Konferenzen

Young
Energy
Researchers 2026

24. Februar 2026
in Wels

Programm

Young Energy Researchers Conference

DATE

Tuesday, 24 February 2026

VENUE

Stadthalle, Pollheimerstraße 1,
4600 Wels/Österreich

LANGUAGE

English

What is it all about?

A conference that presents the work and achievements of young researchers in the fields of energy efficiency and biomass. It offers participants the opportunity to interact with researchers and industry experts from all over the world and build-up a peer network!

Find out more!

Conference Fees

  • 65 Euro for the Young Energy Resarchers Conference (24 February)
  • further details on conference fees

All fees include an entrance ticket to the tradeshow and conference documentation. All fees plus 10 % VAT.

PROGRAMME

Tuesday
24 February

Morning
session

09.00 Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

This conference presents the work and achievements of young energy efficiency researchers from all over the world.

  • Opening and welcome
    • Magdalena Ertl, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, Austria
    • Christiane Egger, OÖ Energiesparverband, Austria
       
  • Using real-world data to improve predictions of building energy modelling
    Mojtaba Khastar, University of Ottawa, Canada
     
  • Neighbourhood-scale decarbonisation in the United States
    Zoë Cina-Sklar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
     
  • Embodied carbon versus operational carbon: Have we gone too far insulating buildings?
    Ben Taylor, AECOM / University of Sheffield, UK
     
  • Robust buildings: optimising energy efficiency, reducing performance gaps
    Lukas Lauss, TU Munich, Germany
     
  • Machine Learning with knowledge discovery in databases for retrofit decisions
    Rafael Oliveira Rodrigues, D4P, Portugal
     
  • Energy efficient construction with green PCMenhanced mortars
    Fatemeh Rabiei, University of Genova, Italy
     
  • Carbon fibers for enhancing shape stability and efficiency of PEG PCMs  
    Golnoosh Abdeali / Sahel Saberi, Technological University of the Shannon, Ireland
     
  • Corncob ash for sustainable cementitious applications
    Francis Okeke, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
     
  • Optimising of amorphous carbon films for renewable energy technologies
    Manuel Schachinger, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
     
  • Western Balkan: automated approach to cost-optimality and the definition of notional buildings
    Arvjola Myrtaj, Fraunhofer IBP, Germany
     
  • Assessing 5th generation district heating and cooling with CATHeaPS
    Orestis Angelidis, Buro Happold, UK
     
  • Feedstock in energy system model: defossilisation of the chemical industry
    Md Anik Islam, University of Stuttgart, Germany
     
  • Digital twin for efficient waste handling in waste-to chemical facilities
    Camilla Cordero di Montezemolo / Gianluca Espositom, MyRechemical, Italy
     
  • Weather Routing Based Multi-Energy Ship Microgrid Operation Under Uncertainties
    Zhineng Fei / Zhengmao Li, Aalto University, Finland
     
  • Cost allocation systems in energy efficiency: tenant preferences in Germany
    Linus Hübner, University of Kassel, Germany
     
  • Inequalities in housing energy efficiency in Estonian cities 
    Kirils Gončarovs, University of Tartu, Estonia
     
  • A decision-support dashboard for energy community optimisation
    Diogo Couceiro / João Victor Costa, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
     
  • Bivalent heating with a hybrid heat pump supported by a biomass boiler
    Jaka Bizjak, Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia


Chairperson:
Gerald Steinmaurer, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria

Conference lunch and networking

Poster Presentations Energy Efficiency

  • Quantum computing in weather influenced energy systems
    Hao Chen / Yucheng Lyu, University of Twente, The Netherlands
     
  • Inside one-stop shop (OSS) models: insights from 57 EU OSS
    Ifrah Shaukat, Energy Cities, France
     
  • Carnot's efficiency epoch ends: inspecting the physics of energy transitions 
    Ella Jennings, University of Cambridge, UK
     
  • German residential energy consumption: a classification of building profiles
    Francisco Carracso, TH Köln, Germany
     
  • Discussing Antwerp's district heating future: a workshop for efficient solutions
    Isaura Bonneux / Houssam Matbouli, University of Antwerp, Belgium
     
  • Climate change impacts on operational energy emissions from housing in Mexico
    Luis Roberto Hernández Nájera, CIMAV, Mexico
     
  • How well can the UCB model evaluate scenarios with asymmetric thermal radiation? 
    Birke Schröter, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany
     
  • Demand response in a new Nordic apartment building with a hybrid system
    Jiayi Liu, Aalto University, Finland
     
  • Evaluation methodology and tool for climate-neutral building renovations
    Mirna Kirigin / Vedrana Vidiček, REGEA, Croatia
     
  • Bridging the energy performance gap in educational buildings
    Sarah Khraimech, University of Luxembourg
     
  • Replacing heating systems: factors influencing German homeowners
    Johanna Holzberg, University of Kassel, Germany
     
  • Energy solutions in buildings and transports: a case study of Guimarães
    Ricardo Oliveira, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
     
  • EV charging patterns at the Newcastle Helix Charging Hub
    Shouai Wang, Newcastle University, UK
     
  • Interactive AI dashboard for urban EV charging planning
    Marek Miltner / Jakub Zika, Stanford University / CTU Prague, USA / Czech Republic
     
  • System analysis of the energy transition in a region of North Rhine-Westphalia
    Ievgeniia Morozova, Hamm-Lippstadt University, Germany
     
  • Positive energy districts
    Carla Scordamaglia, RSE, Italy
     
  • Energy-efficient retrofit strategies for heritage sites
    Eseroghene Urhiafe, Ulster University, UK
     
  • Energy efficient management tool for public and private sector buildings
    Ella Jollands / Ana Marija Spindler, e7 / Jožef Stefan Institute, Austria / Slovenia
     
  • Deep reinforcement learning for cost-efficient energy management
    Mohamed Yassine Ben Zekri / Dimeth Nouicer, University of Carthage, Tunisia
     
  • Scaling up CO2 electroreduction for industrial energy storage
    Jose Antonio Abarca, University of Cantabria, Spain
     
  • H2 microgrid design and assessment platform
    Mary Esther Ascheri, Fraunhofer IWU, Germany
     
  • Assessing energy use drivers in Indian manufacturing
    Chalantika Chakraborty, IIT Mandi, India
     
  • Solar power forecasting in Austria using a API-based real-time cloud index from EUMETSAT
    Mufaddal Kapasi, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
     
  • Optimising solar panel cleaning schedules via simulation
    Bilge Sıla Çevik / Can Burak Turcan, Sakarya University, Türkiye
     
  • Schemes to ease congestion and extend network lifespan
    Hugo Andreu Oliver, IREC, Spain
     
  • Experimental analysis of a dew point cooler with TPMS geometry
    Salvatore Cristiano, UNIMORE, Italy
     
  • Valorising industrial residues: green extraction of bioactives for eco-innovation
    Ioanna Kosma, CERTH, Greece
     
  • Efficient lithium recovery from black mass in end-of-life lithium-ion batteries
    Zeki Tarık Ünlü / Talha Kuru, Selçuk University, Türkiye
     
  • Effluent polishing with algaepearls: from polluted water to circular resources
    Bas Emaus / Ricardo Guanella, JiTiBa / HAN University, The Netherlands
     
  • Green hydrogen planning under water constraints: A Brandenburg case study
    Sadi Faiz / Tripti Pandey, BTU, Germany
     
  • Eco-friendly extraction of polyphenols from barley waste
    Bojana Bradić, CZU, Czech Republic

14.00 Young Biomass Researchers Conference

This conference presents the work and achievements of young biomass researchers from all over the world.

  • Opening and welcome
    Gerhard Dell / Christiane Egger, OÖ Energiesparverband
     
  • Optimising a pellet-based cookstove 
    Akshansh Kataria, EcoSense Appliances, India
     
  • The contribution of bioenergy to defossilising the Austrian energy system
    Doris Matschegg, BEST, Austria
     
  • Environmental preferences for HVO: a discrete choice experiment in Italy
    Davide Ricci Focaia, IUSS Pavia, Italy
     
  • Climate impact of bioenergy and wood: new emission factors  
    Stefan Füchsl, TU Munich, Germany
     
  • Biomass characterisation using physics-informed neural networks
    Aleix Fornieles, Eurecat, Spain
     
  • Investigation of process routes for biomass utilisation as biofuel platform
    Stefanie Mörth / Christoph Markowitsch, Technical University of Leoben, Austria
     
  • Trade-offs between hydrogen demand, carbon and energy efficiency in biofuels
    Ebru Işık, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
     
  • Exploring a potential power to methane plant in the northeast of Austria
    Helena Katzenberger, BOKU University, Austria
     
  • Activated carbon and improved energy efficiency in biomass gasification
    David Gurtner, MCI Innsbruck, Austria
     
  • Biogas upgrading experiment from a CH4 + CO2 gas mixture via clathrate hydrate 
    Meku Maruyama, Keio University, Japan
     
  • AAIL as catalyst for direct transesterification: RSM, kinetics and thermodynamics
    Jivana Parameswaran, University of Petronas, Malaysia
     
  • Boosting biohydrogen production via coupled dark fermentation and MEC
    Soumyajit Chandra, Sharda University, India
     
  • H2 production via biological CO shift reaction in a reactor and H2 separation
    Muhammad Maaz / Jonas Vogl / Maximilian Hettler, Hochschule Landshut, Germany
     
  • Hydrogen production from biomass/MSW via BECCS
    Akshay Bagde, University of Glasgow, UK
     
  • Enhancing biohydrogen production from agricultural waste in dark fermentation
    Jayen Aris Kriswantoro, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
     
  • Co-digestion of brewer's spent grain pulp and duckweed
    Jessica Di Mario / Alberto Maria Gambelli, University of Perugia, Italy
     
  • Tapping into rice straw's biomethane potential with hydrothermal pretreatment
    Pankaj Garkoti, IIT Bombay, India
     
  • Softwood lignin via GVL: high-purity recovery, ß-O-4 retention & trade-offs
    Medya Hatun Tanis, Lund University, Sweden
     
  • Hydroponics effluent to biochemical-rich biomass via microalgal photogranules
    Harshit Tiwari, Indian Institute of Technology, India
     
  • Biomass influence on fast pyrolysis products at 900° C for bio-based chemical looping
    Alice Wittmann, Université de Haute-Alsace, France
     

Chairperson:
Elisabeth Wopienka, BEST, Austria

Conference dinner

Poster Presentations Biomass

  • Pellet combustion: strategies for the reduction of pollutant emissions
    Julien Cottineau / Julie Schobing, Université de Haute-Alsace, France
     
  • Ionic liquid-derived lignin pellets for clean combustion
    Marcell Gyurkač, National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia
     
  • Biochar production and characterisation by pyrolysis of oil palm biomass
    Heidi Teran Pradilla / Akshkay Bagde, University of Glasgow, UK
     
  • Urban biomass to biochar: effect of sludge pyrolysis on phosphorus leachability
    Stella Špirochová, UCT Prague, Czech Republic
     
  • Interactions between natural hydrogen and natural gas hydrates
    Meku Maruyama, Keio University, Japan
     
  • Size effects of TMDs in electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3
    Yiğit Osman Akyıldız / Emre Aslan, Selçuk University, Türkiye
     
  • Pollutant and GHG quantification in tractors via thermal imaging processing
    Gabriel Juraski, State University of Campinas, Brazil
     
