The 3D Decision Support System developed at ETH Zurich supports the planning of the electricity grid in Switzerland by lowering time and costs needed for planning
Our world is in continuous change: with higher welfare and new technologies arising from advancing digitalization, the demand on electricity is steadily increasing. Simultaneously, the energy transition towards renewable energy sources – like solar or wind power – leads to more electricity being transported over the existing power grid, which might bring it to its capacity limits in the future. According to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) ten-year network development plan, if the existing power grid is not extended, European citizens would waste 40 billion euros per year as of 2040. This is because more than 150 TWh electricity produced by renewable sources would be lost due to the current grid’s infrastructure limitations. In contrast, investing in the grid would contribute to a high reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions by the power sector in the order of 80 percent until 2040. Thus, transmission system operators are aiming at extending their power grid in the near future.
However, where should future power lines go through?
Fraincais ; Deutche ; Italiano
