Citizens’ empowerment and participation are seen as strategic to meeting the EU’s energy targets [1]. In line with this, the new EU Renewable Energy Directive and Electricity Market Directive include definitions for “renewable energy communities” and “citizen energy communities” respectively and are expected to promote the implementation of renewable energy projects with open and participatory forms of citizen ownership in the EU Member States. Citizen ownership is already common in some EU countries, but quite uncommon in some others [2]. Furthermore, citizen ownership is very diverse. Therefore, lack of awareness about the multiple citizen ownership models that already […]

The role of science, models and communication in energy transitions

In the autumn of 2019, the ENSYSTRA project joined up for a workshop hosted by Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. The main theme of this workshop was Modelling Energy Systems, focussing specifically on the application of models in science and the use of model results for policy and industrial decision making. Key questions: What can we actually learn from different types of models and what are potential strengths and weaknesses of different approaches? And what is a researcher’s role in the interaction with society and stakeholders?

The hosts from Chalmers University developed an interesting and intense […]

Energy systems in transition: A welcome to the ENSYSTRA project and a brief explanation of our research goals

By Benjamin R. Silvester, Former Lead Representative on the ENSYSTRA Early Stage Researcher (ESR) Committee – email: benjamin.r.silvester@uis.no

Hello, and welcome to the ENSYSTRA blog!

In our first instalment of our blog, I want to provide a brief overview of our project and outline some of our research goals.

The aim of this blog is to communicate the research, ideas, and experiences of the 15 early stage researchers (ESRs) currently enrolled on PhD programmes working on the ENSYSTRA project, and to update you, the reader, on the progress of our individual […]

The ENSYSTRA project members and partners are looking back on a second successful ENSYSTRA Summer School, this year taking place in the first week of July in Groningen, The Netherlands. The aim of the Summer School was to engage with the societal and policy challenges of pursuing offshore energy generation and transportation on the North Sea. The summer school featured lectures, workshops, poster presentations during a mini-symposium as well as debates and discussions.

ENSYSTRA Mini-Symposium
During the Summer School the Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) played an active role during the mini symposium ‘Energy in the North Sea’ which took place on July 2. During the walking dinner, participants could walk by […]

New Energy Coalition and Rijksuniversiteit Groningen are organising a Mini-Symposium in the context of the ENSYSTRA Summer School in Groningen this July. The ENSYSTRA Mini-Symposium – Energy at the North Sea will be held on Tuesday July 2 at the Energy Academy Building in Groningen. Leading academic and industry experts shed their light on the latest developments on and around the North Sea in several presentations and a panel discussion. 

Programme
The Mini-Symposium will provide a quick in-depth view on the North Sea energy evolutions. We have invited Prof. Jacques Wallage to give a presentation about the latest energy developments on the North Sea, taking into account […]

The project members of ENSYSTRA have experienced a successful Summer School in Flensburg, Germany, that took place from 3 to 7 September. The Summer School on System Modelling was designed for the ENSYSTRA early stage researchers (ESRs) at the start of their research projects and brought together researchers in the field of energy system modelling and analysis.

Due to the different backgrounds of the ENSYSTRA PhDs, the aim of the summer

school was to create interdisciplinary understanding and collaboration. Besides different lectures ranging from “Fundamentals of Energy System Modelling” to advanced modelling techniques, the programme focused on the practical work of the PhD’s and exchange with different experts.

During the Summer School the […]

During the first week of September (3-7 September) the first ENSYSTRA Summer School will take place in Flensburg, Germany. The Summer School is organised around Modelling Energy Systems and is hosted by the Europa-Universität Flensburg.

The ESRs will receive an introduction to the Fundamentals of Energy System Modelling and Optimization, the programme offers an interesting mixture between in-depth lectures and applied sessions like ”do-a-thons” and ”break-out-groups” to dive further into the matter.

From 16 to 20 April 2018, ENSYSTRA had its official project kick-off and first workshop. ENSYSTRA will train 15 PhD researchers in all aspects of energy systems transition. The process of moving from an energy system based on fossil fuels towards an energy system with limited CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, and energy security has far-reaching implications for technologies, infrastructure, market organisation, consumer behaviour and governance.

The event took place at the Energy Academy Building in Groningen where researchers gathered from the University of Edinburgh, Chalmers University of Technology, University of Stavanger, Aalborg University Denmark, Europa-Universität Flensburg, and the University of Groningen.

Solid fundament for the research projects
The 15 early stage (PhD) researchers […]

The ENSYSTRA partners recieved promising applications for all 15 ESR positions in the last two months. Currently, the Advisory Committees are considering eligible candidates in order to recruit excellent candidates for the ENSYTRA training network who will be the pioneers of interdisciplinary and integrated eneryg systems transition research.

The official project launch will take place at Zernike Campus Groningen, 16 – 20 April, 2018, assembling the 15 PhD researchers, senior researchers and project partners.