Flexibility provision from electromobility and buildings - Synthesis Report
A Report of the PATHFNDR consortium
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2025-10
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Report
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Abstract
Switzerland’s energy transition relies on electrifying transportation and heating while keeping electricity generation low in greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring grid stability. The required energy system flexibility will still be provided mainly by hydropower. However, additional valuable demand-side flexibility could be provided by electric vehicles and heat pumps by shifting their consumption to align with renewable energy generation. This report evaluates the role of electric vehicle and heat pump flexibility by synthesizing research from across the PATHFNDR project consortium. The report thus quantifies these technologies' potential flexibility and value in supporting both the transmission and distribution systems and assesses existing and required market and policy mechanisms to unlock their full benefits.
New scenario-based modelling results show that flexibility provision from electric vehicles and heat pumps can reduce system costs, defer network upgrade investments, lower electricity prices and imports, and reduce curtailment of renewable energy by better aligning demand with surplus generation. Electric vehicle smart charging and vehicle-to-grid can act as energy storage, which shift or discharge electricity to support the grid. Heat pump demand can be shifted using thermal inertia and thermal energy storage to reduce peak demand and stabilize the grid. At distribution level, flexibility-aware planning can reduce or defer low- and medium-voltage grid upgrades with minimal PV energy loss.
Our research also finds that enabling flexibility-readiness through supportive policy and market mechanisms are critical for effective demand-side management. Some mechanisms are already in place, such as contracts with dynamic pricing, direct load control, and subsidies for smart charging and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure. However, further policies, changes to regulation, and owner/user acceptance are needed. Surveys of the Swiss public show that support for flexible EV charging and heat pump operation is high, indicating readiness for further policy and market changes supporting flexibility and renewable energy integration.
Unlocking this flexibility will improve Switzerland’s energy resilience and sustainability while empowering consumers to participate actively in grid management. Future research should focus on scalable implementation and deployment: exploring business models for flexibility provision, evaluating new policy incentives, and demonstrating the use of flexibility at scale.
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ETH Zurich
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Energy Strategy 2050; Net zero 2050; Energy system; Renewable energy; Flexibility; Heat pumps; Sector coupling; Dynamic tariffs
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09451 - Patt, Anthony G. / Patt, Anthony G.
ETH Zürich
Notes
PATHFNDR Consortium is led by ETH Zurich, Empa, PSI, ZHAW, HSLU, UNIGE, EPFL, and TU Delft. Research sponsored by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy’s SWEET programme (SWEET Call 1-2020).