Impact of energy prices on the decarbonisation of the EU’s building sector [Oct 2024] 

The dramatic increase in end-use energy prices in the EU in 2022-2023 has intensified the debate on how these prices may or may not contribute to the decarbonization of the building sector. Dr. Zakeri and a group of researchers from Technical University Vienna (TU Wien) have investigated this question using data-intensive, model-based simulations of all EU Member States’ building sector in 2020-2050.  The results underscore that while stringent regulatory measures can achieve significant energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they also limit the responsiveness to price signals and as such the impact of prices on the choice of technology. For more details, please refer to https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778824009307. 

How can we store hydrogen affordably at a large scale? [Sep 2024] 

(Green) hydrogen is considered to be one of the enablers of net-zero energy transitions. As such, many world regions such as the EU have rolled out policies and incentives to scale up hydrogen projects. However, hydrogen storage remains a challenge, especially for long periods (e.g., from summer to winter) and at a large scale. Behnam Zakeri and a group of international researchers explored a new solution for storing hydrogen in lakes and water reservoirs. They estimated potential sites for this new storage solution globally including the cost of storage. The work is published in Nature Communication, including the open access to the accompanying global dataset. More information can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52237-1 

Net-zero pathways across the Atlantic: What Europe and the US can learn from each other (Aug 2024)? 

Behnam Zakeri and a group of international researchers explored the net zero pathways of Europe and the United States (US) through a multi-model comparison exercise that includes more than 28 integrated assessment and bottom-up energy models. The study was supported by the European Climate and Energy Modeling Forum (ECEMF) examined net zero scenarios by mid-century in both regions in line with the 1.5◦ goal of the Paris Agreement, highlighting differences and similarities arising from modeling assumptions, technology projections, and implemented policies. The related publication can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666278724000205 

Accelerating Innovation in the Global Value Chains of Clean Energy Technologies (May 22, 2024): Prof. Surana was invited to give a talk at the ETH Zurich Colloquium on Science, Technology, and Policy. Her talk focused on how countries can achieve both climate and economic goals through innovation and industrial policy, drawing on lessons from the wind energy industry.  

The effects of corporate investment and public grants on climate and energy startup outcomes (May 15, 2024). Prof. Surana’s new co-authored paper in Nature Energy highlights that startups matter for scaling climate and energy innovation, and public funding matters for startups especially in challenging sector. In addition, strategic corporate investors play a key role in complementing publicly funded startups and improve IPO / M&A rates by 155% compared to 78% from other private / venture capital investors. Read the press release here.

Modeling direct air carbon capture and storage in a 1.5 °C climate future using historical analogs (May 6, 2024): Prof. Surana’s new co-authored paper in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS) finds that direct air capture with carbon storage could be a key tool to combat climate change and help remove nearly 5 Gt of CO2 by 2050 if it follows the path of rapid-growth tech such as solar PVs. Read the press release here.

A Software Billionaire Is Betting Big on a Wild Climate Fix (April 16, 2024): Prof. Kavita Surana was quoted in an article in Bloomberg on Mike Cannon-Brookes, the co-founder of software giant Atlassian, and his plans for climate and energy innovation that could transform power grids.   

Science for Policy Podcast: Using Scientific Models for Policymaking (March 25, 2024): Behnam Zakeri joined an expert panel discussing the role of scientific models for informing energy, land use, and air pollution policymaking. The podcast was organized by Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission (EC), and the key topics discussed included “How do scientific models inform policymakers? How can they keep countries honest in international climate negotiations? When is uncertainty not so much of a problem? And how much does it matter if policymakers don't instantly grasp the model technicalities?”.

Leading for a sustainable future (February 29, 2024): Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and panelists, including Prof. Kavita Surana, discussed sustainability in technology and technology for sustainability at a WU event titled “Leading for a Sustainable Future”. They highlighted the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, the role of academia and businesses, and the potential of AI and digital technologies to improve quality of life and reduce environmental impact. Read more here.