Our multidisciplinary team

The Consortium

Wirtschaft und Infrastruktur GmbH & Co Planungs-KG (WIP)
Germany

WIP – Renewable Energies, Germany

WIP has been active in the field of renewable energy for over three decades working with industrial and public sector clients at the international level. The services it offers include coordination of the implementation of large-scale renewable energy systems and energy efficiency projects, interdisciplinary research that focuses on energy issues while addressing economic, environmental, legal and social framework conditions and high-level event management and for European projects, conferences, workshops and campaigns.
www.wip-munich.de

European Small Hydropower Association (ESHA)
Belgium

ESHA, European Small Hydropower Association, Belgium

Represents the interests of the small hydropower sector by promoting the benefits and opportunities of hydropower on EU level. ESHA campaigns for improved market conditions for the hydropower sector, removal of barriers to hydropower development and an increase in hydro electricity production in the EU and wider Europe. The association serves as a platform for actors in the hydropower field.
www.esha.be

National Technical University of Athens, Mechanical Engineering (NTUA)
Greece

NTUA, National Technical University of Athens, Mechanical Engineering , Greece

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is the oldest and most prestigious educational institution in Greece, in the field of technology and has contributeThe LEADER Approachd unceasingly to the country's scientific, technical and economic development since its foundation in 1836.
The Laboratory of Hydraulic Turbomachines (LHT) belongs to the School of Mechanical Engineering, NTUA, and its discipline activities are mainly focused on the design, simulation and testing of hydraulic machinery and installations, size optimisation and operation of hydroelectric plants, pumped energy storage (PES) units and hybrid RES-hydro systems.
www.ntua.gr

University College Cork, Sustainable Energy Research Group (UCC)
Ireland

UCC, University College Cork, Sustainable Energy Research Group, Ireland

UCC is one of Ireland's leading research universities, with an international student population drawn from 98 different countries, and over 1,000 Ph.D. research students. Here will be uploaded information about the project progress and achievements. Please come back for updates.
UCC's Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG) includes a team of eight lecturers, four postdoctoral fellows, twelve Ph.D. students and 30 M.Eng.Sc. students with backgrounds in civil, environmental, electrical, electronic, mechanical engineering, mathematical physics and numerical modelling. UCC has a long history in the field of wind energy research and has significant experience in wind forecasting for wind power systems, wind energy integration via energy storage, and renewable energy systems modelling. A sister research group, the Hydraulic and Maritime Research Centre (HMRC), concentrates on marine renewables, including wave, tidal and offshore wind energy.
www.ucc.ie/en/serg/

Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, electrical Engineering Department (HSU)
Germany

HSU, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, electrical Engineering Department, Germany

HSU was founded in 1973 and consists of 4 faculties that cover technical, economic and social sciences and humanities. Over 3000 students are served by overall 830 educational and administrative staff members and technical personnel. The main research objectives of the chair electrical power systems are the dimensioning and operation of smart grids, distributed power systems, renewable energies in power systems and the application of energy storage in power grids and on-board electrical systems.
www.hsu-hh.de/evhs/

National Renewable Energy Centre - RE Grid Integration Department (CENER)
Spain

CENER, National Renewable Energy Centre - RE Grid Integration Department, Spain

The National Renewable Energy Centre (CENER) of Spain is an applied research centre of international reputation. With a staff of more than 200 highly qualified professionals, it provides R&D services worldwide in wind, thermal and photovoltaic solar energy, biomass, bioclimatic architecture and renewable energy grid integration.
www.cener.com

Energy System Department (EMD)

Denmark

EMD, Energy System Department , Denmark

EMD has over 20 years of experience supplying countries worldwide with software, preparation of detailed feasibility analyses, study appraisals and second opinion analyses for many different types of distributed energy projects. It is in a position to give an unbiased appraisal of the viability of wind energy, cogeneration, RES and other energy projects at a particular site.
www.emd.dk

Energy Economics Group - TU Wien (EEG)
Austria

EEG, Energy Economics Group - TU Wien, Austria

The Energy Economics Group (EEG) is a department of the Institute of Energy Systems and Electric Drives at Vienna University of Technology, Austria. The core fields of research of EEG are: (i) system integration strategies of renewable and new energy technologies, (ii) energy modelling, scenario analyses and energy policy strategies, (iii) energy market analysis, (iv) sustainable energy systems and technologies and (v) environmental economics and climate change policies. In the last 15 years, EEG has coordinated and carried out many international and national research projects. At present, EEG employs a permanent scientific staff of 35 people.
www.eeg.tuwien.ac.at

Malachy Walsh & Partners (MWP)
Ireland

MWP, Malachy Walsh & Partners, Ireland

Malachy Walsh and Partners is an Engineering and Environmental consultancy that provides services to private, industrial and public sectors in all areas of engineering and environment in Ireland and the UK. MWP is one of the leading companies in Ireland in the development of wind farms, working in all stages of development including initial feasibility studies, design, EIA, planning, construction management and environmental monitoring. The company is currently involved in a number of pumped storage proposals in Ireland at feasibility and planning stage.
www.mwp.ie

Advisory Board

Joachim Balke - Project Officer for Storage Issues at the European Commission (DG ENER)

Joachim Balke

Joachim Balke is working in the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy focusing on the integration of renewable energies in the electricity grid system and wind technology in particular. He has previously worked in the energy sector where he has advised on regulatory issues, as well as in the European Parliament.

