The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and the Smart Living Lab research center in Fribourg are working together on an eight-year project to reduce energy consumption, according to a statement. The project, known as SWICE (Sustainable Wellbeing for the Individual and the Collectivity in the Energy Transition), aims to ensure the sustainable wellbeing of both individuals and society during the energy transition.
The project was put out to tender by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and won by EPFL and the Smart Living Lab Fribourg. The total budget is 22.1 million Swiss francs, of which 9.9 million come from the Federal Office of Energy.
Aiming to reduce the population's energy consumption by adapting the natural and built environment to new ways of life, such as teleworking, the project seeks to develop sustainable solutions through close cooperation between the academic, public and private sectors. When developing new strategies, special attention will be paid to the comfort and wellbeing of society.
"We believe that social and individual aspects are a central element in our collective efforts around the energy transition, which is why we want to put people at the center of our approach," commented Marilyne Andersen, Professor at EPFL and Coordinator and Academic Leader of the project, in the statement.
With the help of living labs across Switzerland, scientists will work with residents to test hypotheses from research in order to change certain behaviours in the long term. They will examine three main areas: the built environment, public space and mobility.
