Dr. Christian Winzer

Work at ZHAW

Position

Lecturer

Focus

• Electricity Market Design
• Modelling Electricity- and Capacity Markets
• Definition and Measurement of Energy Security
• Design, Impact and Acceptance of Electricity Tariffs

Teaching

Introduction to energy economics

Experience

• Specialist Market Products and Analysis
  Swissgrid, Laufenburg, CH
  09 / 2015 - 03 / 2018
• Associate Director
  IHS Markit, Paris, FR
  02 / 2013 - 08 / 2015
• External Consultant
  German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Berlin, DE
  06 / 2012 - 12 / 2012
• Policy Advisor
  Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK
  02 / 2011 - 03 / 2012

Education and Continuing education

Education

• PhD / Management Science
  Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK
  10 / 2008 - 03 / 2012
• MA & BA / Industrial Engineering
  University of Karlsruhe (KIT)
  09 / 2002 - 07 / 2008

Continuing Education

CAS Higher & Professional Education
ZHAW
06 / 2020

Network

Membership of networks

Strommarkttreffen CH

Social media

X (twitter)

Projects

• Relief in the electricity grid through innovative grid tariffs / Co-project leader / ongoing
• Network Tariffs for Decentral Load Control / Co-project leader / ongoing
• Integrating very high shares of decentralized renewable energy into the Swiss energy system: Electricity market design and policy / Team member / ongoing
• Pathways to an efficient future energy system through flexibility and sector coupling / Project leader / ongoing
• Digitalisation in the electricity sector put to the test: To the interplay of energy regulation, competition law and data protection / Project leader / completed
• Positive Energy District Algorithms for Load Forecasting and Optimal Dispatch / Co-project leader / completed
• Machine-Learning for Demand-Response / Co-project leader / completed
• Social Innovation for the Energy Transition / Team member / completed
• NETFLEX / Project leader / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Ribó-Pérez, D. et al. (2025) 'Future electricity tariffs : designing electricity rates fit for the energy transition', Energy Policy, 202(114596). doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114596.
• Mellot, A. et al. (2025) 'Electrification, flexibility or both? : emerging trends in European energy policy', Energy Policy, 206(114725). doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114725.
• Deguenon, L. et al. (2025) 'Impact of dynamic grid tariffs on grid-connected storage dispatch and revenues', Journal of Energy Storage, 120(116472). doi: 10.1016/j.est.2025.116472.
• Winzer, C. et al. (2024) 'Profile contracts for electricity retail customers', Energy Policy, 195(114358). doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114358.
• Winzer, C. and Zhang, H. (2024) 'Cost focus versus comfort focus : evidence from a discrete choice experiment with Swiss residential electricity customers', The Energy Journal, 45(2), pp. 209–235. doi: 10.5547/01956574.45.2.cwin.
• Winzer, C. and Hensler-Ludwig, P. (2024) 'Design and impact of grid tariffs', Energies, 17(6), p. 1364. doi: 10.3390/en17061364.
• Sovacool, B. K. et al. (2023) 'Social innovation supports inclusive and accelerated energy transitions with appropriate governance', Communications Earth & Environment, 4(1), p. 289. doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-00952-w.
• Ludwig, P. and Winzer, C. (2022) 'Tariff menus to avoid rebound peaks : results from a discrete choice experiment with Swiss customers', Energies, 15(17), p. 6354. doi: 10.3390/en15176354.
• Chaianong, A., Winzer, C. and Gellrich, M. (2022) 'Impacts of traffic data on short-term residential load forecasting before and during the COVID-19 pandemic', Energy Strategy Reviews, 2022(43), p. 100895. doi: 10.1016/j.esr.2022.100895.
• Michellod, J. L. et al. (2022) 'Building social license for automated demand-side management : case study research in the Swiss residential sector', Energies, 15(20), p. 7759. doi: 10.3390/en15207759.

