About

In Switzerland, roughly 95% of electricity is produced from low-carbon sources, i.e., nuclear, hydropower, and photovoltaics. However, the total energy consumption is about 80% fossil fuel-based (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), mostly for transportation and heating purposes. These statistics highlight the need to move toward alternative and more sustainable energy sources.

Fossil fuel consumption can be reduced using more energy-efficient devices, buildings, and private/commercial vehicles, and, for the aviation sector, by producing synthetic fuel from renewables along with the development of alternative, efficient and high speed intra-continental transportation systems like the hyperloop. In addition, the Swiss industry consumes vast quantities of carbon-based materials derived from fossil sources and these must be replaced by renewable carbon, i.e., carbon from CO₂ in the air.

The School of Engineering at EPFL recognizes that an integrated approach is necessary to propel Switzerland toward carbon neutrality. The key areas that we wish to further develop include hydropower, highly efficient photovoltaics, energy storage technologies, synthetic fuels, and rigorous methodologies for the planning and operation of integrated and multi-carrier energy systems.

Transitioning from the current worldwide modus operandi in energy generation and consumption to a more sustainable situation is a formidable challenge. It will require new technologies along with new concepts in planning and operation for multi-carrier energy systems. The School of Engineering at EPFL is well positioned to lead in in this domain. We have several laboratories of international stature, which play key roles in advancing the state-of-the-art in energy systems and energy conversion technologies for the development of promising early-stage technologies in the areas of emission-neutral energy conversion devices and systems.

The School of Engineering is keen on supporting and enhancing EPFL’s leadership in Energy Science, where EPFL is currently ranked #4 in the World according to the 2022 Shanghai Rankings. Examples of recent and ongoing faculty searches include:

• Thermal Transport and Energy in Mechanical Engineering (Dr. Zhengmao Lu). Dr Lu’s research touches on several impactful areas related to climate change, energy, and water resources. He is an expert on liquid-gas interfaces, and on thermal transport applied to innovative devices for passive cooling, e.g., in the context of electronics and residential environments. His research focus is on creating more efficient technologies for passive cooling, water purification, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen production.

• Battery Materials in Material Science and Engineering (Dr. Corsin Battaglia). This area enables the wider deployment of stationary and mobile energy storage solutions, including alternative material approaches to energy storage, direct light-to-fuel conversion, chemical energy storage, new battery materials, and recycling.

• Hydropower in Mechanical Engineering, with emphasis on hydraulic machines and the digitalization of the field of hydropower including work on (a) Machine health monitoring using advanced sensors and data-driven methods; (b) Digital twins for predictive maintenance; (c) Fatigue and wear of components; (d) Predictive modelling of fluid structures; (e) Reduced-order modelling, and industrial design of hydropower plants.
• Energy Storage Systems in Electrical and Micro Engineering, with emphasis on the modelling and management of energy storage, e.g., for automotive applications, as well as for grid-connected and off-grid power systems

Within the Swiss context, our efforts are intended to assist with the implementation of the ambitious targets for the 2050 Swiss energy strategy, where the intent is to reduce carbon emissions by 50-60% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The integration of electrochemical storage and the extended operation of hydro pumping storage plants beyond their original design, are critical elements toward this goal. Among the many technological opportunities, there is the potential to integrate renewable energy into power grids through rigorous optimization frameworks coupled with IoT technologies.

The School of Engineering favors an integrated approach toward technologies for sustainable energy sources and carbon neutrality and aims to continue to strengthen its presence in the core domains of power and energy systems, hydropower, photovoltaics, energy storage technologies, synthetic fuels, and biofuels. The associated campus in Sion plays an important role in support of this strategy, where some of our faculty members on energy science are also located. One central element of the approach pursued by the School of Engineering is the promotion of living labs, namely, testbeds to implement sustainability-oriented initiatives in education, research, and energy transition.

There are also ample opportunities for interactions with the School of Basic Sciences (SB), and its faculty members present in Sion such as Andreas Zuttel (Laboratory of Materials for Renewable Energy), Wendy Queen (Laboratory for Functional Inorganic Materials), and Raffaella Buonsanti (Laboratory of Nanochemistry for Energy). There are also opportunities for interactions with the School of Architecture, Civil, and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) on hydrology, negative CO₂ emission technologies, and other climate change mitigation policies.