The main research challenge is to build a realistic technical model of the Swiss energy system including the transmission systems, which model can be used for planning, operation, and economic evaluation of the system. This model must comprise:
location of renewable generation and the limited predictability of these sources;
location of storage devices, both large scale, i.e. pumped hydro storage, and distributed devices; interconnections with regional grids; interconnections on the bulk power level, i.e. high voltage lines and gas pipelines; possibility to interface it with models for market and other economic simulations. The project, on which the IEFE team from ZHAW is part of it, is led by the distributed electrical systems laboratory of EPFL and involves the collaboration of different partners from the ETHZ domain, cantonal universities and universities of applied science from all Switzerland.