Snapshot of Swiss energy research

The energy shortage currently being experienced by numerous countries raises various questions regarding supply options and methods of reducing consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of systems is also becoming vital.

Switzerland is affected by these questions. To respond to them, it is able to rely on lessons from energy research. For many years, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has been supporting projects related to energy. These projects do not necessarily provide short-term miracle solutions but, as part of basic research, contribute to developing useful knowledge and expertise for the future.

What subjects is energy research currently covering in Switzerland? The SNSF has put together a selection of recent projects linked to the topic of “energy”. This is a non-exhaustive selection of projects since 2018 based on a list of keywords and fine-tuned manually. It gives an overview of all projects relating to:

• energy production: for example optimisation of wind generation (project) or harnessing geothermal heat in underground carparks (project).
• energy storage: for example thanks to the development of batteries (project)
• energy distribution and management: for example integration of renewables in the energy system (project)
• energy efficiency: for example incentives to economise thanks to targeted communication (project).

The projects were funded either by the SNSF's usual funding schemes or special programmes dedicated to energy research:

• The National Research Programme "Sustainable Economy” (NRP 73)
• The National Research Programme "Energy Turnaround” (NRP 70) and the National Research Programme “Managing Energy Consumption” (NRP 71) (together forming the NRP “Energy”).

The Swiss National Science Foundation provided 41 million francs in funding for these 125 projects.

• List of recent energy research projects