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The Future of Swiss Hydropower: An Integrated Economic Assessment of Chances, Threats and Solutions

English title The Future of Swiss Hydropower: An Integrated Economic Assessment of Chances, Threats and Solutions
Applicant Weigt Hannes
Number 153934
Funding scheme NRP 70 Energy Turnaround
Research institution Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät Universität Basel
Institution of higher education University of Basel - BS
Main discipline Economics
Start/End 01.10.2014 - 31.03.2019
Approved amount 247'227.00
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All Disciplines (5)

Discipline
Economics
Mechanical Engineering
Social geography and ecology
Political science
Science of management

Keywords (5)

Investment Analysis; Regional Impact Assessment; Hydropower; Market Modelling; Sustainability Assessment

Lay Summary (German)

Lead
Mit über 50% Anteil am der Stromerzeugung spielt Wasserkraft eine entscheidende Rolle in der Schweizer Energieversorgung. Aktuelle Entwicklungen auf den europäischen Strommärkten - insbesondere der erhöhte Anteil volatiler erneuerbarer Erzeugung - und weitere externe Einflussfaktoren wie der Klimawandel führen derzeit zu einer hohen Unsicherheit bezüglich der aktuellen und zukünftigen Rentabilität der Schweizer Wasserkraft. Dieser NFP70 Cluster „The Future of Swiss Hydropower: An Integrated Economic Assessment of Chances, Threats and Solutions“ wird diese Problematik aufnehmen und dabei drei relevante Fragestellungen beantworten: 1.Was sind Optionen für Wasserkraft im Betrieb flexibler zu werden?2.Wie sehen die langfristigen Investitionsanreize im neuen Marktumfeld aus?3.Was sind die regionalen Auswirkungen aus einer ganzheitlichen Nachhaltigkeitsperspektive?
Lay summary
Inhalt und Ziel des Forschungsprojekts
Das Umbrella-Projekt wird die drei Cluster Projekte (Hydropower Operation and Economic Performance in a Changing Market Environment (HP-Operation), Hydropower Investment in the Perspective of a New Energy Paradigm (HP Investment), Regional Impact Analysis and Sustainability Assessment of Hydropower (HP Sustainability)) koordinieren und sicherstellen das die oben dargelegten Fragestellungen des Gesamtprojektes beantwortet werden.

Wissenschaftlicher und gesellschaftlicher Kontext des Forschungsprojekts
Der vorliegende Projekt-Cluster liefert einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Abschätzung der zukünftigen Rolle der Schweizer Wasserkraft im Rahmen der Energiewende. Dies ist sowohl für die Rolle der Schweiz im europäischen Strommarkt und ebenso für die Entwicklung der Schweizer Bergkantone von grosser Bedeutung.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 20.10.2014

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Employees

Publications

Publication
The Future of Swiss Hydropower:Distributional Effects of Water Fee Reform Options
BetzRegina, GeissmannThomas, HedigerWerner, HerterMarc, SchillingerMoritz, SchulerChristoph, WeigtHannes (2018), The Future of Swiss Hydropower:Distributional Effects of Water Fee Reform Options, in FoNEW Working Paper, 1.
The Future of Swiss Hydropower: Is there money left somewhere?
BarryMichael, BaurPatrick, GaudardLudovic, GiulianiGianluca, HedigerWerner, RomerioFranco, SchillingerMoritz, SchlangeLutz, SchumannRené, VoegeliGuillaume, WeigtHannes (2017), The Future of Swiss Hydropower: Is there money left somewhere?, in FoNEW Working Papers, 1.
The Future of Swiss Hydropower A Review on Drivers and Uncertainties
Barry Michael, Baur Patrick, Gaudard Ludovic, Giuliani Gianluca, Hediger Werner, Romerio Franco, Schillinger Moritz, Schumann René, Voegeli Gillaume, Weigt Hannes (2015), The Future of Swiss Hydropower A Review on Drivers and Uncertainties, in SCCER CREST Working Papers, (WP3 - 2015), 1-49.

Collaboration

Group / person Country
Types of collaboration
Werner Hediger, HTW Chur Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
René Schumann - HES-SO Valais Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
Franco Romerio, Uni Geneva Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication

Scientific events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Title of article or contribution Date Place Persons involved
Energieforschungsgespräche Disentis 2019 Talk given at a conference The Future of Swiss Hydropower 23.01.2019 Disentis, Switzerland Weigt Hannes;
SCCER-SoE Annual Conference 2015 Poster The Future of Swiss Hydropower - A Review on Drivers and Uncertainties 10.09.2015 Neuchâtel, Switzerland Weigt Hannes;
SEFS9 2015 – 9th Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences Talk given at a conference The Future of Swiss Hydropower: An Integrated Economic Assessment of Chances, Threats and Solutions 05.07.2015 Geneva, Switzerland Weigt Hannes;
Kick-off meeting for researchers and practice partners NRP 70/71 Talk given at a conference The Future of Swiss Hydropower 24.04.2015 Luzern, Switzerland Weigt Hannes;


Self-organised

Title Date Place
Hydropower, Joint thematic session at the 41st IAEE International Conference 10.06.2018 Groningen, Netherlands
Hydropower in Europe, Special Session at the 39th Annual IAEE International Conference 22.06.2016 Bergen, Norway

Knowledge transfer events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Date Place Persons involved
12. Schweizerischer Stromkongress Talk 15.01.2018 Bern, Switzerland Weigt Hannes;


Self-organised

Title Date Place
2nd Workshop: The Future of Swiss Hydropower 28.10.2016 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
The Future of Swiss Hydropower 12.03.2015 Bern, Switzerland

Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
172703 The role of energy storage technologies in the context of the Swiss energy transition 01.11.2017 Project funding

Abstract

The umbrella project “The Future of Swiss Hydropower: An Integrated Economic Assessment of Chances, Threats and Solutions” will coordinate three clustered projects (Hydropower Operation and Economic Performance in a Changing Market Environment (HP-Operation), Hydropower investment in the perspective of a new energy paradigm (HP Investment), Regional Impact Analysis and Sustainability Assessment of Hydropower (HP Sustainability)) and ensure a coherent progress in providing the envisioned output. This NRP 70 cluster aims at providing a comprehensive economic framework for the evaluation of and its application to assess hydropower operation, hydropower investments and the sustainability perspective on a regional level. The respective main research questions are:1.What are the short-term operational options for Swiss hydro plants to cope with the volatile market environment?2.What are the long-term investment options for Swiss HP and how can uncertainty be accounted?3.What are the regional impacts of these developments from a comprehensive sustain-ability perspective?The project will provide an open framework that ensures mutual exchange between the involved researchers and ongoing research in other projects and groups (particular the SCCERs) as well as with stakeholders from industry, politics and society. In particular, it is highly interlinked with the NRP 70 project proposal SoE-HPGE.
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