Case Studies: Energy Systems and Technology (CS-EST)

Goals of the course

The aim of the course Case Studies: Energy Systems and Technology (CS-EST) is to give MEST students the experience of working on real-world problems currently faced by companies within the energy sector. The challenges related to building a sustainable energy system for the future normally require interdisciplinary teams, thinking and solutions: the CS-EST course covers some of the technical, economic and regulatory aspects of this challenge.

The CS-EST course links industry and academia, providing the students with the opportunity to meet industry experts and understand the challenges they are facing, find innovative solutions to relevant real-life problems in the energy sector and get feedback.

Organisation

The CS-EST course covers two consecutive semesters with 2 ECTS per semester. Each student is assigned to a team working on a single case study authored by one of our industry partners.

The students in each case study team will have differing technical backgrounds; they will need to work closely together, pool their knowledge, and seek expert help to fill the gaps. Throughout the course, each case study team will have access to their industry expert to ask questions and discuss deliverables. Each team is assigned a coach, a senior MEST student, to guide them and facilitate the interaction with industry partners, experts and scientists.

There are no regular lectures to attend and no exams to sit; attendance at three events over the two semesters is required to introduce the case studies, present the work plans, and present the final results respectively.

This course is unique to the Energy Science and Technology Master, and is not available to students on other ETH programmes.

Awards

2025-2026
Team Romande Energie - Facilitators' Award for Best Project

Industry Partners and Topics of Case Studies

This course wouldn't be possible without the support and commitment of our industry partners:

Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (external page axpo)
Optimizing use of Battery Energy Storage Systems (external page Swiss Post)
Data Center Energy Demand Forecast and Flexibility Estimation (external page BKW AG)
Electricity Demand Disaggregation Challenge (external page Romande Energie)
Thermal Energy Storage in supporting Seasonal Load Shifting in Power Grids (external page ABB)
Boosting District Heating Network Capacity (external page Everllence)
Run-of-River Power Plants in Increasingly Volatile Electricity Market (external page Verbund)
Smart Energy and Load Management for LKW Logistics Infrastructure (external page ShareP)

Battery Energy Storage System (external page Huawei)
Optimizing Electricity Procurement (external page Swiss Post)
Electric Vehicle Power Demand Forecast (external page BKW AG)
Energy Source and Energy Cost Optimization (external page Jura Cement)
Cost of Energy Self-sufficiency (external page ABB)
District-Heating Providers Environmental Impact (external page TBF+ Partner AG)
Mega Heat Pumps (external page MAN)
Use of green ammonia for ships (external page Zuger Verkehrsbetriebe)

Sustainability of Battery Storage Solutions (external page ABB)
Cooling by PV-Rooftop (external page BKW AG)
Industrial Waste Energy for the Decarbonisation (external page MAN Energy Solutions)
Cornaux Fuel Conversion (external page Jura Cement)
Electric vehicles for ancillary services (external page Helion)
Geothermal Energy (external page tbf partner)

Vehicle To Grid (external page ABB)
Hydrogen Price (external page BKW AG)
Decarbonization of Future Water Desalination Plants (external page MAN Energy Solutions)
Reallabor Sisslerfeld Energy (external page Reallabor Sisslerfeld)
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (external page Axpo Solution AG)
Generative Modelling Renewables (external page Hitachi Energy)

Energy Market Modelling (external page Axpo Solution AG)
Energy Community Framework (external page Exnaton)
Chemical Energy Carriers (external page SBB AG)
Energy Storage (external page ABB)
Grid Climate Impact (external page Hitachi Energy)
Hydrogen Energy (external page BKW AG)
Sector Coupling (external page Energie360° AG)
Flexibility Potential (external page Swissgrid Ltd)

Data-driven distribution grid operation (external page die werke versorgung wallisellen)
Benefits from Lead Time Reductions in the Cross-border Intraday Power Market Trading (external page Alpiq Holding AG)
Sector Coupling at household level (external page Swissgrid AG)
Using electric-vehicle batteries as flexibility providers in the electricity market (external page BKW AK)
Implementation of Power to X in a Waste to Energy Plant in Switzerland (external page TBF + Partner AG)
Alpine PV (external page SATW)

Understanding the electricity supply system through data visualization (external page Swissgrid AG)
E-mobility ‘Fleet’ Business Case (external page EKZ)
E-mobility ‘Blue Zone’ Business Case (external page EKZ)
Online marketplace for buying and selling solar and wind energy (external page Pexapark)
100% renewable energy for Swiss railways (external page SBB AG)
Autonomous micro-charging infrastructure (external page Energie 360°)
Optimization of the temperature-controlled freight wagon (external page SBB Cargo AG)

E-Mobility: micro-charging (external page Energie 360°)
Smart Home (external page Energie 360°)
Hydro gallery submarine (external page ewz)
Urban Power Demand Patterns by 2025/2030 (external page ewz)
Integration of energy storage into the SBB power grid (external page SBB AG)
Wireless Railway Feasibility Study Report (external page SBB AG)
Electrification of the Rail Freight Vehicles (external page SBB Cargo AG)
Coordinated Access to Distributed Flexibility (external page Swissgrid AG)

Examples of team presentations from previous years

Winning presentations from the 2022-2023 session :

Peer to peer Award : Download CS2 BKW "Hydrogen Price" (PPTX, 39.3 MB)
Facilitators and Coaches Award : CS3 MAN Download "Decarbonizing Water Desalination Plants" (PPTX, 9.2 MB)