Field of Work
The Institute of Energy Economics and Rational Energy Use wants to help finding solutions for energy and ecology problems at the intersection of energy techniques, economy, environment and society. Our work is mainly focused upon analysing and evaluating energy techniques, energy systems, technology impact assessment and environmental analyses, on developing models and decision-supporting tools for energy economy and -policy, energy-economical systems analyses as well as rational use of energy.
A team of 45 engineers, natural scientists, agricultural scientists, economists, geologists and social scientists work together in the different research areas of energy and ecology. The IER cooperates both with national and international energy and ecology research institutions and is part of the research cooperation “Stuttgart Research Initiative for Systems Analysis on Energy” (STRise).
Personal Information
Prof. Dr. Kai Hufendiek has been leading the Institute of Energy Economics and Rational Energy Use since October 2014. Besides doing research on holistic energy system analysis, he will further extend research and emphasize on intelligent decentralized energy systems. Kai Hufendiek has studied mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart. During a master course at the University of Manchester he has been looking intensely into methods for optimizing cogeneration systems in industrial processes. After doing research on optimization in power supply companies from the business management perspective, he acquired his Ph.D with a dissertation on load forecast methods with neural networks under the supervision of Prof. Alfred Voss. Afterwards he gained experience in different management positions with a German Public utility, where he accounted for the integration of producer and customer-side assets in wholesale trade positions, risk management as well as the development of emissions trading and certificate trading from Kyoto emission reduction projects. Here he developed numerous model-based methods e.g. for analyzing prices and price formation at electricity, combustible and emissions markets. In the business area sales and distribution he designed innovative business models for customers in the field of decentralized energy solutions.