Economics & Policy . Electricity . Energy Supply . Renewable Energy
Switzerland’s strategy will not deliver the solar power it needs. Here’s why. / Die Strategie des Bundesrats wird die benötige Solarenergie nicht liefern. Die Gründe warum.
On 17.02.2020 by Léonore HälgThe Swiss federal council proposes to support large-scale solar PV with competitive auctions for one-off investment grants. This will not scale up solar PV investment to the extent necessary to reach the Swiss climate and energy targets. I offer suggestions on how to improve the proposal.
Buildings . Electricity . Energy Supply . Renewable Energy
Photovoltaics on Buildings – Ugly and Expensive or an Opportunity for Creative Design?
On 01.02.2020 by Linus WalkerThe integration of solar energy technologies in buildings has been available for several decades. However, many buildings are still built without any PV or solar thermal collectors, which in my opinion is an intolerable situation.
Buildings . Economics & Policy . Energy Efficiency . Heating . Renewable Energy
Retrofitting for good: insights from the Swiss Household Energy Demand Survey
On 25.11.2019 by Anna StünziFindings from the Swiss Household and Energy Demand Survey shed new light on the willingness to live in a more energy-efficient building. Most surprisingly: more than 50% of the participating tenants would accept a higher rent increase than the expected savings from their energy bills after the renovation.
Economics & Policy . Electricity . Energy Supply . Renewable Energy
Understanding the Scale of Back-up Generation in the Developing World
On 06.11.2019 by Yael BorofskyThanks to unreliable electricity grids, fossil-fuel powered generators in low- and middle-income countries constitute as much generation capacity as up to 1,000 coal-fired plants, finds a new report from the IFC and the Schatz Energy Research Center. That sounds bad for the climate and public health, but generators also help people stay out of poverty…
Climate Change . Electricity . Energy Efficiency . Heating . Renewable Energy
Natural gas: a bridge fuel to nowhere
On 20.10.2019 by Ivalin PetkovWhy we have already ‘crossed the bridge’, necessitating a phase-out and heavy divestment from natural gas. The solutions are reliable, cost-competitive, and ready – decarbonized renewable energy sources with storage.
Consumer Behavior . Economics & Policy . Electricity . Renewable Energy
Cheap solar alone would not prevent a renewable energy gap
On 06.10.2019 by Alejandro Nunez-JimenezThe energy-efficiency gap describes how firms and individuals underinvest in profitable energy-saving technologies.
Economics & Policy . Renewable Energy . Society
Energy: It’s everywhere, yet we don’t talk about it
On 24.09.2019 by Florian Manuel EgliWelcome! You have found the Energy Blog @ ETH, a newly founded initiative to foster a debate around energy research and policy. We know there is fascinating work coming out of ETH Zurich, but often the work is very specific and its implications for society, policymakers, and individuals do not easily get across. Given the unprecedented challenges to transform our energy system, academic ivory towers do not work. We are here to break them up and mix science with policy and society.