Dr. S.J. (Stefan) Pfenninger
Dr. S.J. (Stefan) Pfenninger
Profile
Biography
Stefan Pfenninger is associate professor of energy systems modelling. His research is on the global transition to a 100% clean and renewable energy system, and on identifying and resolving the technical, economic and policy barriers on the way to that goal. He holds a BSc in environmental science from ETH Zürich and an MSc in environmental technology and PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Imperial College London. More information including publications are on his
personal website.
Expertise
Together with my team I investigate three broad areas. First, understanding the variability of renewable energy at spatial scales ranging from individual buildings to entire continents, and at time scales ranging from minutes to decades. Second, designing the energy systems that can deal with and even thrive on this variability, with strategies from continent-spanning electricity grids to district heat networks. Third, trade-offs between sustainable energy and other issues, such as land use, material requirements, and ecosystem impacts.
Our key methods are computationally and data intensive approaches and mathematical optimisation. In the course of my work I created and lead development of the open-source energy system modelling tool Calliope. I am also the creator and lead developer of the Renewables.ninja platform to simulate wind and solar power plants worldwide. I am a member of the Open Energy Modelling Initiative which promotes openness and transparency in energy system modelling.
Expertise
Publications
-
2023
Challenges and opportunities for bioenergy in Europe
National deployment, policy support, and possible future roles
Fei Wu / Stefan Pfenninger -
2023
Enhancing drought resilience and energy security through complementing hydro by offshore wind power—The case of Brazil
Paula Conde Santos Borba / Wilson C. Sousa / Milad Shadman / Stefan Pfenninger
-
2023
Strategic uses for ancillary bioenergy in a carbon-neutral and fossil-free 2050 European energy system
Fei Wu / Adrian Muller / Stefan Pfenninger
-
2023
What is redundant and what is not? Computational trade-offs in modelling to generate alternatives for energy infrastructure deployment
Francesco Lombardi / Bryn Pickering / Stefan Pfenninger
-
2022
Corrigendum to High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments
A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs (Renewable Energy (2022) 182 (659–684), (S0960148121014841), (10.1016/j.renene.2021.10.027))
Russell McKenna / Stefan Pfenninger / Heidi Heinrichs / Johannes Schmidt / Iain Staffell / Christian Bauer / Katharina Gruber / Andrea N. Hahmann / Malte Jansen / Michael Klingler / Natascha Landwehr / Xiaoli Guo Larsén / Johan Lilliestam / Bryn Pickering / Martin Robinius / Tim Tröndle / Olga Turkovska / Sebastian Wehrle / Jann Michael Weinand / Jan Wohland -
Ancillary activities
-
2021-03-01 - 2024-03-01
Consultancy / research and other