Tobias Schmidt: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021

Award: The Golden Owl
Name Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt
FieldEnergy and Technology Policy
Address
Energie- und Technologiepolitik
ETH Zürich, CLD C 12.1
Clausiusstrasse 37
8092 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
Telephone+41 44 632 04 86
E-mailtobiasschmidt@ethz.ch
URLhttp://www.epg.ethz.ch
DepartmentHumanities, Social and Political Sciences
RelationshipAssociate Professor

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
151-0928-00LCO2 Capture and Storage and the Industry of Carbon-Based Resources4 credits3GM. Mazzotti, A. Bardow, P. Eckle, N. Gruber, M. Repmann, T. Schmidt, D. Sutter
AbstractCarbon-based resources (coal, oil, gas): origin, production, processing, resource economics. Climate change: science, policies. CCS systems: CO2 capture in power/industrial plants, CO2 transport and storage. Besides technical details, economical, legal and societal aspects are considered (e.g. electricity markets, barriers to deployment).
ObjectiveThe goal of the lecture is to introduce carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) systems, the technical solutions developed so far and the current research questions. This is done in the context of the origin, production, processing and economics of carbon-based resources, and of climate change issues. After this course, students are familiar with important technical and non-technical issues related to use of carbon resources, climate change, and CCS as a transitional mitigation measure.

The class will be structured in 2 hours of lecture and one hour of exercises/discussion. At the end of the semester a group project is planned.
ContentBoth the Swiss and the European energy system face a number of significant challenges over the coming decades. The major concerns are the security and economy of energy supply and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels will continue to satisfy the largest part of the energy demand in the medium term for Europe, and they could become part of the Swiss energy portfolio due to the planned phase out of nuclear power. Carbon capture and storage is considered an important option for the decarbonization of the power sector and it is the only way to reduce emissions in CO2 intensive industrial plants (e.g. cement- and steel production).
Building on the previously offered class "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS)", we have added two specific topics: 1) the industry of carbon-based resources, i.e. what is upstream of the CCS value chain, and 2) the science of climate change, i.e. why and how CO2 emissions are a problem.
The course is devided into four parts:
I) The first part will be dedicated to the origin, production, and processing of conventional as well as of unconventional carbon-based resources.
II) The second part will comprise two lectures from experts in the field of climate change sciences and resource economics.
III) The third part will explain the technical details of CO2 capture (current and future options) as well as of CO2 storage and utilization options, taking again also economical, legal, and sociatel aspects into consideration.
IV) The fourth part will comprise two lectures from industry experts, one with focus on electricity markets, the other on the experiences made with CCS technologies in the industry.
Throughout the class, time will be allocated to work on a number of tasks related to the theory, individually, in groups, or in plenum. Moreover, the students will apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course in a case study covering all the topics.
Lecture notesPower Point slides and distributed handouts
LiteratureIPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, 2018.
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/

IPCC AR5 Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report, 2014. www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/

IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage, 2005. www.ipcc.ch/activity/srccs/index.htm

The Global Status of CCS: 2014. Published by the Global CCS Institute, Nov 2014.
http://www.globalccsinstitute.com/publications/global-status-ccs-2014
Prerequisites / NoticeExternal lecturers from the industry and other institutes will contribute with specialized lectures according to the schedule distributed at the beginning of the semester.
227-0664-00LTechnology and Policy of Electrical Energy Storage3 credits2GV. Wood, T. Schmidt
AbstractWith the global emphasis on decreasing CO2 emissions, achieving fossil fuel independence and growing the use of renewables, developing & implementing energy storage solutions for electric mobility & grid stabilization represent a key technology & policy challenge. This course uses lithium ion batteries as a case study to understand the interplay between technology, economics, and policy.
ObjectiveThe students will learn of the complexity involved in battery research, design, production, as well as in investment, economics and policy making around batteries. Students from technical disciplines will gain insights into policy, while students from social science backgrounds will gain insights into technology.
ContentWith the global emphasis on decreasing CO2 emissions, achieving fossil fuel independence, and integrating renewables on the electric grid, developing and implementing energy storage solutions for electric mobility and grid stabilization represent a key technology and policy challenge. The class will focus on lithium ion batteries since they are poised to enter a variety of markets where policy decisions will affect their production, adoption, and usage scenarios. The course considers the interplay between technology, economics, and policy.

* intro to energy storage for electric mobility and grid-stabilization
* basics of battery operation, manufacturing, and integration
* intro to the role of policy for energy storage innovation & diffusion
* discussion of complexities involved in policy and politics of energy storage
Lecture notesMaterials will be made available on the website.
LiteratureMaterials will be made available on the website.
Prerequisites / NoticeStrong interest in energy and technology policy.
860-0005-01LColloquium Science, Technology, and Policy (FS) Information Restricted registration - show details
Only for Science, Technology, and Policy MSc.
1 credit2KT. Schmidt
AbstractPresentations by invited guest speakers from academia and practice/policy. Students are assigned to play a leading role in the discussion and write a report on the respective event.
ObjectivePresentations by invited guest speakers from academia and practice/policy. Students are assigned to play a leading role in the discussion and write a report on the respective event.
ContentSee program on the ISTP website: http://www.istp.ethz.ch/events/colloquium.html
860-0014-00LPaper Project on Technology and Policy of Electric Energy Storage Restricted registration - show details
Requirement: Only MSc Science, Technology, and Policy students who have visited the course 227-0664-00L and passed the test at the end of the semester, may sign up for this course.
3 credits2AT. Schmidt, V. Wood
AbstractPaper project on a topic related to main lecture Technology and Policy of Electric Energy Storage. Can only be taken when enrolled in the main lecture.
ObjectiveThe students will choose either a technology or a policy and elaborate on various aspects. The technology questions will include policy aspects; the policy questions will be closely related technological diffusion and innovation.
Lecture notesMaterials will be made available through polybox.
LiteratureMaterials will be made available through polybox.
Prerequisites / NoticeSuccessful completion of Technology and Policy of Electric Energy Storage lecture (227-0664-00L).
875-0101-00LTechnology, Society, Markets and the State Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in Technology and Public Policy: Policy Process
6 credits5GT. Schmidt
AbstractTechnological innovation is seldom entirely market-driven but often requires policy intervention. This module will introduce the participants into the literature that aims to understand technology and the underlying markets and its interaction with policy and its underlying politics. Besides an academic perspective, it will introduce practitioners working at the technology-policy interface.
ObjectiveIntroduction:
Participants understand (1) what public policy and policy analysis are, (2) why policy analysis is important for evidence-based policy-making, (3) how policy analysis is undertaken in a consulting firm, and (4) they learn from each other for which current professional challenges policy analysis will be useful.
Technology, Society, Markets, and the State:
Participants understand (1) what the key technological innovations in history have been, (2) how technological innovation unfolds and what factors drive it or slow it down, (3) what role the state (public policy, regulatory frameworks), markets (consumers, firms), and other stakeholders play in this regard.
Political Institutions and Policy-Making Processes:
Understand (1) how electoral systems, legislatures, government, public administrations, the judiciary, and interest groups function and shape policy choices, (2) the role of law, law-making, and law enforcement in modern societies, (3) how the European Union and international organisations decide on and implement policies.
Workshops with Practioners:
Participants understand how the consulting firm INFRAS analyses and develops policy solutions by gaining insight into several of their case studies.
Participants understand how private sector firms seek to shape public policies, based on the case of Swiss Re's efforts to establish an earthquake insurance.
LiteratureCourse materials can be found on Moodle.