Energy future: innovative online game launched

In 2023, Switzerland committed to transforming its energy system to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The development of renewable energy sources is a key component of this goal. The University of Bern and Università della Svizzera italiana have created an online game called "Ensured Energy," which allows participants to experience and actively contribute to this transformation. The Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) co-financed the game as part of the SURE consortium within the SWEET programme.

The Federal Act on the Security of Electricity Supply with Renewable Energies, approved by the Swiss Parliament on 29 September 2023, aims to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources. The objective is to produce 35 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually from green sources such as solar, wind, wood, and biogas by 2035.

The SWEET promotion programme of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy was launched in 2021 and will run until 2032. The programme aims to accelerate innovations that are key to implementing Switzerland’s Energy Strategy 2050 and achieving the country’s climate goals.

One of the projects supported by SWEET is the research consortium Sustainable and Resilient Energy for Switzerland (SURE), which aims to develop sustainable and resilient energy solutions for the country's energy future.

How do players ensure energy supply?
Researchers from the SURE consortium have launched a game called "Ensured Energy." In this game, participants are tasked with securing Switzerland's energy supply for the next 30 years. The main objective is to ensure sufficient electricity to meet the needs of the population and the economy.

Players must make decisions regarding the development of energy infrastructure, electricity imports, and political strategies, experiencing the direct consequences of their choices. They also encounter unexpected challenges like price fluctuations and extreme weather events, including heat waves and cold spells.

Experiencing the energy transition
Under the direction of Prof. Dr Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen from the Institute of Political Science and the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR) at the University of Bern, the University of Bern team was responsible for the thematic content of the game, as well as the development, implementation and analysis of the survey conducted among the population. The Università della Svizzera italiana team was responsible for game design, model development and technical implementation.

The researchers are investigating whether the game enhances the participants' confidence in their individual and collective ability to tackle the challenges of the energy transition. To achieve this, the game was incorporated into a population survey, and the results are currently being analysed.

Opinion formation remains the focus
Through the game, the research team aims to make the complex dynamics of the Swiss energy system understandable and allows participants to experience various scenarios for achieving the net-zero target.

"Our game integrates energy models with political science insights to accurately portray the potential trajectories of the Swiss energy system," says Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen, member of the SURE consortium and professor of comparative politics at the University of Bern.

"Our goal," concludes Stadelmann-Steffen, "is to make it easier for players to form an opinion on the various energy policy options on the path to climate neutrality."

Contact

Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen

Institute for Political Science and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR), University of Bern

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +41 31 684 83 55

Michael Multerer

Faculty of Informatics, Università della Svizzera italiana

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +41 58 666 4849

About the game

For further details and to play the game: https://sweet-sure.ch/game/

SWEET and SURE

SWEET (SWiss Energy research for the Energy Transition) is a promotion programme run by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). It aims to support innovation that significantly contributes to implementing the Energy Strategy 2050 and achieving Switzerland's climate targets. Launched at the beginning of 2021, the programme will run until 2032.

SURE is a consortium funded by the SWEET programme of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and coordinated by the Paul Scherrer Institute. SURE's objective is to identify, based on interdisciplinary research, what is needed to ensure sustainable and resilient energy security and highlight the trade-offs between often conflicting objectives related to the energy sector's transformation.

Further information