Portrait

Against the backdrop of its "Energy Strategy 2050", the Federal Council has launched two National Research Programmes dealing with energy. The National Research Programme "Managing Energy Consumption" (NRP 71) studies the social, economic and regulatory aspects of the change in energy strategy, thereby examining how private and public actors could be prompted to use energy efficiently. It cooperates closely with the National Research Programme "Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70).

Both programmes concentrate the existing research potential and generate know-how which will provide politicians and the economy with support for the implementation of "Energy Strategy 2050" and the attainment of other energy and climate policy objectives. The focus will be both on the supply of and demand for energy as well as on the interface between supply and demand (incl. market conditions, pricing, setup of political and social framework conditions). Special importance will be attached to facilitating the transfer to the political and economic realms.

NRP 71 will operate with overall funding of CHF 8 million.

While NRP 71 specifically deals with the socioeconomic and regulatory side of the process relating to the change in energy strategy, NRP 70 focuses on technological questions considering socioeconomic aspects.

As society and technology are closely interrelated, purely technological solutions can only be applied appropriately if the relevant scientific aspects of the social, economic and political environment are integrated into the development and application of the technology concerned. On the other hand, the challenges associated with "Energy Strategy 2050" will not be met solely with the aid of new business models or legal reforms.

• Energy Research Funding in Switzerland