Education
The teaching activities of the Chair are currently under development, please check back here soon for updates.
If you are interested in working on a Bachelor, Semester, or Master project with us, you can find the projects we currently offer below or on external page SIROP. For further information, visit our student projects page for more insight into previous student work done with the Chair.
In case you have project ideas not currently related to any of these projects, please feel free to propose your own project and send your ideas to .
Evaluating water extraction from solid sorbent direct air capture for low-carbon fuel production
Phasing out fossil fuel-based economies is a tremendous challenge in the effort to meet the 2°C climate target. First, low-carbon energy systems, fuels, and technologies must be fully integrated into the global energy system to achieve required greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. Second, unavoidable GHG emissions must be removed from the atmosphere with carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to achieve net-zero CO2 and GHG emissions in the 21st century. A portfolio of CDR technologies has been proposed, both nature- and technology-based CDR options. Direct air capture (DAC) with CO2 storage is a technology-based solution and is among the CDR technologies with the highest future CDR potential, up to 40 GtCO2/year. Alternatively, the CO2 sourced from DAC can produce low-carbon fuels instead of being stored permanently in geographical layers. Low-temperature DAC typically uses a sorbent to capture CO2 from the ambient air, which is challenging due to the highly dilute concentration of CO2 in ambient air requiring considerable energy requirements for CO2 capture. Latter energy requirements and the generation of by-products (such as water) are highly influenced by ambient air conditions, for example, relative humidity and temperature. Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, yet it is essential for producing many forms of energy (including low-carbon fuels, which are needed to tackle climate change). This dependency is known as the water-energy nexus and is a growing concern among many researchers. Previous studies have mainly focused on the costs and life cycle GHG emissions of DAC. However, one of the neglected aspects of solid sorbent DAC is the generation of pure water as a by-product. In this context, water produced via the DAC process could potentially be used to produce low-carbon fuels (e.g., methanol, synfuels, etc.) by combining captured atmospheric CO2 (from DAC), water, and other feedstocks.
Keywords
Direct air capture, water footprint, e-fuels, sustainability, GIS analysis
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-18
Organization Chair of Energy Systems Analysis
Hosts McKenna Russell , Lohrmann Alena
Topics Engineering and Technology
Developing roadmaps towards net-zero emission Research Institutes by 2050
The Swiss Energy Strategy 2050 aims to achieve zero net emissions target as of 2050. The four leading Swiss research institutes — Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), and Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG)—are at the forefront of this en-deavour. In the context of the SCENE project, these institutes are collaboratively developing science-based roadmaps that outline the anticipated pathways to attain net-zero emissions before 2040. The tran-sition to net zero requires a multifaceted approach, encompassing technological advancements, con-sumption reductions, and market-based mechanisms for emission compensation and reduction. An es-sential component of this transition is a comprehensive CO2 emission-related cost analysis. This analysis will evaluate the financial implications of shifting energy technologies, reducing consumption, and imple-menting market-based emission compensation and reduction strategies.
Keywords
Techno-economic analysis, Switzerland, net-zero, LCA
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-03-14 , Earliest start: 2024-09-01 , Latest end: 2025-06-30
Organization Chair of Energy Systems Analysis
Hosts McKenna Russell
Topics Engineering and Technology , Economics , Earth Sciences , Policy and Political Science
Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) of wind deployment in Europe considering different system impacts
The deployment of onshore wind energy across Europe is influenced by multiple factors, including technical constraints, economic feasibility, environmental sustainability, and social acceptance. While cost-optimal solutions are commonly pursued, a more nuanced approach that considers trade-offs between various objectives is essential for informed decision-making. Different objectives such as low visual landscape disturbance, high monetary benefits, low annoyance to low residents, good wildlife protection etc., are summarized in a systematic review. To explore the trade-offs among these objectives from different stakeholders’ perspectives, Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is necessary for evaluating different possible alternatives.
Keywords
Renewable, energy, modelling, GIS, MCDA, scenario analysis
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-14
Organization Chair of Energy Systems Analysis
Hosts Lohrmann Alena , McKenna Russell
Topics Engineering and Technology
Explore downscaling methods for transmission capacity at the municipal level
The Swiss electricity transmission system is managed at several voltage levels, with the high-voltage (220-380 kV) and medium-voltage (36 kV) networks well documented. However, there is a significant gap in data availability below the 36 kV threshold, particularly at the municipal level. This lack of granular infrastructure data hampers efforts to accurately assess local transmission capacities, which is essential for regional energy planning, grid resilience and integrating renewable energy sources. Given these limitations, there is a critical need to develop methodologies that can estimate transmission capacities at the municipal level using available cantonal data and scalable modeling techniques. To improve the model accuracy at the distribution level.
Keywords
Transmission capacity, municipal-level grid planning, power distribution networks, geospatial analysis/mapping, energy system planning, python
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-06 , Earliest start: 2025-03-03 , Latest end: 2025-08-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Chair of Energy Systems Analysis
Hosts Reyes Wendy , Heymann Fabian
Topics Engineering and Technology
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) online tool development
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a critical field that focuses on supporting complex decision-making processes involving multiple, often conflicting criteria. In areas like energy systems analysis and environmental management, MCDA methods help evaluate and compare different technologies or strategies based on various performance metrics and stakeholder preferences. With the growing complexity of energy systems and the integration of new technologies, there is a pressing need for advanced tools that can assist decision-makers in making informed decisions. Developing an online tool that incorporates MCDA methods will facilitate a more transparent and interactive decision-making process, allowing users to elicit preferences and understand trade-offs between different options.
Keywords
Multi Criteria Decision Analysis, Linear programming, Data Visualization, Software development, Python
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Internship
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Published since: 2024-12-10 , Earliest start: 2024-12-10 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Chair of Energy Systems Analysis
Hosts Huang He , McKenna Russell
Topics Engineering and Technology