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Modern Architecture

24. brenet Status-Seminar


From Consumer to Prosumer – How Buildings Shape Switzerland’s Energy System

August 20, 2026


Rotkreuz (LU)

How can you unlock the potential of your buildings within the energy system – economically, at scale, and in a grid-supportive way?

As renewable energy generation expands, electrification of heating and mobility increases, and grid constraints become more frequent, buildings are taking on a new role within the energy system. As prosumers, they can generate, store and manage energy, contributing to both grid stability and decarbonisation.

The 24th brenet Status Seminar, «From Consumer to Prosumer – How Buildings Shape Switzerland's Energy System», presents the latest findings and research approaches from applied research, featuring contributions and real-world projects from Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences and industry partners.

Objective: To translate current research findings into practical applications and provide professionals with concrete approaches for implementation in their own projects.

Target audience: Professionals from Energy utilities, Planning and engineering, Research and academia, Industry, Public authorities

Key topics

  • Buildings as active elements of the energy system

  • Integration of buildings into energy systems and grids

  • Flexibility, energy storage and sector coupling

  • Heat pumps, district solutions and multi-energy systems

  • Managing peak loads and grid congestion

  • Economic and scalable solutions for the existing building stock

Keynotes & Expert Inputs

  • Lukas Küng (Primeo Netz) – Power grids and buildings – are developments aligned?

  • Maike Schubert (SmartGridready) – SmartGridready – solutions for a flexible energy system

  • Beat Fuchs (Siemens) – Building automation and sector coupling – how prosumer buildings optimise energy flows

  • Sabine von Stockar (Minergie) – Insights from practice: Questions Minergie brings to research

  • Andreas Eckmanns (Swiss Federal Office of Energy, SFOE) – Current developments and results from ongoing funding programmes and calls

 

Featured Presentations

  • Lighthouse Projects: SWEET PATHFNDR – Flexibility at scale – how much flexibility is available in my grid? – Prof. Dr. Philipp Schütz

  • Local Energy Communities & Multi-Energy Systems: Synergies of sector coupling and stakeholder coordination – Prof. Dr. Natasa Vulic (FHNW) & Prof. Dr. Matthias Resch (FHNW)

  • Small Assets, Big Impact: How distributed flexibility turns buildings into active prosumers – Joëlle Clot (HSLU)

  • Buildings as a Grid: Next-generation EV charging infrastructure and multi-energy forecasting – Prof. Dr. Nikos Zarkadis (HEPIA / HES-SO)

  • Prosumers in Real-World Living Labs – Incentive mechanisms and the use of flexibility in buildings – Prof. Dr. David Zogg (FHNW)

  • A New District Heating Network for Wallisellen – Seasonal borehole thermal energy storage and decentralised probes for cooling and peak load management – Florian Ruesch (OST) & Igor Bosshard (die werke versorgung wallisellen)

 

16 Research Pitches –  Short presentations ranging from new research concepts to concrete project results (see detailed programme).

 

Participants and contributors include

  • Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences: FHNW, HES-SO, HSLU, OST, SUPSI, UNIGE, ZHAW

  • Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), SWEET PATHFNDR,Minergie, SmartGridready

  • Industry and implementation partners such as Siemens, ABB, Solarmarkt, Belimo and Primeo

 

Languages

German, French, Italian and English – with AI-supported live translation and subtitles..

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Gain exclusive insights into new methods, prototypes, and market-ready solutions from applied research.

Discuss your questions with experts and connect with future partners and project collaborators.

Shape the next step in innovation for your organization.

The brenet Status-Seminar is
organized by

Logo Verein brenet

Partners

The brenet Status-Seminar is
supported by

Communications Partners

brenet – from applied research to practice

brenet accelerates the transfer of research and innovation into practice on the path to net zero – with a focus on sustainable construction, renewable energy and building technologies. As a network of Swiss universities of applied sciences, brenet connects research, planning, industry and the public sector.

brenet provides a nationwide network and the organisational framework to advance the transfer of applied research into practice. Through exchange formats, knowledge consolidation and the facilitation of concrete points of collaboration, we support our member institutes and industry stakeholders in jointly developing and implementing scalable solutions for the transition to net zero.

Currently, eight Swiss university institutes are members of brenet. brenet is an association in accordance with Art. 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code and was founded in 2002.

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STAY INFORMED.

Thank you!

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