH Podcast takes a detailed look at popular theories about the future of energy.

Eight ETH students are working on battery and hydrogen versions of an electric aircraft as part of the e-Sling focus project. For the past year, their lives have revolved around Hangar 3 at the Innovation Park Zurich in D¨¹bendorf.

Oil and gas prices are currently on the rise, raising questions about the security of Switzerland¡¯s energy supply. In a policy brief, researchers from the Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich have now shown what Switzerland can do to make its energy system independent of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and TU Delft have developed a model to generate hundreds of ways in which Europe¡¯s energy system can become green and self-sufficient by 2050. They have made their results available on an interactive platform to provide a clearer picture of all the various options and their associated trade-offs.

The surge in gas and oil prices triggered by Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine could help speed the energy transition. But high prices won¡¯t be enough to ensure it succeeds; smart policies are still needed, writes Florian Egli. ?

In the video series "Ask the Expert", experts from ETH Zurich answer questions from the community. In this episode Gabriela Hug talks about energy supply.

Hydropower delivers renewable electricity, but comes with massive fish mortality ¨C a global dilemma that can only be addressed by true compromises, says Luiz Silva, and outlines how to find them.

From a technological and economic perspective, the Swiss energy system could be climate-neutral by 2050. There are various challenges when it comes to implementation, however. Deployment of photovoltaics, for example, would have to increase at a faster rate. Academia and industry discussed possible energy scenarios at ETH Zurich.

Ambitions to make hydrogen a key energy carrier for a climate friendly future are misguided, says Anthony Patt. Wherever possible, including ground transportation and heating, we should replace fossil fuels with the direct use of renewable electricity.

How can we decarbonise our economy by 2050? ETH Zurich Professor Tobias Schmidt argues that the answer lies in a radical technological transformation. He describes his journey from engineer to policy researcher ¨C and his determination to build bridges between science and policy.

By cleverly combining different technologies, manufacturers can produce plastic that is climate neutral over its entire life cycle. A new study by an international team of researchers has shown that this combination requires less energy than alternatives and costs the same ¨C or even less.

Many everyday activities rely on electricity. As we look to 2050, this dependence is set to increase, with demand for electricity in Switzerland likely to rise to 50 percent. The increased demand can only be met by transforming the energy system.

Konstantinos Boulouchos spent years helping to shape Swiss energy research. Following his retirement, the charismatic Emeritus Professor of Energy Technology can now look back on more than 30 years at ETH Zurich ¨C time to get philosophical.

The benefits of strict climate policies are often underestimated in public debate, while the costs are generally overestimated, says Lucas Bretschger. Climate protection does not have a negative impact on economic development.

Electricity providers have a simple way of encouraging households and companies to procure power from sustainable sources. This can help lower CO₂ emissions.

The technology developed by the ETH spin-off Mithras Technology wouldn¡¯t be out of place in a science fiction movie: the user¡¯s own body heat powers what is known as a thermoelectric generator to charge wearables and other electronic devices.

For Switzerland to become climate neutral, there¡¯s no way around electric mobility. But to get e-cars going, the public must push for charging stations where people live, argues Anthony Patt.?

Over the course of the EU project ¡°FIThydro¡±, research and industry partners studied the ecological impact of hydropower plants. ETH Zurich¡¯s Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) has developed a protection and guidance system that can help migratory fish to safely bypass hydropower turbines.

An interdisciplinary research team from ETH Zurich is developing the Nexus-e modelling platform in a project supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. The platform facilitates the analysis of how technological, economic and regulatory developments affect the energy system of the future.

Carbon-neutral aviation is possible, but in future, aircraft are likely to continue to be powered by fossil fuels. The CO₂ they emit must be systematically stored underground. This is the most economical of various approaches that ETH researchers have compared in detail.

Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement means embracing a sustainable transition to renewables. Yet analyses suggest that decarbonisation can only be achieved with targeted government support for the right technologies.

On the road to a sustainable energy system, technologies for the flexible conversion and efficient storage of energy are becoming increasingly important. To investigate these pressing issues in a realistic way, ETH Zurich, Empa and the Paul Scherrer Institute have been developing ReMaP, a new type of research platform, since 2019. Their initial findings are now available.

The mobility initiative launched in 2018 is gaining momentum. Konstantinos Boulouchos, the driving force behind the project, explains how far things have come since then and in which direction the initiative is set to develop.

ETH researchers have developed a catalyst that converts CO₂ and methane efficiently into synthesis gas ¨C a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This could potentially help to produce sustainable fuels and plastics

Researchers from the Swiss Seismological Service SED and ETH Zurich are working with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre CSCS and the Universit¨¤ della Svizzera italiana USI to develop a way of utilising geothermal energy safely with the help of supercomputers.

ETH researchers analysed various possibilities for reducing the net CO₂ emissions of the chemical industry to zero. Their conclusion? The chemical industry can in fact have a carbon-neutral future.

Researchers from ETH Zurich investigated whether it would be technically and economically feasible for households to achieve energy self-sufficiency using photovoltaics alone in the temperate Swiss climate by the middle of the century.

When making decisions, we¡¯re often influenced by our social environment. This can be used in a targeted way to encourage people to adopt a healthier, cleaner lifestyle, writes Suchita Srinivasan.

ETH Zurich has won the Swiss Watt d¡¯Or Energy Prize for its dynamic underground storage system at the H?nggerberg campus. Switzerland¡¯s Federal Office of Energy has recognised ETH for energy excellence in the category of ¡°Buildings and space¡±.

The world is not on track with regard to its CO₂ emissions. In order to achieve the Paris climate targets, we all need to show courage and commitment, says Nicolas Gruber.

