Dr. Silvia Ulli-Beer

Projects

• Systemic Multi-scale Approaches for Rapid Transition to Positive Energy Districts / Project leader / ongoing
• Climate- and energy-positive living in Eastern Switzerland 2.0: Monitoring and optimization measures in operation based on the pilot project in Güttingen / Project leader / ongoing
• Urban Positive Clean neigHborhood energy trAnsition: driving innovative solutions for Renovation, diGitalisation and energy Efficiency / Team member / ongoing
• Co-Evolution and Coordinated Simulation of the Swiss Energy System and Swiss Society / Project leader / ongoing
• Decarbonisation of Cooling and Heating in Switzerland / Project leader / ongoing
• SNF Ambizione Evaluation / Team member / ongoing
• Augmented Reality Outdoor Mission "Escape the fossils" / Project leader / completed
• Positive Energy Districts as a Suitable Instrument to govern the Swiss Energy Transition / Co-project leader / completed
• Massive Decarbonisation of the Swiss Building Stock / Team member / completed
• Hydrogen In Distributed Energy Systems / Team member / completed
• A standardized Sustainable Energy Finance solution for SMEs’ implementation of low-carbon energy solutions / Deputy project leader / completed
• Study on the barriers and Drivers of the decarbonisation of industrial processes / Team member / completed
• SCCER Joint Acitivity Romande Energie Demonstrator / Project leader / completed
• Power Alliance / Project leader / completed
• Smart bioclimatic low-carbon urban areas as innovative energy isles in the sustainable city / Team member / completed
• Participative Foresight for Smarter Cities / Team member / completed
• Diffusion of self-consumption concepts under variants of grid tariff designs for the supply area of BKW / Team member / completed
• SCCER CREST / Co-project leader / completed
• Smart Cities / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Bahadori, R., Speich, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025). Modernizing district heating networks : a strategic decision-support framework for sustainable retrofitting. Energies, 18(14), 3759. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18143759
• Zapata Riveros, J., Scacco, P. M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2024). Network dynamics of positive energy districts : a coevolutionary business ecosystem analysis. Frontiers in Sustainability, 4(1266126). https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1266126
• Zapata Riveros, J., Gallati, J., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2024). Mitigating risks and breaking barriers, energy supply contracting in multifamily houses : an ecosystem perspective. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 6(1460960). https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2024.1460960
• Hafner, S., Gottschamer, L., Kubli, M., Pasqualino, R., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2024). Building the bridge : how system dynamics models operationalise energy transitions and contribute towards creating an energy policy toolbox. Sustainability, 16(19), 8326. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198326
• Speich, M., Chambers, J., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2024). Current and future development of thermal grids in Switzerland : an organizational perspective. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 6(1379554). https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2024.1379554
• Speich, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2023). Applying an ecosystem lens to low-carbon energy transitions : a conceptual framework. Journal of Cleaner Production, 398(136429). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136429
• Hafner, S., Speich, M., Bischofberger, P., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2022). Governing industry decarbonisation : policy implications from a firm perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 375(133884). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133884
• Zapata Riveros, J. V., Speich, M., West, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2021). Combining business model innovation and model-based analysis to tackle the deep uncertainty of societal transitions : a case study on industrial electrification and power grid management. Sustainability, 13(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137264
• Zapata Riveros, J. V., Kubli, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2019). Prosumer communities as strategic allies for electric utilities : exploring future decentralization trends in Switzerland. Energy Research & Social Science, 57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.101219
• Ulli-Beer, S. (2019). Challenges of participatory modelling and paradigm change : comment on the paper by Bakken. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 36(2), 197–198. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2579
• Bagemihl, J., Boesner, F., Riesinger, J., Künzli, M., Wilke, G., Binder, G., Wache, H., Laager, D., Breit, J., Wurzinger, M., Zapata, J., Ulli-Beer, S., Layec, V., Stadler, T., & Stabauer, F. (2018). A market-based smart grid approach to increasing power grid capacity without physical grid expansion. Computer Science - Research and Development, 33(1), 177–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00450-017-0356-5
• Ulli-Beer, S., Kubli, M., Zapata Riveros, J. V., Wurzinger, M., Musiolik, J., & Furrer, B. (2017). Participative modelling of socio-technical transitions : why and how should we look beyond the case-specific energy transition challenge? Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 34(4), 469–488. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2470
• Kubli, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2016). Decentralisation dynamics in energy systems : a generic simulation of network effects. Energy Research & Social Science, 13, 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.12.015

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Morais, D., Cassella, A., Lima, R., Patel, M., Yılmaz, S., Zapata, J., Scacco Paulet, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025). Positive energy districts in Switzerland : analysis from a technical, social and business point of view (U. Berardi, J. António, & N. Simões, Eds.; pp. 39–47) [Conference paper]. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-1826-5_5
• Zapata Riveros, J., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025, August). A system dynamics approach towards nearly zero energy districts. Conference Proceedings the 2025 International System Dynamics Conference. https://proceedings.systemdynamics.org/2025/papers/P1118.pdf
• Freunek Müller, M., Kubli, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2015). Interdisciplinary modelling of energy transition in rural and urban systems [Conference paper]. CISBAT 2015 : Future Buildings & Districts Sustainability from Nano to Urban Scale, 913–918. https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/213428/files/9_FREUNEK.pdf

Other publications

• Speich, M., Ulli-Beer, S., Arpagaus, C., & Bless, F. (2025). Wärmepumpen für die Industrie : der Weg aus der Nische. Swiss Engineering STZ, 6, 12–13.
• Zapata, J., Haase, M., Kauz, C., Schmid, C., Bätschman, M., Peran, D., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025). One stop shop for renovation guidelines. ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-36108
• Speich, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025). Herausforderungen des Ausbaus thermischer Netze im Rahmen kommunaler Klimastrategien. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-36134
• Speich, M., Arpagaus, C., Bless, F., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025). Marktentwicklung für industrielle Wärmepumpen : Verbreitungsmodell und Handlungsoptionen. Sweet DeCarbCH. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-36120
• Zapata, J., Scacco, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2025). Guidelines positive energy districts (PEDs) : PED pathways: from vision to reality. ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-36107
• Sierro, F., Speich, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2024). Die Schweizer Tiefe Geothermie mitten im Wandel. Geothermische Energie, 33(107), 8–11.
• Kubli, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2015). Transition patterns of distributed energy generation concepts considering network effects [Conference paper]. CISBAT 2015 : Future Buildings & Districts Sustainability from Nano to Urban Scale, 919–924. https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/213429/files/9_KUBLI.pdf

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

Speich, M., & Ulli-Beer, S. (2024, March 31). Gewinnbringende Integration saisonaler Wärmespeicher in Schweizer Fernwärmenetzen. SWEET DeCarbCH WP2 / 6 Workshop, Zürich, Schweiz, 3. März 2023. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14887628

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