Future

Climate-related temperature rises will further increase the cooling demand of buildings. A projection by Empa researchers based on data from the NEST building and future climate scenarios for Switzerland shows that this increase in energy demand for cooling is likely to be substantial and could have a strong impact on our future – electrified – energy system.

Buildings, districts and cities currently often have outdated energy systems. Homes must be made more energy-efficient and districts need to be supplied with renewable energy. In cities, the aim is to turn energy production and mobility into sustainable systems. This involves complex energy models that Kristina Orehounig is researching in her “Urban Energy Systems” department at Empa.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is nowadays considered a fundamental asset for developing products and technologies across industries, giving companies who master it a competitive edge. What is still lacking, however, is a thorough discussion about the implications for society to better understand opportunities but also potential drawbacks. In an interview Mirko Kovac and Aslan Miriyev from Empa's Center of Robotics share their views about where AI and robotics research is headed.

The risk of people being forced from their homes by flooding increases by half for each additional degree of global warming, as an international research team led by the Weather and Climate Risks Group at ETH Zurich demonstrate.