Glaciologists at ETH Zurich and WSL assessed the global water storage and hydropower potential that could be freed up in future as glaciers melt in response to climate change.

Today¡¯s new buildings could easily last until 2050 and beyond. That's why we now need binding climate targets in the construction sector, argues Guillaume Habert.?

Renewable energy has become competitive ¨C and one often-overlooked reason is the reduced cost of financing. Researchers from ETH Zurich and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have modelled different scenarios in order to investigate the impact of rising interest rates on renewable energy.

A solar fa?ade developed at ETH Zurich combines electricity production with intelligent shading to achieve optimal energy balance.

Is it possible to boost sales of locally produced solar energy by allowing households to trade it through a peer-to-peer platform? The year-long Quartierstrom research project in Walenstadt is investigating how energy markets might operate in the future.

How will the energy consumption habits of Switzerland change when more consumers use local energy storage options? How will this affect the grids, tariffs and data privacy? ETH Zurich, the Paul Scherrer Institute and Empa have jointly established the new energy research platform ReMaP to find answers to these interlinked questions.

Current European and Swiss policy measures are insufficient for addressing the Paris climate target, says Konstantinos Boulouchos and outlines a way to decarbonise mobility.

A new, smart medium-voltage transformer developed at ETH Zurich features cutting-edge semiconductor technology, making it extremely compact and energy efficient. Future applications are ranging from locomotives to fast charging stations for electric vehicles and from power supplies for data centres to use in future power grids.

ETH researchers are helping Swiss bus manufacturer Carrosserie Hess develop software that could provide major cost and energy savings.

A new conductor material and a new electrode material could pave the way for inexpensive batteries and therefore the large-scale storage of renewable energies.

A recently published paper in Science, written by a team of the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich and collaborators from the Engineering Geology group at ETH, GFZ Potsdam and the Glasgow University, explores the potential link between a magnitude 5.5 earthquake in South Korea and a nearby geothermal project.

The electric energy system is becoming increasingly diverse and distributed. This trend is bound to have an impact on how the system operators will control and optimize the future grid, blogs Gabriela Hug.

Will we be able to do away with the classic centralized energy supply in the future? From a technological perspective: yes. Distributed multi-energy systems are feasible. But from an economic and societal perspective, many questions remain unanswered, blogs Roman Seidl.

Future locations of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste are expected to receive remuneration payments. These payments are not regulated by law and are therefore a matter for negotiation. Now there exists a broad-based framework for this process, writes Michael Amb¨¹hl.

Right now, everyone is talking about mobility, how it ought to be CO₂-neutral and clean. Yet how do we get there? Banning combustion engines, changing how we usually get around or gradually shifting towards electric vehicles ¨C the ideal path is not exactly clear.

A bed in which you don¡¯t snore and 20 other ETH Zurich research projects with a practical application ¨C Industry Day 2017 offered these inside views. About 600 people from the business community used the platform to engage in an exchange.

ETH spin-off Adaptricity has developed a piece of software that can be used to analyse the increasingly intelligent power grids. It will soon be put to the entrepreneurial test, with sales of software licences set to begin this autumn.

If European countries cooperated better in the field of wind energy, wind power output would fluctuate less. This is the conclusion reached by a group of energy and climate researchers at ETH Z¨¹rich and Imperial College London, who for the first time have combined a long-term analysis of predominant weather patterns with Europe-wide wind electricity generation.

Efficient use of electricity is central to Energy Strategy 2050. But how much electricity-saving potential do Swiss households actually have? And which factors influence this efficiency?

At the symposium ¡°The Global Energy Challenge ¨C A Corporate View¡±, representatives of international companies will present their energy strategies and visions for the future, while researchers from ETH Zurich evaluate the strategies from a scientific point of view. Christian Schaffner, Executive Director of ETH Zurich¡¯s Energy Science Center and organiser of the symposium, explains this novel format.

In the future, a new type of tiny redox flow battery will supply tightly packed electronic components with energy, while also dissipating the heat they produce.

Players in the energy industry and the policy domain often depend on forecasts. A closer look reveals that these predictions sometimes fall wide of the mark. Underestimating innovation dynamics is one reason why.

Geothermal probes and heat pumps provide an effective alternative to oil heating, but they aren¡¯t suitable for use in densely populated areas where probes in close proximity extract too much heat from the ground. However, using probes for heat storage as well could unlock their considerable potential.

Sediments get deposited in storage lakes and increase the erosion of hydraulic turbines. To keep hydropower plants operational for as long as possible, researchers are developing new methods of monitoring sediments in real time.

Switzerland¡¯s electricity companies, and in particular the operators of its nuclear power plants, are in poor financial shape. Regardless of the outcome of the Nuclear Withdrawal Initiative, the funding required for dismantling and disposal raises issues of state redistribution.

ETH researchers have used an additive manufacturing process to print an extremely porous ceramic component. Manufacturing a material of this kind with a 3D printer is a considerable achievement.

How to use the Earth¡¯s interior heat in an economically successful and sustainable way? Switzerland is considering this question in its Energy Strategy 2050, and Europe also sees geothermal energy as a part of the future energy mix. The international project DESTRESS will evaluate methods and feasibility.

ETH researcher Stefan Pfenninger and his colleague Iain Staffell from Imperial College London have developed new multi-decade simulations of wind power production in Europe. In doing so, they have uncovered significant distortions in the data used in the past, and have produced fresh simulations of wind power output with country-specific corrections.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a lithium-ion battery made entirely of solid material: it contains neither liquids nor gels. The battery cannot ignite, even at very high temperatures, giving it a safety advantage over conventional batteries. In addition, they allow new forms of battery design.