Books, peer-reviewed

Schleiniger, R., Betz, R. and Winzer, C. (2019) Der schweizerische Strommarkt zwischen Liberalisierung und Regulierung : eine ökonomische Auslegeordnung. Zürich: Dike.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Mellot, A. et al. (2025) 'Exploratory analysis of direct load control policies for heat pumps in the future Swiss electricity system'. IEEE. doi: 10.1109/eem64765.2025.11050315.
• Fischer, D. et al. (2021) 'Auswirkungen digitaler und analoger Partizipationsverfahren auf die Entscheidungsfindung : Ergebnisse einer quasi-experimentellen Fallstudie', in Peter, M. K. (ed.) Neues Wissen zur Digitalen Transformation: Forschungsbeiträge zu E-Government, zur Smart City und der digitalen Ökonomie: Davos Digital Forum Academic Track Sammelband 2020. Olten: Davos Digital Forum & FHNW Hochschule für Wirtschaft, pp. 23–33.

Other publications

• Elsenbast, W., Trinkner, U. and Winzer, C. (2024) 'Dynamische Stromtarife : wie können sie für Haushalte und KMUs attraktiver werden?', Energiewirtschaftliche Tagesfragen, 2024(12), pp. 57–63.
• Boogen, N. and Winzer, C. (2024) Households' willingness to curtail electricity usage during winter shortages : a field experiment. SSRN. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.5037079.
• Elsenbast, W. and Winzer, C. (2024) 'Dynamische Netztarife und ihre Alternativen', Energiewirtschaftliche Tagesfragen, 2024(1-2), pp. 39–43.
• Winzer, C. et al. (2023) NETFLEX : effiziente Netzentgelte für flexible Konsumenten. Bern: Bundesamt für Energie BFE. Available at: https://www.aramis.admin.ch/Default?DocumentID=70108.
• Betz, R. and Winzer, C. (2022) 'Social innovation in energy transition : evaluation challenges and innovative solutions', in eceee Summer Study Proceedings. eceee, pp. 551–557.
• Fritz, W. et al. (2021) Weiterentwicklungen in der Tarifierung von Netz und Energie. Bern: Bundesamt für Energie BFE. Available at: https://pubdb.bfe.admin.ch/de/publication/download/10513.
• Winzer, C., Auer, S. and Ludwig, P. (2021) 'Kostenwahrheit im Verteilnetz', Bulletin: Fachzeitschrift und Verbandsinformationen von Electrosuisse und VSE. doi: 10.5169/seals-977557.
• Fröhlich, P. et al. (2020) 'Towards a social license to automate in demand side management : challenges, perspectives and regional aspects', in 16. Symposium Energieinnovation (EnInnov2020), Graz, Austria, 12-14 February 2020. Technische Universität Graz. Available at: https://userstcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Fr%C3%B6hlich_et_al_2020_Towards_a_Social_License_to_Automate.pdf.
• Winzer, C. and Borggrefe, F. (2017) 'Power to the people : creating markets for supply security based on consumer choice', in Market(s) of the future : proceedings from the eurelectric-florence school of regulation conference. European University Institute, pp. 54–60.
• Dümmler, P. and Winzer, C. (2017) 'Massgeschneiderte Versorgungssicherheit : Stromproduktion', Neue Zürcher Zeitung, p. 10. Available at: https://www.nzz.ch/meinung/massgeschneiderte-versorgungssicherheit-ld.1336882.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Winzer, C., Gamme, K. and Zhang, H. (2020) 'Customer acceptance of smart electricity tariffs : preliminary results of a choice experiment', in Energieforschungsgespräche Disentis 2020, Disentis, Switzerland, 22-24 January 2020.
• Schleiniger, R. and Winzer, C. (2019) 'Eckpunkte für ein integrales Marktmodell : zukünftiges Marktdesign für erneuerbare Energien in der Schweiz', in AEE SUISSE Sessionsveranstaltung der Parlamentarischen Gruppe Erneuerbare Energien, Bern, 20. März 2019.
• Schleiniger, R. and Winzer, C. (2019) 'Zukünftiges Marktdesign für erneuerbare Energien in der Schweiz', in AEE SUISSE Sessionsveranstaltung der Parlamentarischen Gruppe Erneuerbare Energien, Bern, 20. März 2019.

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