Engineering SciencesOpen OpportunitiesProsumer communities leverage and share locally generated energy. In response to the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050 and potential gas supply vulnerabilities, transitioning from singular, gas/oil-reliant energy systems to multi-energy networks is imperative. Unlike conventional individual systems where devices are often oversized and underutilized due to being designed for demand peaks, a prosumer community can optimize device use, reducing both energy costs, investment overheads and ecological impact. Therefore, when properly designed and operated, prosumer communities mitigate the inefficiencies typical of traditional setups. However, achieving optimal design is challenging due to complex interactions among stakeholders. The economic and ecological aspects of prosumer communities need to be thoroughly investigated taking into account different scenarios, energy demands and building types. This project aims to investigate various case studies for prosumer communities in the Swiss scenario and explore the technological solutions that mostly benefit from energy sharing. - Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Semester Project
| Factors driving uptake of renewable energy systems in Swiss households - Mathematics, Statistics
- Course Project, Internship, Lab Practice, Master Thesis, Semester Project
| In the era of climate change and growing global energy demand, smart energy systems have become pivotal in ensuring sustainable, efficient, and reliable energy delivery. These systems, characterized by the integration of advanced metering infrastructure, renewable energy sources, and innovative demand response technologies, form the backbone of modern energy strategies aimed at reducing carbon footprints and enhancing energy security. The Swiss Confederation, cognizant of these imperatives, advocates for a robust transition towards intelligent energy networks, setting the ambitious goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. As we push the boundaries of energy system innovation, the imperative of resilience cannot be overstated. Resilience in this context refers to the smart energy system's capacity to anticipate, withstand, and recover from various forms of disruption like environmental phenomena, technical failures, or human-induced events. This project acknowledges the complexity and interdependence of the smart energy ecosystem, encompassing residential buildings equipped with the latest in energy-efficient technologies, user interfaces that allow for dynamic interaction with the energy grid, and decentralized renewable energy generation units that contribute to a sustainable energy mix.
Electric vehicles (EVs), Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and domestic appliances represent significant loads within the residential sector that can be managed to foster resilience. The bi-directional flow of energy in smart grids, facilitated by smart meters, allows for sophisticated energy management strategies that not only respond to system demands but also to user behaviors and preferences. The resilience of such an interconnected system hinges on its ability to maintain stability and operation despite unpredictable renewable energy generation patterns, potential cyber-physical threats, fluctuations in the energy market due to instability in the neighboring countries, and changes in user behavior. The Swiss energy paradigm provides an exemplary context for studying and enhancing the resilience of smart energy systems. By developing a conceptual framework for resilience assessment tailored to this context, this thesis aims to contribute to the body of knowledge that will empower stakeholders to design, implement, and maintain robust energy systems. - Building, Conceptual Modelling, Systems Theory and Control
- Master Thesis, Semester Project
| Switzerland is committed to transitioning to a renewable energy system. The Swiss government has set a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This will require a significant increase in the use of renewable energy sources. The Swiss power grid is also vulnerable to imbalances be-tween supply and demand. Demand flexibility can help to mitigate this risk and ensure the reliable operation of the power grid. Demand flexibility is the ability to shift or reduce energy use in response to changes in sup-ply or price. This is becoming increasingly important as the power grid transitions to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which are intermittent and less predictable. Demand flexibility can help to balance the grid and reduce the need for expensive and polluting backup power plants. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) and customer segmentation modeling are powerful tools that can be used to develop demand flexibility programs. NILM can be used to identify high-energy-consuming appliances and to track their energy usage over time. Customer segmentation modeling can be used to identify different groups of customers based on their energy consumption patterns. This information can then be used to develop targeted demand flexibility programs that are more likely to be effective for each group of customers. - Building not elsewhere classified, Building Science and Techniques, Neural Networks, Genetic Alogrithms and Fuzzy Logic, Signal Processing, Simulation and Modelling
- Master Thesis
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