02.09.24

Agri photovoltaic could supply five times more electricity than Switzerland needs

The theoretical potential of agrivoltaics in Switzerland is five times greater than the current electricity demand, as ZHAW researchers have determined. The combination with electricity production also offers great opportunities for agriculture to…

04.04.24

Biochar represents an innovation in the construction sector

Biochar was previously known chiefly as a soil conditioner. However, the fact that it can bind CO2 over the long term means that it also represents a promising candidate for use in building materials.

03.05.22

Washing without water or an electrical connection – applied ecological engineering makes this possible

Closed-loop washing machines that do not need any water or an electrical connection and a dry toilet that works without flushing and also supplies fertiliser. These are just two applications that have been developed as part of the ecological…

23.09.21

Practical MOOC on aquaponics on edX

Also the second course run of the MOOC «Aquaponics - the circular food production system» meets with great interest: At the start of the course, 1000 aquaponics enthusiasts from 110 different countries are already participating!

02.03.21

Practical MOOC on aquaponics has been launched on the online learning platform edX!

The MOOC "Aquaponics - the circular food production system" meets with great interest: Over 1600 aquaponics enthusiasts from all over the world are participating!

29.01.21

Aqu@teach – The first aquaponics curriculum to be developed specifically for university students

The results of our ERASMUS+ project have been published.

20.01.21

TV-programme «nano» interviews vertical farming specialist Ranka Junge

«nano» reports about vertical farming using an indoor farm example from Basel and Prof. Dr. Ranka Junge, head of the «Centre Ecological Engineering» shows where the trend could lead.

15.01.21

Invisible central processes of an aquaponic system closely examined

With her latest two PhD publications, Zala Schmautz gives exclusive insight into the microbial diversity, as well as the nitrogen transformations occuring within the different compartments of an aquaponic system during sustainable fish and plant…

01.01.21

Practical MOOC about aquaponics starts soon on the online learning platform edX

Video shooting in our aquaponic facilities for the upcoming edX MOOC: Aquaponics - the circular food production system

21.10.20

States, Trends, and Future of Aquaponics Research

This study by Hao et al. (2020) examined 513 publications (2000-2019) on aquaponics, the sustainable production system in which nutrient-rich wastewater from fish fertilises plants.

20.10.20

Artificial turf scores better

The comparison of the environmental impact of artificial and natural turf is heading into extra time. Filled artificial-turf sports fields have a high environmental impact, because the plastic granulate required to fill them has to be replenished on…

03.08.20

Cleaning microalgae with light

Sunlight can be used to decontaminate microalgae cultures.

30.06.20

Using algae to clean wastewater from a fish farm

The cleaning of wastewater from fish farm recirculation systems using microalgae was tested at the ZHAW Wädenswil.

22.04.20

International aquaponics cooperation

The circulatory system plays a key role in food supply and in the management of global challenges. What challenges are commercial applications of aquaponics technology facing?

12.03.20

Ready-made meals: Environmentally harmful junk food?

The ready-made meal market is growing despite its negative reputation. But is this bad reputation justified? The ConviFood cooperation project has looked at this question. On the basis of life-cycle assessments, the Life-Cycle Assessment Research…

23.08.19

New aquaculture system: raising fish under the best conditions and with low energy consumption

The ZHAW opened a new aquaculture facility at its campus in Wädenswil in July 2019 and is now raising salmon in three separate tanks, each holding 12 cubic metres of water. In the future, the facility will be used for its Specialised Independent…

19.12.18

Youth’s purchases of mobile phones worse for the environment than their use

If young people in Switzerland were to use their phones one year longer, this would reduce the impact on the environment by 25 per cent. ZHAW researchers have calculated that the production of a mobile phone accounts for 77 per cent of the…

09.07.18

Successful launch of cooperation with Brazilian university

In late June 2018, members of the Research Group for Life Cycle Assessment and the Geography of Food Research Group visited the Universidade Federal de Grande Dourados in Brazil - a first series of collaborative projects has now been launched.

11.05.18

Farmbot, the gardening robot

Planting, watering, measuring soil moisture, weeding and photographing plants automatically.

13.03.18

Transfood - a new research partnership with Brazil

What effects do Swiss agricultural imports from Brazil have on the environment and on society in the country of origin? A team of researchers from Brazil and the ZHAW are finding out in the new Transfood project.