Technology Assessment Group

The Technology Assessment group is part of the multi-disciplinary Laboratory for Energy systems Analysis (LEA) at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and is the continuation of the former GaBE Project. Technology Assessment incorporates a comprehensive range of research areas to achieve three main objectives:

  1. To improve understanding and thereby enable comparisons of current energy technologies and future energy options for the electricity, heating and transport sectors based on environmental, economic and socially relevant factors.
  2. To provide quantitative, systematic, and interdisciplinary assessments of energy technologies and energy supply strategies through the development and application of consistent methodological frameworks and databases.
  3. To support rational decision-making for sustainable development in the Swiss and international energy sectors, and to communicate balanced research findings to decision-makers and stakeholders.
TA framework.jpg
Figure 1: Analytical framework for comprehensive technology assessment.

Šimaitis, J., Lupton, R., Vagg, C. Butnar, I., Sacchi, R. & Allen S. (2025). Battery electric vehicles show the lowest carbon footprints among passenger cars across 1.5–3.0 °C energy decarbonisation pathways. Communications Earth & Environment. doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-02447-2

Mellot, A., Moretti, C., et al. (2025). Electrification, flexibility or both? Emerging trends in European energy policy. Energy Policy. Volume 206. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114725 

Uribe A., Chávez C. (2025). Precursors of environmental compliance in a transitional economy: an empirical investigation of monitoring and enforcement in Chile. Environment and Development Economics. doi: 10.1017/S1355770X25100107

Open Positions

We are looking for Master, Semester and Project students to join the group!

MSc Thesis Openings
Semester Project Openings

The Master in Energy Science and Technology (MEST) program of ETH Zurich also advertises positions.

MSc Thesis Openings (MEST)

Technology Assessment Group
Paul Scherrer Institute
5232 Villigen-PSI
Switzerland