Past Events
October 2024
2nd CoSi Assembly
On October 23rd, we held our second CoSi Assembly, and it was an informative and engaging event. The assembly featured a variety of presentations covering two main topics: collaboration and scenarios.
Participants had the chance to share insights and ask questions, fostering a collaborative environment. We appreciate the efforts of everyone who presented and contributed to the discussions.
Diverse presentations shed light on the two main topics.
Interdisciplinary collaboration was the central theme during the morning, with presentations of successful collaborations, the SHEDS (Swiss Household Energy Demand Survey) as an example, and the latest insights on our potential stakeholder engagement. We closed the morning with a call for new topics to bring social sciences into energy research and modeling.
The afternoon was dedicated to our first CoSi Scenario run, starting next year. Input from the recently finished CROSS project and the ongoing Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP-CH) project set the stage for a discussion on our own scenario structure. CoSi aims to blend national energy models with focal topics like local or behavioral factors and foresees elements to incorporate feedback from non-modeling research into the overall scenario process.
September 2024
CoSi and CROSS Presentation - SWEET Conference 2024
The third SWEET conference was held on 4 September 2024.
The event provided a platform for exchange between research and practical implementation. It was designed for researchers from both current and future SWEET consortia, as well as experts in energy research and representatives from the private sector, associations, cantons, cities, municipalities, and the federal government.
CoSi, supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, showcased its progress and vision for the future of Swiss energy research.
Key highlights included:
- CoSi Overview: The CoSi project bridges energy modeling with social sciences and humanities, offering tools for integration, a platform for knowledge exchange, and a testbed for innovative models.
- From CROSS to CoSi: The presentation highlighted the evolution of CROSS (CooRdination Of Scenarios for SWEET)into CROSS+, which has become Work Package 1 (WP1) within CoSi.
- Results and Insights: The latest CROSS scenario study was presented comparing seven models to explore scenarios related to achieving net-zero emissions, both with and without international compensation. The project also investigated energy demand, supply flexibility, and hydrogen use projected for 2050.
June 2024
4th SSH workshop
Held on June 17-18, 2024, at ETH Zurich, the 4th SSH Energy Workshop brought together about 70 experts to delve into social sciences and humanities (SSH) perspectives on energy transitions. Organized by the CSTS within the Transdisciplinarity Lab at ETH Zurich and SWEET CoSi Consortium, the workshop emphasized the significant role of SSH in shaping future energy transitions.
Kicking off with a welcome from Bianca Vienni-Baptista and Stephanie Briers, this year’s event highlighted the arts’ integral presence. The event featured diverse thematic corners, such as Social, Transitions, and Imaginaries, setting a dynamic stage for the sessions.
Workshops addressed integrating societal dynamics into energy modelling, prototyping energy imaginaries, and building narratives from complex models, underscoring the necessity of interdisciplinary approaches. Rapid knowledge exchange was facilitated through Pecha Kucha and poster presentations on Swiss emission reduction opinions and the sensory perception of renewable energy.
A round table discussion on energy research narratives, with experts including Paul Upham, Adriana Marcucci, and Hugo Caviola and moderated by Bianca Vienni-Baptista, explored the complexities of these narratives and the importance of interdisciplinary understanding. Further sessions focused on incorporating social sciences into energy system modelling and fostering collaboration among humanities, social scientists, and technical scholars.
The closing remarks of the SSH Energy highlighted the needs and potential topics for SSH Energy 2025 – emphasising the need to transfer “know-how” across SSH, modelling and engineering fields to enrich the ongoing need for interdisciplinary research and collaboration in energy transitions. Overall, the event fostered vibrant dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the development of new ideas and partnerships, setting a promising stage for SSH Energy 2025.
March 2024
Modeller workshop
Energy experts convened on March 22nd for the Modeller Workshop Event, delving into the intricacies of the CoSi project and the insights gleaned from the CROSS model results. The event emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, highlighting the significance of data coordination, scenario development, and stakeholder engagement in shaping the energy landscape.
Insights from CROSS Model Results: Attendees gained valuable insights into energy scenarios in Switzerland through the comprehensive analysis provided by the CROSS model. Key highlights included the necessity of wind and thermal energy in specific scenarios, the pivotal role of electrolysis for storage, and the utilization of electricity for harnessing excess solar energy in various applications. Discussions also touched upon the significance of pumped hydro, imports, and flexibility providers in shaping the energy system, offering a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities in transitioning to sustainable energy.
Addressing Scenario Definition: The event underscored the importance of enhancing the connection between scenarios, decision-making, and models. Historical contexts, such as the 1970s energy crisis, were considered, alongside personal stakeholder experiences and traditional approaches to scenarios. The agenda included discussions on potential research directions within CoSi for improving decision-making representation, fostering collaborative discussion through interactive workshops.
In addition to these insights, the event covered various other pertinent topics, including leveraging methodologies from weather and climate for energy modeling, distinguishing between predictions and projections, discussing scenario processes and intercomparisons, highlighting communication strategies, and emphasizing the importance of building a community and fostering shared understanding among stakeholders beyond data.
January 2024
1st CoSi Assembly
We are pleased to inform you that the consortium successfully held its first meeting on January 23rd in Bern – the SWEET CoSi Assembly. We shared common visions and challenges to enable a successful co-evaluation of the Swiss energy system and society. Together, we developed detailed roadmaps for true inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in the CoSi consortium for the next nine years.