Articles | Volume 24, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3815-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3815-2020
Research article
 | 
29 Jul 2020
Research article |  | 29 Jul 2020

Risks and opportunities for a Swiss hydroelectricity company in a changing climate

Kirsti Hakala, Nans Addor, Thibault Gobbe, Johann Ruffieux, and Jan Seibert

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Cited articles

Addor, N., Rössler, O., Köplin, N., Huss, M., Weingartner, R., and Seibert, J.: Robust changes and sources of uncertainty in the projected hydrological regimes of Swiss catchments, Water Resour. Res., 50, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014WR015549, 2014. 
Addor, N., Ewen, T., Johnson, L., Çöltekin, A., Derungs, C., and Muccione, V.: From products to processes: Academic events to foster interdisciplinary and iterative dialogue in a changing climate, Earth's Futur., 3, 289–297, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015EF000303, 2015. 
Anghileri, D., Castelletti, A., and Burlando, P.: Alpine Hydropower in the Decline of the Nuclear Era: Trade-Off between Revenue and Production in the Swiss Alps, J. Water Resour. Plan. Manag., 144, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000944, 2018. 
Barry, M., Baur, P., Gaudard, L., Giuliani, G., Hediger, W., Romerio, F., Schillinger, M., Schumann, R., Voegeli, G., and Weigt, H.: The Future of Swiss Hydropower A Review on Drivers and Uncertainties, SCCER CREST Work. 3 Energy Policy, Mark. Regul., 1–49, 2015. 
Bergström, S.: Development and Application of a Conceptual Runoff Model for Scandinavian Catchments, SMHI, Norrköping, 1976. 
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Short summary
Under a changing climate, reliable information on future hydrological conditions is necessary to inform water resource management. Here, we collaborated with a hydropower company that selected streamflow and energy demand indices. Using these indices, we identified stakeholder needs and used this to tailor the production of our climate change impact projections. We show that opportunities and risks for a hydropower company depend on a range of factors beyond those covered by traditional studies.
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