24. brenet Status-Seminar
From Consumer to Prosumer –
How Buildings Shape Switzerland’s
Energy System
August 20th, 2026 in Rotkreuz (LU)
The energy system is facing major challenges: rising electricity demand and the need to achieve climate neutrality.
How can buildings become active components of the energy system – economically and at scale?
Rising electricity demand, new regulatory requirements and the pressure to decarbonise are fundamentally changing the role of buildings. As well as with the revision of the Electricity Act and the introduction of local electricity communities (LEC), the Swiss energy system is undergoing a fundamental transformation.
Buildings will increasingly be able to actively participate in and shape the energy system.They are becoming energy producers, storage units and controllable systems.
How can this potential be realised in practice – and which solutions are currently emerging in applied research in Switzerland?
The brenet Status Seminar brings together the key stakeholders: leading experts in applied research, municipalities, energy providers, industry, building owners, planners.
The focus is on current projects from applied research across Switzerland and initial insights from practice – including publicly funded projects supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).
Key questions include:
-
Which solutions and tools are currently emerging in applied research?
-
How can buildings be integrated into energy systems and grids?
-
What role do control systems, storage and local energy communities play?
-
How can the building stock actively contribute to system stability and the achievement of net zero?
Participants gain insights into new approaches, discuss their own challenges and take away concrete impulses – for implementation in their own building or district portfolios, or for the development of market-ready solutions as well as new developments in applied research.
brenet
building and renewable energies network of technology
brenet – From Applied Research to Practice
brenet is the Swiss university network accelerating the transfer of applied research into practice on the path to net zero – with a focus on sustainable construction, renewable energy, and building technologies
«Only the future interests me, because that’s where I am going to spend the rest of my life.»
Albert Schweitzer
brenet provides a nationwide network and the organizational framework to drive the transfer of applied research into practice. Through exchange formats, knowledge pooling, and the creation of connections, we support our member institutes and industry players in jointly developing and implementing scalable solutions for the transition to net zero.
Currently, nine Swiss higher education institutes are members of brenet. brenet is an association under Art. 60 ff. of the Swiss Civil Code and was founded in 2002.
brenet ResearchLunch #4
Insights into the laboratories of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences
June 9, 2026
Practical insights from applied research for researchers, companies, public authorities, and industry players – at lunchtime
The event is aimed at professionals and interested parties from research, industry, public administration, and practice-oriented organizations in the fields of energy and construction.
tba | 12.15 p.m. – 1.15 p.m. | Online | Register soon!
Participation is free for students and staff of brenet member institutes.
An external participation fee of CHF 30 applies.
With automatic subtitle translation in multiple languages (AI-powered).
2026 – brenet ResearchLunch #4 | #5 | #6 | TBA
brenet Partnerships
brenet partnerships support the network and contribute their perspectives from practice, industry, and public administration to the exchange with applied research – with the aim of strengthening the transfer of research results into practice.
Member Institutes
The member institutes demonstrate a high level of competence in one or more of the following areas: sustainable construction, building services engineering and renewable energies.
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Services
Ecole d'ingénieurs et d'architectes de Friborg (EIA-FR)
Laboratory energy environment and architecture
Fribourg
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Services, Research: Renewalbe Energies
FHNW University of Applied Sciences
Institute for Automation
windish
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Services
ZHAW, School of Engineering Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering (IEFE)
Winterthur
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Research: Renewalbe Energies
Lucerne University | Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture | Building Technology and Energy (IGE) | Lucerne
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Services, Research: Renewalbe Energies
FHNW, University of Architecture, Construction and Geomatics | Institute Sustainability and Energy in Construction (INEB) | Muttenz
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Services
Haute école du paysage, d'ingénierie et d'architecture (HEPIA) | Laboratory for Energy Environment and Architecture (LEEA)
Geneve
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Research: Renewalbe Energies
OST - Eastern Swiss University of Applied Sciences
Institute for Solar Technology SPF
Rapperswil
Research: Buildings & Quarters, Services, Research: Renewalbe Energies
SUPSI | Dipartimento Ambiente, Costruzioni e Design | Istituto di Sostenibilità Applicata all’Ambiente costruito (ISAAC) | Mendrisio
The Executive Board
Prof. Barbara Sintzel
Chairwoman
INEB | FHNW
Director Institute Sustainability and Energy in Construction
Hofackerstrasse 30
CH-4132 Muttenz
Daniel Philippen
Member of the board
Prof. Dr. Oliver Steiger
Member of the board
Prof. Francesco Frontini
Member of the board
SUPSI - Dipartimento ambiente costruzioni e design (DACD)
Via Flora Ruchat-Roncati 15
CH-6850 Mendrisio
Head of Coordination Office
Janina Schombach
Head of the Coordination Office
brenet
Attn. Janina Schombach
c/o Institut Nachhaltigkeit und Energie am Bau INEB | FHNW
Hofackerstrasse 30
4132 Muttenz
The Advisory Board
The brenet advisory board supports the competence network with its connections to the economy, authorities and politics.
The members of the advisory board accompany and promote the activities of the network.
Sjef de Bruijn
Head of the Solar Energy Systems Division
Ernst Schweizer AG, Metallbau
8908 Hedingen
Wiebke Rösler Häfliger
Director
Amt für Hochbauten der Stadt Zürich
8001 Zürich
.jpeg)
Competences
The cooperation of the brenet member institutes opens up a wide range of competences to our research and development partners. With the competence matrix (in german) you will find the optimal combination of knowledge of the individual institutes for your project. The administrative office will be happy to coordinate your request with the various competencies of the members.
To the brenet competence matrices: