swiss chalet rooftops in summer and winter

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12th Swiss Symposium Thermal Energy Storage Bridging the Winter-Summer-Energy Gap: Can Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage be the Game-Changer?

As energy demands fluctuate with the seasons, could seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) be the key to balancing the winter-summer electricity gap? And can we make it economically viable soon?

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In the 12th edition of our symposium, we focus on the pivotal role of STES in driving decarbonization across Switzerland and Europe. Stakeholders from academia, industry and utility will dive into the latest challenges and innovations as we explore how STES can impact sustainable and resilient energy systems in the future. 

Attendees can look forward to an engaging mix of expert presentations, interactive workshops, and dynamic discussion panels. The symposium is designed to unite major figures in the field of STES, fostering the exploration of important subjects and facilitating the initiation of valuable collaborations.

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Important information

12th Swiss Symposium Thermal Energy Storage
Friday, January 24, 2025

Participation fee
On site (incl. coffee breaks, lunch and apéro):

  • CHF 360.– Regular
  • CHF 150.– SWEET Partner, SwissSTES project Partner, external students and HSLU Alumni
  • free of charge for students and employees of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Online (streaming presentations only)

  • CHF 150.– Regular
  • free of charge for students and employees of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, SWEET Partner, SwissSTES project Partner and HSLU Alumni

Connect and showcase your work at the symposium!

Whether you’re from a company or a research organization, we offer great opportunities to connect with symposium participants and showcase your latest work. Join us in making this event dynamic and interactive!

Your options

Poster Session
Are you interested in sharing your research? Our poster session, held during coffee breaks and lunch, is the perfect chance to engage with other participants and start insightful discussions. Just bring your poster (maximum size A0) – no strict format is required! Posters will be displayed throughout the event. More details will be available at the registration desk. Register online for our poster session now. For any questions, reach out to Isabel Kottmann.

Exhibition
Want to spotlight your company or project? We’re providing space, including tables and poster stands, to help you connect with attendees. The exhibition will run during coffee breaks, lunch and the networking Apero. Set up your booth in the morning before the symposium begins and make the most of the day! If you are interested please contact Isabel Kottmann so we can reserve a space for you.

Program

08:45 Registration

09:15 Welcome 

  • Anastasia Stamatiou and CC TES Team 

09:30 Keynote Session 1 

  • Evelina Trutnevyte, University of Geneva (UNIGE), CH – Insights from modeling the European and Swiss energy future

10:00 Session 1: The winter gap: how do we address it? 

  • Jonas Savelsberg, ETH Zurich, CH – Is there a winter gap in the Swiss power system? 
  • Mohammad Khosravi, Delft University of Technology, CH – Modeling and Predictive Control for Large-Scale District Heating Networks 
  • Power to X as seasonal storage (TBA) 

10:40 Coffee Break with Exhibition & Poster Session 

11:00 Keynote Session 2 

  • Luca Baldini, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, CH – SwissSTES: Practical challenges and targeted research on seasonal thermal energy storage 

11:30 Session 2: Applications of Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage 

  • Malin Siegwart, University of Applied Sciences Luzern (HSLU), CH – Unlocking the underground for seasonal thermal energy storage in Switzerland 
  • Andreas Abegg, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, CH – Regulatory hurdles for thermal storage - an overview 
  • Mina Shahi, University of Twente (UT), NL – From Potential to Practicality: Feasibility and Barriers of Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage for Dutch District Heating 

12:15 Lunch with Exhibition & Poster Session 

13:45 Workshop

15:15 Coffee Break with Exhibition & Poster Session 

15:30 Industrial and Pilot Session: Stories of Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage  

  • Christian Hofer, Bilfinger, AUT – Design challenges for large-scale heat accumulator tanks
  • William Delgado, University of Applied Sciences Luzern (HSLU), CH – Optimization of Hybrid Sensible-Latent Heat Storage Systems 
  • Magdalena Berberich, SoliTES, DE – New Emission-free Heat Supply with Pit Thermal Energy Storage in Hechingen 
  • Massimo Fiorentini, Aarhus University, DK – Sensible, latent or thermochemical? The significance of storage volume value 
  • Wim Van Helden, Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE), AUT – Challenges for Pit Thermal Energy Storage tackled in the TREASURE project: seven European demonstrators. 
  • Martin Jutzeler, Energy Wasser Bern (EWB), CH – Geothermal project Forsthaus Bern  
  • Dimitris Koutsonikolas, The Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas, CERTH, GRC – Heat Recovery, Storage & Re-use in Data Centers: The MODERATOR approach 

16.15 Panel Discussion: Bridging the Winter-Summer-Energy Gap: Can Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage be the Game-Changer?

  • Moderation by Gianfranco Guidati

17:00 Networking Apero 

18:30 End of the Symposium 

 

Impressions of the Swiss Symposium Thermal Energy Storage