Building the future together

The mission of EPFL Energy Center (CEN) is to promote energy research led by EPFL, by challenging state-of-the-art technologies and addressing society’s challenges together to shape tomorrow’s energy system.

Key figures

90

Laboratories

9

Centers

6

Faculties

4

Campuses

Outreach

CEN interacts closely with EPFL’s laboratories and startups to address current and future challenges of the energy sector. It serves as an entry point for individuals and companies searching for world-class education and competence in energy research and technology.

Outreach

CEN is EPFL’s interface between its energy research laboratories and the public, companies and investors. Its role is to inform about the latest developements in energy research at EPFL, establish the link with competent laboratories and support the development of collaboration projects.

Energy Sectors

EPFL’s research in energy encompasses the five sectors: efficiency, conversion, storage, systems, and society. Take a tour of the labs!

Efficiency

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), efficiency policies could enable the world to achieve more than 40% of the emissions cuts needed to reach its climate goals without new technology. At EPFL, energy efficiency research covers a vast number of aspects such as power-to-gaz and cogeneration, building design, industrial separation processes, small scale turbomachinery, (…)

Storage

Energy storage is the biggest challenge drawn by the transformation of the energy system. The shift from fissile and fossil fuels to renewable energy carriers imply the development of affordable storage systems at an unprecendented scale. EPFL laboratories address energy storage from fundamental to applied research, including materials theory and simulation, metal organic frameworks, and (…)

Conversion

Conversion technologies allow the transformation of energy forms and therefore the recovery of all energy sources, which include: electromagnetic radiation from the sun, internal heat of the earth, thermonuclear fusion or dams. EPFL is one of the main energy research institutions in the world, tackling significant subjects such as perovskite solar cells, thermo / electro (…)

Systems

Along with decentralization and decarbonization, digitalization is the third “D” describing the current worldwide energy transition. Using the campus as a grid laboratory, EPFL researchers develop breakthrough technologies for the electrical grid control and stabilization. For instance, the digitalization of hydropower generation is investigated in large international and interdisciplinary projects and the continent’s energy system (…)

Society

The energy system is not only a connected collection of physical and chemical devices. Society, e.g. human beings, is at the heart of it. New energy technologies must be acceptable, manageable, and affordable. To make it most effective and complete, energy research at EPFL fully embraces topics such human-environment interactions, urban sociology and economics, and (…)

News

Discover the energy news of EPFL.

Camille Brès et Jianqi Hu, autors of the Nature communication article © 2020 Alain Herzog

Reconfiguring microwave photonic filters without an external device

News
Research

Researchers from EPFL's Photonics Systems Lab have come up with a way of reconfiguring microwave photonic filters without the need for an external device. This paves the way for more compact, environmentally friendly filters that will be more practical and cheaper to use. Potential applications include detection and communications systems. The researchers' findings have recently been published in Nature Communications.

Microbes working together multiply biomass conversion possibilities

27.08.20NewsResearch

Non-edible plants are a promising alternative to crude oil, but their heterogenous composition can be a challenge to producing high yields of useful products. Scientists from EPFL, the University of Cambridge, and the Bern University of Applied Sciences have developed a platform that combines different microorganisms that can make a dramatic difference.

New device delivers single cells in just one click

12.08.20NewsInnovation

EPFL spin-off SEED Biosciences has developed a pipetting robot that can dispense individual cells one by one. Their innovation allows for enhanced reliability and traceability, and can save life-science researchers time and money.

All news

Education

EPFL Energy Center contributes to the development of a coherent education program in energy at EPFL, including the traditional bachelor, master and PhD education programs. It also designs and organizes tailored education programs such as summer schools, MOOCs and executive training in energy.