Swiss Federal Office of Energy

Mountainous regions such as Switzerland, which are characterized by highly complex geological and hydrogeological conditions, hold significant geothermal potential linked to tectonic settings and deep hydrothermal flow systems. However, geothermal exploration in such regions is challenged by geological and hydrogeological complexity, data scarcity, high uncertainty, administrative hurdles, as well as environmental and economic risks associated with drilling. Robust quantitative tools that maximize the value of the limited information available on the subsurface are needed to assess geothermal potential, productivity, and sustainability. Here, a step-by-step framework for the assessment of regional hydrothermal flow systems is presented. The framework consists of 3D geological modeling, 3D thermohydraulic modelling (3D-TH-model), and a systematic sensitivity analysis for the identification of the optimal structural model complexity. The framework is demonstrated on the hydrothermal systems of the Upper Aarmassif in the Swiss Alps. Results showed that thermal upwelling in the system is driven by strong topographic gradients and upward flux along more permeable tectonic faults and thrusts. The upwelling results in significantly elevated groundwater temperatures near the surface in the Rhône Valley, with temperatures exceeding 70 °C at depths of 1000 m and reaching 100 °C at depths of 2000 m. These model outputs were verified by the few available vertical borehole temperature profiles, horizontal tunnel temperature profiles, groundwater recharge rates and hydraulic head distribution, 14C-based groundwater residence times, and geothermometrically identified hydrothermal-reservoir-temperature estimates. The framework provides the basis for risk-reduced geothermal exploration, thereby supporting sustainable geothermal development—a significant step towards a decarbonized energy future.

The digital substrate - data, algorithms, infrastructure, platforms, applications - is being governed without adequate conceptual foundations. The ability and legitimacy required to govern this substrate, and to govern with it, are simultaneously misaligned, contested, and structurally absent. We introduce digital statecraft as the organising concept for this emerging field, arguing that 'digital' reconstitutes the statecraft question rather than merely extending its domain. The concept operates on two dimensions - statecraft over digital systems, concerning the authority and capacity of the state in relation to the digital substrate itself, and statecraft with digital systems, concerning the deployment of algorithmic tools as instruments of governing authority. And it rests on two foundational requirements, technical coherence and legitimate authority, that are genuinely in tension. We derive ten principles of digital statecraft from these foundations, each naming a condition whose absence produces an identifiable and structural governance failure: public interest first, human-machine complementarity, governability by design, systemic coherence, hybrid institutions, adaptive governance, human centricity and civic agency, accountable and traceable authority, judgment across time, and the non-delegable core. This article takes the state as the starting point, the institutional form that developed historically in response to the problem of effective and legitimate public governance, and the only current candidate for which the full set of legitimacy conditions is institutionally available. But the digital statecraft programme holds open a deeper question than just whether states can reform themselves: governing well in the algorithmic age may require rethinking the boundaries, scale, and affiliative basis of statehood itself.

Economies throughout the world have implemented product databases as a pivotal part within their broader strategy to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper explores how to use a game-based approach for engaging consumers in making more energy-conscious choices and enhancing the value of such open government data. Drawing from expertise in game design and game research, the authors first provide an introduction to Serious and Applied Games, including a differentiation to well-known (Gamification) and lesser-known terms (Playification, Edufication). This is followed by a look at good examples of playified games. In the next step, we discuss specific considerations for playifing public product databases. The discussion covers player motivation and promised benefits of games, the context and frequency of usage, and the selection of appropriate game mechanics to enhance its effectiveness and longevity. These are important factors to successfully creating a game or adding on to existing games for reaching a specific energy-related goal. Last, a comparative overview of five governmental public databases reveals that ENERGY STAR (USA/Canada), EPREL (EU) and Energy Rating (Australia) are ready-to-use for software developers. In conclusion, the authors wish to encourage operators of public databases to provide better access to the data through API, and to inspire governments and other organisations to use (more) games and use them wisely.

The upcoming EurCOLD bulletins on penstocks, pressure tunnels and shafts offer a comprehensive guide, consolidating decades of best practices, innovations and lessons learnt of past incidents for engineers. They provide an overview of power waterway types and components, critically evaluating existing guidelines and standards to offer state-of-the-art engineering solutions for new hydropower projects and safety evaluations of aging plants. The bulletins cover key linear structures, including open-air and buried penstocks, as well as unlined and lined (concrete or steel) pressure tunnels and shafts. They also provide guidance on applying numerical methods, such as the finite element method, to complex special components like manholes and bifurcations. Emphasis is placed on layout and lining concept selection, with proposed harmonised design criteria and load combinations. Possible frameworks for stochastic approaches are also explored. Crucial aspects like rock mass stability, load-sharing, and hydraulic jacking risks are additionally covered. The bulletins also underscore the importance of inspection and monitoring using modern and advanced methods to ensure the safety and extend the life of both new and existing structures. Ultimately, these bulletins aim to standardise safety concepts and provide technical guidelines, serving as a reference for optimising high-pressure water conveyance systems and enhancing project safety.

Switzerland has one of the highest annual Legionnaires' disease (LD) notification rates in Europe (7.8 cases/100,000 population in 2021). The main sources of infection and the cause for this high rate remain largely unknown. This hampers the implementation of targeted Legionella spp. control efforts. The SwissLEGIO national case-control and molecular source attribution study investigates risk factors and infection sources for community-acquired LD in Switzerland. Over the duration of one year, the study is recruiting 205 newly diagnosed LD patients through a network of 20 university and cantonal hospitals. Healthy controls matched for age, sex, and residence at district level are recruited from the general population. Risk factors for LD are assessed in questionnaire-based interviews. Clinical and environmental Legionella spp. isolates are compared using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Direct comparison of sero- and sequence types (ST), core genome multilocus sequencing types (cgMLST), and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between clinical and environmental isolates are used to investigate the infection sources and the prevalence and virulence of different Legionella spp. strains detected across Switzerland. The SwissLEGIO study innovates in combining case-control and molecular typing approaches for source attribution on a national level outside an outbreak setting. The study provides a unique platform for national Legionellosis and Legionella research and is conducted in an inter- and transdisciplinary, co-production approach involving various national governmental and national research stakeholders.