Antonella Battaglini - Executive Director of Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI)

Antonella Battaglini

Antonella Battaglini is the Executive Director of the Renewables-Grid-Initiative (RGI), which brings together transmission system operators (TSOs) and environmental NGOs in support of grid expansion and 100% integration of renewable energy sources in the European grid. Antonella is also Programme Director at SEFEP (Smart Energy for Europe Plattform), mainly dealing with the power sector and in particular with grid expansion and renewable energies integration. Antonella is a senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) where she leads the SuperSmart Grid (SSG) process, a concept she developed to reconcile different approaches to renewables.

Wolfgang Bogenrieder - Managing Director at 50Hertz Transmission

Wolfgang Bogenrieder

Managing Director at 50Hertz Transmission

Hugo Chandler - New resource Partners

Hugo Chandler

Until the end of 2011, Hugo worked at the International Energy Agency where he led analysis of system integration issues relating to variable renewables, and was the agency’s expert on wind energy. In May 2011, he completed Harnessing Variable Renewables: a Guide to the Balancing Challenge. Prior to that, Hugo set up the European Technology Platform for Wind Energy at the European Wind Energy Association. Earlier positions included the House of Commons in London, and the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. Mr Chandler holds an MSc in Environmental Technology and Energy Policy from Imperial College, London.

Patrick Clerens - Secretary General of the European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE)

Patrick Clerens

Mr. Patrick Clerens studied law at the University of Saarbrücken and the University of Mainz. Since 1996, he has worked as a consultant for a private company specialising in European Affairs in Brussels. In his capacity as Brussels Representative of different European associations, he has been in involved in the climate and energy field since 2003. He manages the EASE office in Brussels as the Secretary General since September 2011, when the association was created.

James Corre - Policy Communications Coordinator at Climate Parliament

James Corre

James Corre is Policy Communications Coordinator at the Climate Parliament, an organisation that maintains international parliamentary networks focussed on building international momentum for climate change mitigation measures. He also currently sits on advisory panels to the UNDP, and has worked in research, editorial and lobbying roles at a range of organisations including International Crisis Group, Oxfam, Sarvodaya and UNDP. He holds an M.Phil in Development Studies from the University of Oxford and speaks French, in addition to his native English.

Nicolas Crettenand - Scientist at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Nicolas Crettenand

Nicolas Crettenand obtained his Masters in Civil Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 2006. He then worked as a Water and Sanitation Manager for a year in Madagascar, focusing on water supplies. On his return to Switzerland, he worked on hydropower projects, including large storage and pumped-storage schemes. From 2009 to 2012 he completed a PhD at EPFL on the facilitation of small hydropower in Switzerland using institutional instruments. The research was conducted with a particular focus on small scale storage and pumped-storage schemes. Today, Nicolas works in Cameroon contributing to the set up of an energy research lab as well as developing projects for distributed electricity supply on the African continent.

Dr. Doerte Fouquet - Director of the European Renewable Energy Federation (EREF)

Dr. Doerte Fouquet

Dr. Dörte Fouquet is partner in the German law firm Becker Büttner Held (BBH) which is a partnership of lawyers, tax consultants and auditors providing comprehensive advice to the energy and infrastructure industry, governments, public service, national parliaments and associations. Dr. Fouquet is specialised in European and International Energy, Environment and Competition Law with strong focus on independent power producers and the support mechanisms affecting their access to the market. Since 1999 she represents the interests of independent RES power producers and their European organisation EREF in Brussels. Within her work as independent lawyer she regularly advises renewable energy companies, finance institutions and governments in their various questions on European energy, environmental, competition and related policies. She studied law in Marburg an der Lahn and Hamburg in Germany and received Dr. jur. of the University of Hamburg. After working as administrative lawyer in key positions in the Ministry for energy and environment of Hamburg in 1993 she became senior partner of the Kuhbier law firm and a German lawyer in Brussels, admitted as attorney at the Hanseatische Oberlandesgericht in Hamburg and member of the Bar Association in Brussels and joined BBH in 2011.

