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Energy and Environment (ENE)

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      • SCCER Heat and Electricity Storage (HaE)
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Energy and Environment Research Division

Research at PSI comprises all aspects of human energy use, with the ultimate goal of promoting development towards a sustainable energy supply system. Technologies are being advanced for the utilization of renewable energy sources, low-loss energy storage, efficient conversion, and low emission energy use. Experimental and model-based assessment of these emissions forms the basis of a comprehensive assessment of economic, environmental and social consequences, for both present and future energy supply systems.

Division Head: Prof. Dr. Thomas Justus Schmidt


Energy Briefing Event 2022

On June 28th, 2022, the Energy Divisions (ENE and NES) at PSI hosted their first Energy Briefing Event at the Kursaal in Bern. Knowledgeable voices from industry, research and government shared insights in a dialogue on the feasibility of the Net Zero goal and what next steps are required to achieve this collectively.

A big thank you to Daniela Decurtins (GazEnergy), Particia Sandmeier (Hitachi Energy), Martin Naef (ABB), Pascal Previdoli (BFE), Thomas Schmidt (PSI), Christian Verhoeven (GE), Peter Richner (Empa), Andreas Pautz (PSI) and our Moderator Stephan Lendi for their valuable contributions and insights!

Highlights & News

30 January 2020
Fraction of particulate black carbon mass scavenged in clouds as a function of cloud peak supersaturation.

Cloud droplet formation on soot particles

PSI researchers went to the Jungfraujoch research station and applied in situ measurement techniques in real clouds to investigate the ability of soot particles to form cloud droplets. This is a key process determining the atmospheric life-cycle of soot particles, which are primarily emitted by combustion engines and which have a warming effect on climate by absorbing solar radiation.

Read more
15 January 2020
3D Support

A third dimension for the nanoscale

Researchers of the Laboratory for Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry (LSK) from PSI have designed uneven probe supports, which reveal the hidden site of nanocrystals.

Their simple approach allows transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) complete access to the atomic structure of nanomaterials without the need for cumbersome experimental effort.

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12 November 2019
Swiss Aerosol Award 2019 ceremony

Giulia Stefenelli wins Swiss Aerosol Award 2019

Award conferred by SwissLung.org during the award ceremony in Berne, Switzerland

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14 October 2019
In Situ Liquid SAXS Studies on the Early Stage of Calcium Carbonate Formation

Matter before solid nucleation under synchrotron light

Investigation on early stage of solid formation from solution, before nucleation, have been carried out at PSI by small angle scattering technique using X-ray light from the Swiss Light Source SLS. The system under analysis was calcium carbonate, a model system archetype of several sparsely soluble inorganic materials and relevant in many field such as CO2 capturing and biomineralization. The experimental setup, the method, and developed theoretical framework can be applied to many other systems and made available for the entire scientific community.

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5 September 2019
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Kinetics and Mechanism of Metal Nanoparticle Growth via Optical Extinction Spectroscopy and Computational Modeling: The Curious Case of Colloidal Gold

An overarching computational framework unifying several optical theories to describe the temporal volution of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) during a seeded growth process is presented. To achieve this, we sed the inexpensive and widely available optical extinction spectroscopy, to obtain quantitative kinetic data. In situ spectra collected over a wide set of experimental conditions were regressed using the hysical model, calculating light extinction by ensembles of GNPs during the growth process. This model rovides temporal information on the size, shape, and concentration of the particles, and any electromagnetic interactions between them. Consequently, we were able to describe the mechanism of GNP growth and divide the process into distinct genesis periods. We provide explanations for several longstanding mysteries, e.g., the phenomena responsible for the purple-greyish hue during the early stages of GNP growth, the complex interactions between nucleation, growth and aggregation events, and a clear distinction between agglomeration and electromagnetic interactions. The presented theoretical formalism has been developed in a generic fashion so that it can readily be adapted to other nanoparticulate formation scenarios such as the genesis of various metal nanoparticles.

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15 July 2019
Chemically Mapping Ice Forming Particles

Chemically mapping ice forming particles

Scientists have just nucleated ice in an X-ray microscope for the first time and they created chemical maps of those responsible.

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13 December 2018
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2018 Highly Cited Researchers

Three LAC researchers were highly cited in 2018.

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23 October 2018
electron crystallography teaser

Breakthrough - electron crystallography for everyone

Recent advances in electron crystallography published in Angewandte Chemie and highlighted by Science, Chemical & Engineering News and ScienceNews!Under the lead of LSK member, "Rapid structure determination of microcrystalline molecular compounds using electron diffraction", published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/anie.201811318 has attracted great attention in the chemistry community.

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17 October 2018
teaser picture

Why the Little Ice Age ended in the middle of the 19th century

Media Releases Energy and Climate Environment

In the first half of the 19th century, a series of large volcanic eruptions in the tropics led to a temporary global cooling of Earth's climate. That Alpine glaciers grew and subsequently receded again during the final phase of the so-called Little Ice Age was due to a natural process. This has now been proven by PSI researchers on the basis of ice cores.

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General Contact

Research Division Energy and Environment
Paul Scherrer Institut
5232 Villigen-PSI
Switzerland

 

Thomas


Division Head
Prof. Dr. Thomas J. Schmidt
Telephone: +41 56 310 57 65
E-mail: thomasjustus.schmidt@psi.ch

Area of Responsibility:

  • Head of Division
  • Overall responsibility
  • Strategy
  • Organizational development

ENE Staff

Denise Verhoeven


Chief of Staff
Denise Verhoeven
+41 56 310 25 45
denise.verhoeven@psi.ch

Area of Responsibility:

  • Personnel & Finances
  • Process management
  • Organizational development
  • Health & Safety (EHS)
  • Deputy of the Division Head

Jörg


Dr. Jörg Roth
+41 56 310 53 96
joerg.roth@psi.ch

Area of Responsibility:

  • Interlaboratory Coordination
  • Information Safety Officer
  • Building Manager OLGA

Ursula


Ursula Ludgate
+41 56 310 20 92
ursula.ludgate@psi.ch

Area of Responsibility:

  • Divisional Assistant

Michelle


Michelle Serina Kalousek
+41 56 310 24 75
michelle.kalousek@psi.ch

Area of Responsibility:

  • Internal Communication
  • Coordination with AKO on external communication topics

ENE Open positions

current opening at Research Division Energy and Environment

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