University of Siegen wins the competition for innovative energy solutions!

University of Siegen wins the competition for innovative energy solutions!

On March 9, 2025, the University of Siegen achieved a significant success in the university competition of the Science Year 2025 - Future Energy. The team is one of the ten winners from almost 120 submitted projects and will be awarded prize money of 10,000 euros to implement the project by the end of 2025. This award-winning project includes the development of an interactive simulation game on energy policy, which is designed for both school and university students.

In this simulation game, participants take on the roles of fictional countries and design a clean, stable energy mix. The focus is on the conflicts of interest and decisions that arise when developing ecological, economic and social aspects. The aim is to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The overarching goal of the project is to create a motivational basis for young people to actively engage with energy policy issues and to develop innovative solutions.

An innovative approach to education

The simulation game was designed by Dr. Manuel Froitzheim developed it as part of his dissertation and is available online under the title “Energy Policy Simulation Game”. The results of all ten award-winning projects will be published via a joint Instagram account, which is intended to stimulate visibility and the exchange of ideas. Other winners of the competition include the Berlin University of Technology, the University of Bonn and the Technical University of Munich.

The university competition is launched by the Science in Dialogue Initiative (WiD) in cooperation with several institutions and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The thematic focus of the award-winning ideas covers renewable energies, energy policy decisions and artistic perspectives on sustainable energy systems.

The context of the energy transition

As part of the science year, numerous lectures, projects and activities are offered that deal with the climate-neutral, reliable and resource-saving energy transition. The technologies that are already being used for the transformation process as well as the conditions for future energy supply will be discussed. The focus is on social exchange, which is intended to contribute to deepening understanding of the necessary changes and challenges of the energy transition.

What is particularly noteworthy is the massive increase in renewable energy capacity that can be observed worldwide. According to the World Energy Council, around 80% of global expansion comes from renewable energy, which is double the figure in 2010. In total, over 3,000 gigawatts of renewables have been installed, which corresponds to more than a quarter of the world's electricity generation capacity. World Energy Council highlights that the installed capacity of wind energy has more than quadrupled since 2010, while photovoltaic capacity has increased by a factor of 21.

The challenges and opportunities arising from the energy transition are complex. The expansion of renewable energies will continue to accelerate in the coming decades, due to economic growth and increasing demand for electricity. In order to achieve the 1.5 degree scenario in the Paris climate agreement, around 65% of global electricity generation must come from renewable energies by 2030. Annual investments of around USD 1.3 trillion are necessary, which means a significant increase of 7,000 to 9,000 gigawatts.

The Science Year 2025 - Future Energy therefore represents an important forum to address the pressing questions of the future of energy and to motivate the next generation through innovative educational approaches. Leopoldina emphasizes the importance of a social dialogue about research, which has been the central goal of the Science Years since 2000.