SWEET Lantern: Living Labs – interfaces for the energy transition

To achieve the goals of the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050 and reduce CO₂ emissions, we must consume less and we must consume more responsibly. Of course, doing so will impact all of our daily lives – but how exactly?

Living Labs for a decarbonized Switzerland

Supported by the SWEET funding programme of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, the Lantern project (Living Labs – interface for the energy transition) aims at co-creation of concrete energy solutions – on behalf of a decarbonized Switzerland – by and for local stakeholders. To encourage as many as people as possible to take the necessary steps for the energy transition, the scientists involved in the project consortium participate in so-called living labs.

These are participatory platforms in which experts and citizens work together to find solutions. They develop, test, validate, and scale up user-supported measures for a resource-efficient, sufficiency-oriented Switzerland. Put simply, SWEET Lantern is a comprehensive initiative uniting science and living labs to promote an energy transition in the lifestyles and work habits of the Swiss population.

Why Lantern?

The “magic lantern” was created in the 17^th century and made it possible to project an image on the wall with the help of a light source. It preceded the slide projector and inspired many other innovations. In the SWEET Lantern project, stakeholders from the population and other interest groups can “project” themselves into the future and imagine a better tomorrow. This is a key precondition for the success of the energy transition.

The project also studies resistance to change and strives to overcome fears and barriers to action in the development of practical measures – similar to the experience of the original magic lantern and its development over the centuries.

The project is inter- and transdisciplinary and is led by HES-SO Valais.

Participation of CDE

CDE is specifically involved in the work packages titled “Energy in Work” and “Integrated Impact Analysis”. The first examines the energy-saving potential of new working models for workplaces, i.e. new ways of approaching where, how, when, and how much work is done – with a particular emphasis on more efficient, reduced use of workspaces and new worktime models. This will focus on assessing how different work models impact energy use and the preferences of employees and employers – in addition to identifying influencing factors, barriers, and drivers of employee well-being and satisfaction in terms of space, infrastructure, and working hours.

Participants will derive recommendations and guidelines for promising new work models and explore how these can be expanded to cover existing and new work environments.

In the “Integrated Impact Assessment” work package, researchers are developing combined multidimensional impact assessments for technological/energy, economic, and social aspects, while accounting for different interactions and dynamics. The assessments carried out in all the work packages – including mobility, low-carbon cities, affordable and energy-efficient housing – are integrated into the project’s overall impact evaluation.