Cristina Gómez - R&D and European Projects, Red Electrica de España

Cristina Gómez

Cristina Gómez graduated in Industrial Engineering from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales de San Sebastián (ETSII) University, with background in electronics. Her professional experience started in Germany, developing SW tools for the military aircraft division at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (today EADS group). She has subsequently worked at Mercedes Benz headquarters in the transporter battery testing department. For eleven years now, she joined Red Eléctrica de España's R&D department, becoming now a Senior R&D Advisor and coordinator, drafting R&D strategic plans, long term technology scenarios and coordinating R&D national and EU projects. In 2007 she has complemented her background with and International MBA at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Jan Ove Gjerde - European Network of Transmission System Operators

Jan Ove Gjerde

European Network of Transmission System Operators

Roberto Lacal Arántegui - European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC)

Roberto Lacal Arántegui

Roberto Lacal Arántegui, BSc (H), MSc in Renewable Energy, works as scientific officer at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre – Institute for Energy and Transport in Petten, the Netherlands. His work is mainly in support of the European energy policy and in particular the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) in the areas of wind energy and materials for wind energy, and in geothermal energy, hydropower and pumped hydropower storage.

Pierre Schlosser - Advisor for Energy Policy and Generation at EURELECTRIC

Pierre Schlosser

Pierre Schlosser is advisor in the Energy Policy and Generation Unit of EURELECTRIC, the European electricity industry association, where he is in charge of renewable energies and policy. In the past, Pierre has been responsible for several working groups within EURELECTRIC’s Network Unit, including the WG Smart Grids/Network of the Future, WG Distribution Regulation and Policy and the, WG Distribution Customers & Operation. Besides this, he has also been coordinating the work stream Networks and Demand Side Management within the EURELECTRIC RES Action Plan and has followed the activities of Focus Groups Finance & Economics and Enterprise Risk Management. Prior to joining EURELECTRIC in 2008, Pierre worked as a stagiaire in the European Commission’s DG ECFIN. He holds a master’s degree in economics (Sciences Po Paris) and a postgraduate master degree in EU economic studies (College of Europe, Bruges).

Eleanor Smith - Communication & Policy Officer at EREC

Eleanor Smith

Eleanor joined EREC in May 2009 and holds the position of Communication & Policy Officer. She conducts EREC’s communication activities and supports EREC’s policy work, representing EREC on specific dossiers and ensuring a smooth political communication. Eleanor is therefore responsible for EREC’s press releases and press activities and in charge of EREC’s website, publications, newsletter and collaboration with New Energy magazine and the UNFCCC. Prior to her work at EREC, Eleanor previously gained work experience in the oil & automotive sectors within the Hart Energy Consulting and in the agricultural sector, as trainee with the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Parliament. She holds a BSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia (UEA), in Norwich (UK).

Dirk van Hertem - Researcher at the University of Leuven

Dirk van Hertem

Dirk Van Hertem was born in Neerpelt, Belgium. He graduated as a M.Eng. in 2001 from the KHK, Geel, Belgium and as a M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the KU Leuven, Belgium in 2003. In 2009, he has obtained his PhD, also from the KU Leuven. In 2010, Dirk Van Hertem was a member of EPS group at the Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, Sweden where he was the program manager for controllable power systems for the EKC2 competence at KTH. Since spring 2011 he is back at the University of Leuven where he is an assistant professor in the ELECTA group. His special ﬁelds of interest are power system operation and control in systems with FACTS and HVDC and building a sustainable transmission system for the future, including offshore grids and the supergrid concept. He is an active member of both IEEE (PES and IAS) and Cigré.

Frans van Hulle - Technical Expert at European Wind Energy Association

Frans van Hulle

Frans Van Hulle (M.Sc Metallurgical Engineering), University of Leuven (KUL, Belgium) in 1974. Technical Advisor since 2005 for EWEA on grid integration, and convenor of EWEA WG on Grid Connection Requirements. Researcher in wind turbine design, testing and certification at Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) (1981-2002). Wind farm engineering and due diligence with 3E NV (Brussels) (2002-2005). Technical assessor for accreditation of wind turbine testing and certification institutes. Technical coordinator of the European TradeWind study (2006-2009).

Christine Van Oldeneel - Managing Director at Hydro Equipment Association Europe

Christine Van Oldeneel

Managing Director at Hydro Equipment Association Europe

Loukianos Zavolas - Project Officer at Smart Energy For Europe Platform (SEFEP)

Loukianos Zavolas

Loukianos Zavolas has been working at the Smart Energy For Europe Platform (SEFEP) since January 2011. SEFEP is a non-profit organization committed to the goal of a fully decarbonised, reliable and predominantly renewable power supply in Europe before 2050. Loukianos has professional experience in energy policy through junior positions held at the Power Programme of the European Climate Foundation and the European Commission's DG Energy. He started his career in Greece in the photovoltaics sector for a consulting company and an EPC contractor. His undergraduate and postgraduate studies were in the UK where he completed a MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems.