Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt
Clausiusstrasse 37
Room CLD C12.1
CH-8092 Zürich
Phone: +41 44 632 04 86
E-mail:
external page ResearchGate | external page Google Scholar | external page ORCID
Prof. Tobias Schmidt is the head of ETH Zurich's Energy and Technology Policy group and also serves as director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy. In his research, he analyzes the interaction of energy policy and its underlying politics with technological change in the energy sector. His research covers low to high income countries. In his teaching, for which he received ETH Zurich's students' prize Golden Owl, he covers conceptual and methodological courses (such as Policy Analysis) as well as courses related to the governance of the energy transition. He is very engaged in the executive teaching program of the ISTP.
Tobias holds a Bachelor of Science and Dipl. Ing. (MSc equivalent) in electrical engineering (energy focus) from the external page Technical University Munich and a PhD from ETH Zurich in management, technology, and economics, working with SusTec.
Tobias is an elected member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (external page SATW) and serves on the editorial board of external page Energy Research and Social Science. He was a visiting researcher at Tokyo Tech, Utrecht University (both in 2011), Stanford (2013/14), and Princeton (2022).
In his leisure he enjoys ski-touring (winter), hiking and catamaran sailing (summer), as well as singing in a choir (all year round). He has been a fan of FC Bayern Muenchen for more than 25 years.
Selected publications
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Books & Book chapters
Comparing Renewable Energy Micro- Grids in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Laos: A Technological Innovation Systems Approach
Schmidt, T.S., Blum, N.U., Bening, C.
In: Adenle, A. A., Chertow., M.R., Moors, E.H.M., Pannell, D.J. (Eds.). Science, Technology, and Innovation for Meeting SDGs. Oxford University Press (forthcoming), 2020.
Policy reports
2022
Agutu, C., Egli, F., Steffen, B., Schmidt, T.S. (2022) De-risking off-grid electrification finance and fostering standalone system deployment policies are key to achieving SDG7. COP27 Policy Brief Series, external page download file
Schmidt, T. S., Đukan, M., Egli, F., Steffen, B. (2022). Eingabe zur Vernehmlassung zur Umsetzung der Änderung vom 1. Oktober 2021 des EnG auf Verordnungsstufe und weitere Änderungen der Energieverordnung, der Energieeffizienzverordnung, der Energieförderungsverordnung und der Stromversorgungsverordnung mit Inkrafttreten Anfang 2023. EPG & CFP Policy Brief, Download download file (PDF, 293 KB)
Schmidt, T. S. (2022). Risiken deckeln statt Kosten senken - Wie die Schweizer Förderpolitik den Investitionsstau im Solarausbau auflösen kann. ISTP Policy Brief, Download download file (PDF, 146 KB)
2020
Schmidt, T. S., Egli, F., Pahle, M., Polzin, F., Steffen, B. (2020). Finance for Decarbonisation: Financing the European low-carbon energy transition requires strong, consistent policies and low interest rates. Innopaths Policy Brief, Download download file (PDF, 706 KB)
2019
Egli, F., Steffen, B., Schmidt, T.S. (2019). Learning in the financial sector is essential for reducing renewable energy costs. Policy Brief, Nature Energy, 4, 835–836. external page https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-019-0482-3
2018
United Nations Development Programme UNDP & ETH Zurich (2018). Derisking Renewable Energy Investment: Off Grid Electrification (lead authors from EPG: Tobias S. Schmidt, Abhishek Malhotra) external page Report website
United Nations Environment (2018). Emissions Gap Report 2018, Chapter 6. Bridging the gap: Fiscal reforms for the low-carbon transition (contributing authors from EPG: Tobias S Schmidt, Bjarne Steffen) external page Report website
2014
Kayser D., Huenteler J., Schmidt T. S. (2014). Global Collapse, Local Impacts, Carbon Mechanisms Review 2014 (3), 28-35. (Free Pdf of the Report external page in English and external page in German)
2013
Waissbein O., Glemarec Y., Bayraktar H., Schmidt T. S. (2013). Derisking Renewable Energy Investment. A Framework to Support Policymakers in Selecting Public Instruments to Promote Renewable Energy Investment in Developing Countries. New York, NY: United Nations Development Programme. (external page Free Pdf of the Report)
2011
Rogge K. S., Schmidt T. S., Schneider M. (2011). Relative Importance of different Climate Policy Elements for Corporate Climate Innovation Activities: Findings for the Power Sector. Carbon Pricing for Low-Carbon Investment, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI).