Stefan Pfenninger

Stefan Pfenninger serves as Associate Professor of Energy Systems Modelling at TU Delft's Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, where he leads research on transitioning to 100% clean and renewable energy systems. His academic foundation includes a BSc in Environmental Science from ETH Zürich, followed by an MSc in Environmental Technology and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London. His research spans three key areas: understanding renewable energy variability across spatial and temporal scales, designing resilient energy systems that can leverage this variability, and analyzing trade-offs between sustainable energy and environmental impacts. He has created two influential open-source platforms: Calliope, an energy system modeling framework, and Renewables.ninja, a global wind and solar power simulation tool used worldwide. His work has garnered significant recognition, with his papers on European PV output patterns and wind power simulation receiving over 1,500 citations each. Through his leadership in the Open Energy Modelling Initiative, he advocates for transparency and openness in energy system modeling. His recent research demonstrates the diversity of options available for eliminating fossil fuels across the European energy system, showing how Europe can achieve energy self-sufficiency through renewable sources with minimal cost increases. At TU Delft, he leads projects examining everything from continent-spanning electricity grids to district heat networks, while considering crucial factors like land use, material requirements, and ecosystem impacts.