  • Biomass-based green H₂ via pyrolysis and photocatalysis
    Buket Güntay / Remzi Mısırlılar, Konya Science Center, Türkiye
     
  • Bio-energy management from a micro-algae biocomputational based reactor
    Maryam Roohabadi, University College Dublin, Ireland
     
  • A novel microalgae based pyrolysis route for enhanced methanol production
    Tuğçe Özcan / Oğuzhan Kaya, ERCET, Türkiye
     
  • Biomass interaction with NTP for syngas synthesis
    Wondmagegn Wonago Kululo, Wolkite University, India

FAQs - Frequently asked questions

What are the "WSED"?

The World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED) are an annual conference held at the end of February in Wels/Austria. With more than 650 participants from over 60 countries each year, it is a leading conference on the energy transition and climate neutrality.

Who is the target group of Young Energy Researchers Conference? Who is considered as "young" for this conference?

The target groups for presenters at this conference are:

  • young researchers
  • students working on advanced degrees (e.g. master's degrees, PhDs, etc.)
  • young professionals

Papers could be submitted by persons born after 1991.

In addition to individuals, groups from the same or different universities or research organisations are invited to submit joint papers. The organiser will support the participation of max. 3 young researchers per selected paper. Papers submitted by groups should mainly be based on work carried out by young researchers.

Which kind of papers can be submitted? What format should the papers have? How is the submission process organised?

Papers should focus on the subjects of:

  • biomass or
  • energy efficiency

Submissions are welcome from all scientific fields (e.g. technology, engineering, economics, social sciences, architecture, law, arts) and must be in English only.

Contributions must be submitted using the online submission form. It is a "one stage" submission process. The evaluation of the papers is based on the information received by the deadline of the Call for Papers. The organiser recommends that the submission includes a paper of at least a few pages or a ppt (not only a short abstract in the submission form).

Deadline for submissions is 9 October 2026.

The submitted papers will be selected by a scientific committee. Selected participants will be notified by the conference organisers (in November/December 2026) and more information on practical details will be provided then.

For those not selected, student fees for participation are available.

How much will it cost? How many papers will be selected?

The organiser of the WSED, the OÖ Energiesparverband, covers the costs of accommodation, meals, participation and local transport (4 conference days) for up to 60 selected participants. The participants must cover their travel costs.

What is included for the participants of selected papers?

  • oral or poster presentation of the paper
  • participation in all events of the World Sustainable Energy Days, including the evening events (with dinners) and conference lunches
  • free entry to the "Energiesparmesse" tradeshow, one of the largest tradeshows on energy efficiency and renewable energy in Europe (2025: 72,000 visitors)
  • interaction with researchers and industry experts from all over the world

What is the "Best Young Energy Researcher Award" and how does it work?

The 2 best contributions are honoured with the awards "Best Young Energy Efficiency Researcher" and "Best Young Biomass Researcher". The researchers receive 1,000 Euro each as prize money. The award committee chooses the winners among the papers selected for oral presentation (there is no need for a separate submission for the award). The winners will be notified around one month before the conference.

Where and when does the conference take place and how to get there?

The conference is held in Wels/Austria. Hotel accommodation for the selected participants is in the nearby city of Linz (a shuttle service between the hotel and the conference venue will be available).

The conference website provides comprehensive travel information.

In the conference week, participants' arrival is foreseen on Monday or Tuesday and departure on Friday afternoon.

Topics for the Call for Papers

  • energy efficiency
  • biomass
  • submissions are welcome from any field (e.g. technology, engineering, economics, social sciences, architecture, law, arts)

Please use the online submission form.

Further information on the call

Topics for the Call for Papers

  • energy efficiency
  • biomass
  • submissions are welcome from any field (e.g. technology & engineering, economic and social sciences, architecture, law, arts, etc.)

Scientific Committee - Young Energy Researchers Conference

Scientific Committee 2026

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