Sustainable Energy Systems and Smart Cities
“We are actively shaping the sustainable and intelligent energy systems of the future. We are involved in application-orientated research, services, teaching and training. Our contribution ranges from well-founded technology analyses and innovation developments to implementation in living labs and the involvement of relevant stakeholders through to the development of smart city strategies.”
Prof. Vicente Carabias-Hütter,
Head of Research Area Sustainable Energy Systems and Smart Cities
Thematic and Methodological Focus
Municipalities and cities, but also companies, are facing major challenges - decrees such as the Energy Strategy 2050 and ambitious net-zero targets require a rethink in many areas. We actively support you with a broad range of experience. In the area of Sustainable Smart Cities & Regions, we support the sustainable development of cities and municipalities with workshops on energy and sustainability topics, assist with strategy development and promote dialogue between the various stakeholders. We carry out surveys and data analyses for systematic recording and evaluation in order to create a solid basis for well-founded decisions. Another focus is the optimisation of energy supply: We create case studies and simulations at area and community level to maximise the use of renewable energy. With our expertise in smart grid technologies such as demand-side management, charging infrastructure and vehicle-to-grid (V2G), we investigate the intelligent interaction of energy and mobility. We promote application-oriented digitalisation through co-creation processes and living labs, in which digital platforms for citizen participation are created and new solutions can be tested in everyday life. In the area of energy efficiency for large-scale consumers, we analyse industrial processes and identify ways to increase efficiency and potential savings.
Our interdisciplinary team brings together new ideas and proven solutions to actively shape change - for a sustainable future that benefits communities, regions and companies in the long term.
Ongoing Projects
- PEDvolution: Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are the pinnacle of urban energy ecosystems. To make the city cleaner and more environmentally friendly, solutions are found in the districts that use less energy, use more renewable energy such as solar and wind power and make better use of surplus heat. These solutions should also help different sectors such as transport, computer technology and industry to work better together. This project will develop tools, guidelines and interoperable solutions for the planning, design, development and management of PEDs, which will be tested in the Hard-Areal in Winterthur and elsewhere.
- Swiss Smart City Survey: The Swiss Smart City Survey analyses the current status of the transformation of Swiss cities and municipalities into smart cities. A smart city is an urban environment that integrates advanced technologies and intelligent systems to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants while promoting environmental sustainability. In addition to the current status of Swiss cities, the current needs that arise during the transformation and implementation process are also recorded. The survey will be repeated periodically to identify long-term developments and trends. The project enables a better overview, coordination and comprehensibility (measurability and comparability) of smart city developments and reference projects in Switzerland. The results of the surveys can be viewed online in the interactive dashboard of the Swiss Smart City Survey.
- Laderabatt: As part of the project, a charging management system for e-cars is being developed which, by integrating the balancing energy market, enables charging point operators to purchase electricity under favourable conditions, but requires greater flexibility on the part of end users. By analysing the perception of this charging management system by end users, we are trying to derive possible implications for communication and billing.
- Smart City pilot project in Aesch BL: Primeo Netz AG (Primeo) is implementing six smart city solutions (use cases) as part of a real-world laboratory on behalf of the municipality of Aesch BL. We, the Institute for Sustainable Development (INE) at the ZHAW, are supporting this project by establishing a real-world laboratory and providing scientific support for these use cases. At the beginning of the project, a basic concept for the real-world laboratory is designed, further developed in a focus group workshop and then adapted to the needs of the stakeholders.
- The Future City Alliance is an important initiative that aims to support Swiss cities and regions in sustainable development. Through the collaboration of public and private organisations, a platform is created that promotes innovation and collaborative projects. The aim is to create added value for citizens, companies, municipalities and the environment and thus promote the development of smart cities. The focus is on people, energy systems, resources, services and capital flows. By bringing these different factors together, the aim is to promote sustainable economic development with a focus on continuously increasing the resilience and quality of life of our Swiss cities.
- The WinLab co-creation platform is intended to serve as a meeting point for innovators in the city of Winterthur - to exchange ideas, generate them together and help shape them. The platform is a digital laboratory where different groups can come together and share their skills and resources in order to work better together, thereby promoting the creation and implementation of ideas and projects for sustainable urban development in line with the City of Winterthur's Smart City strategy.
- Smart City Guide: Many people want to be smart, but becoming smart is a challenge. The "Guidelines for implementing smart city initiatives in Switzerland" outline in three phases how a smart city can be initiated and promoted with projects, how a holistic strategy can be developed and how it can be permanently established in the city. On behalf of the SFOE's SwissEnergy programme, a Smart City team from the ZHAW has summarised the experiences of some pioneering cities such as Winterthur, Pully and Zug in a guide. The guide can be found here.
Finished Projects: Please find an overview about finished Projects
Course of study and continuing education
The Institute of Sustainable Development (INE) is involved in following course of study and continuing educations:
Projects of the students
The ZHAW carries out course projects every autumn semester and Bachelor’s thesis projects every spring semester. Thanks to our position at the interface between industry and science, the INE (Institute for Sustainable Development) is able to give industry partners the opportunity to develop their ideas and realise innovative approaches by collaborating on student research Projects.
Interested? Please send us an e-mail. We look forward to hearing from you.