We work with universities and research institutions to advance energy system science.
Sympheny began as research and still depends on it. We give a selected group of academics access to the platform for teaching, theses, and studies that push multi-energy planning forward. That includes individual students with a project, not only research groups. This is a working relationship, not a budget licence.
ETH Zürich. Sympheny's roots are in the ETH Domain, as an Empa spin-off.
The institutions we teach and research with
Sympheny grew out of the ETH Domain and still works directly with universities and research labs, through teaching, joint projects, and ongoing research.
Joint research, and where Sympheny's methods began in the ETH Domain.
See the research
The institute Sympheny spun out of, with research still running together today.
See the researchUsed in teaching on the CAS for energy systems in climate-neutral districts.
View the courseTeaching, and joint projects on real energy systems.
Visit HSLU
Research collaboration on energy-system optimisation.
See the researchField-tested in the classroom
In 2026, participants of the CAS «Energiesysteme für klimaneutrale Areale und Quartiere» at ZHAW School of Engineering in Switzerland used Sympheny for their project work: planning supply variants for the Uster city-centre heat network, with an anergy network, borehole fields and waste-heat use. The two-page case study covers what worked in the classroom, the course structure ZHAW runs, and two ways to bring Sympheny into your own teaching.
Download the case study (PDF)“With Sympheny I compared far more energy-system variants in my project work than would ever have been possible by hand in Excel. And for each variant I could see straight away what it meant technically, in energy terms, and economically.”
Ways academic groups use Sympheny
Teaching and coursework
Use Sympheny in energy systems, building services, and urban planning courses so students model real multi-energy hubs rather than toy problems on paper.
Research collaboration
Run optimisation studies, test methods, and explore scenarios at a scale that is hard to reach with self-built models. We are happy to discuss joint work where it advances the field.
Theses and student projects
Give Master's and doctoral students access to the same engine consultancies use in practice, so their work stands up outside the lab.
Curated access, on academic terms
A partnership, not a price list
Academic access is arranged case by case, based on the teaching or research it supports. It is not one of our commercial tiers and it is not a discounted version of them.
Built on research, returning to it
Sympheny grew out of more than ten years of work at Empa and the ETH Domain. Keeping a foot in academic research is part of how the platform stays rigorous, so this is a genuine exchange rather than a favour.
Curated, not automatic
We take on a limited number of academic partners so each one gets real support. If your work is a fit, we will set you up properly and stay in contact.
Tell us what you are working on
Email us a short note about yourself and what you are working on. Students with an individual project are just as welcome as research groups. If the work is relevant, we want to hear about it. We read every enquiry ourselves and will come back to you.
christopher.mclaren@sympheny.comHelpful to include
- Your institution and department (or research group, if applicable)
- The course, thesis, or project it would support
- Whether it is an individual project or a group, and roughly how many people
- Your timeline, if you have one
Looking for a commercial licence instead? See our pricing or book a demo.