Playing to build a CO2-neutral village

Zernez is known as the gateway to Switzerland's National Park. At the moment, however, the small Engadine community is causing a stir, especially internationally: It is the protagonist of the computer game "Sarnetz", which is being presented these days at the Dubai World Expo is presented to the global public. The game was implemented by an interdisciplinary research team from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. A board game from ETH Zurich served as the basis.

How does the game work?

In Sarnetz, at least two teams of five compete against each other under the guidance of a moderator. Their goal: to convert the entire energy production of the municipality of Zernez in accordance with the requirements of the federal government's Energy Strategy 2050. The winner will be the team that reduces CO2 emissions to zero within a time limit, produces as much renewable energy as possible from local sources, and achieves all this with minimal investment.

Three players per team take on the role of the Zernez municipal council. Another person manages the local energy supplier, and last-but-not-least, the fifth person represents the interests of the residents and the tourism industry. The game is played in the browser. A three-dimensional map of Zernez serves as the playing field. Every single building in the community is simulated, from the residential building to the heating plant.

The perfect solution does not exist

The energy game was initially aimed at the residents of Zernez and decision-makers at the municipal level. However, it was further developed primarily for schoolchildren or students who want to familiarize themselves with the complexity of the subject. "The focus is not on the technical details of energy production, but on the joint, playful search for strategies for its sustainable conversion," says co-project manager Uwe W. Schulz from the Department of Technology & Architecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

The game does not provide perfect solutions, Schulz added. "Politicians, energy suppliers and residents sometimes have conflicting interests. A balance has to be struck between the various groups, just as in reality," he explains: Is it enough, for example, to renovate buildings for little money? Or is it better to equip the buildings with solar systems? These reduce CO2 consumption much more, but they detract from the appearance of the town and may harm tourism. Only when there is a consensus in the team about which step to take next does the game continue.

When the computer keeps records

The research team played a key role in converting the board game into digital format. Immersive Realities Research Lab at the Department of Computer Science. For co-project manager Richard Wetzel, the challenge was to find a balance between the feel of the original ETH game and the requirements of a computer game. He gives an example: "In the board game version, when you discuss whether you want to build a new woodchip heating plant, you simply point your finger at the corresponding spot. You can't do that if the team members are on the other side of the world." Wetzel and his team developed a simple solution to this problem: Digital game figures are moved across the playing field using the mouse; in other words, you "point" with your avatar where you want to build.

Automating certain game mechanics makes it easier for players to maintain an overview and focus on working out their strategy. "In the board game version, the costs and CO2 consumption of decided measures have to be recorded manually, which is time-consuming and error-prone," says Wetzel. In the browser version, the computer does all the bookkeeping, allowing decisions made in the game to be easily reversed later if another path proves more expedient.

Further development planned for the general public

Uwe W. Schulz and Richard Wetzel are pleased that, thanks to Sarnetz, they will be able to show an international audience in Dubai the "Swiss method" for achieving a sustainable energy supply - more vividly than would be possible with brochures or presentations.

The two researchers would like to develop the game further. In a next step, the game principle is to be transferred to other communities and to urban neighborhoods. Additional convenience functions are also planned, such as an integrated chat function (players currently exchange information via the Zoom communication platform). The long-term goal is to develop a game variant as a learning tool for the general public.

Play Sarnetz: The game can be played on the website sarnetz.ch be played under the guidance of a moderator. Interested parties please contact info@sarnetz.ch