Speakers 2014

Rudi Anschober

  • Regional Minister for Energy, Austria

Opening Address

Bogdan Atanasiu

  • Senior energy efficiency expert at the Buildings Performance Institute (BPIE)
  • Previously, scientific officer at EC Joint Research Centre
  • PhD in power management and in stand-alone photovoltaic systems

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Martin Bentele

  • Chief Executive Officer of the "Deutscher Energieholz- und Pellet-Verband (DEPV)", Germany
  • Managing Director of the "Deutsches Pelletinstitut (DEPI)"
  • Degree in Forestry (Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany)

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Edward Billington

  • Managing Director of Billington Bioenergy, part of The Billington Group, UK
  • Member of the UK Pellet Council
  • Degree in Economics, University of Bristol

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Bruno Berardelli

  • Managing Director, Highland Wood Energy (HWEnergy), UK
  • MA Hons from University of Glasgow

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Vincent Berrutto

  • Head of the Energy Unit at the European Commission Executive Agency for Small and Medium Size Enterprises (EASME, formerly EACI)
  • Responsible for Intelligent Energy Europe and the Energy Efficiency Focus Area of the EU Horizon 2020 Programme
  • Previously, Programme Officer at DG Energy, European Commission
  • PhD in building sciences, MSc in engineering

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Luc Bourdeau

  • Secretary General, Energy Efficient Buildings Association (E2BA)
  • Secretary General, European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP); President, European Network of Building Research Institutes (ENBRI); Manager of R&D European Affairs, "Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment" (CSTB)
  • Doctorate in thermal engineering

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Jürgen Brandt

  • Head of "Technical Future", Windhager Zentralheizung, Austria
  • Many years experience in the development of innovative boilers, notably biomass boilers
  • Engineering degree in Technical Physics, Graz

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Thomas Brunner

  • Senior Scientist/Researcher, Technical University Graz
  • Previously, Senior Scientist at the "K1-Kompetenzzentrum BIOENERGY2020+" and Project Manager at BIOS BIOENERGIESYSTEME

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Claudia Canevari

  • Deputy Head of the Energy Efficiency Unit of DG Energy, European Commission
  • Previously, policy assistant of the Director-General in DG Communication, Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Dimas and coordinator of the climate change team of DG Environment in international negotiations
  • Lawyer; LLM, London School of Economics

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference<link>
Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"<link>
Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

José Ricardo Castro

  • Sales Manager, PRODESA, Europe
  • Master in Chemistry Science

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Veronika Czakó

  • Scientific Officer at Institute for Energy and Transport, European Commission DG Joint Research Centre
  • Previously, research fellow at Open Society Foundation and researcher at Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy (3CSEP), Central European University
  • PhD in Environmental Sciences and Policy, MA in Economics

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Arnold Dale

  • Vice President Bioenergy, Ekman & Co, Sweden
  • Chairman of the European Industrial Pellet Suppliers Group (EIPS) and board member of the European Pellet Council (EPC)
  • Previously, Sales Director for the Swedish pellet producer Latgran in Latvia

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Michael A. Danzer

  • Deputy head of the division for electrochemical accumulators, Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Germany
  • Research group leader at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) and lecturer at the University of Ulm
  • Previously, researcher at the Institute for Measurement, Control and Micro-technology, University of Ulm

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Gerhard Dell

  • Energy Commissioner to the Upper Austrian Government
  • Director of OÖ Energiesparverband
  • National award for energy research
  • Lecturer at the University of Linz
  • Degree and a post-graduate degree (PhDengineering, Dr.tech.) in Electrical Engineering and Energy Economics. He worked as researcher on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency projects at the Technical University Graz

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"<link>
Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

John Dulac

  • Energy Analyst, Energy Technology Policy Division, International Energy Agency (IEA)
  • Previously, international consultant to IEA and Asian Development Bank
  • MSc Urban Planning, MIA Sustainable Urban Development and Environmental Policy, BSc Environmental Engineering

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Harry "Dutch" Dresser

  • Managing Director, Maine Energy Systems, LLC, USA; Program Chairman, Northeast Biomass Heating Exposition, USA
  • Previous President, Maine Pellet Fuels Association, USA
  • Doctorate degree in Education

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

David Dungate

  • Director, Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) and Chair of the BTEC Technical Advisory Committee, USA
  • President, Bioenergy Project Partners, LLC, USA
  • Master in environmental engineering (M. Eng.)

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Hans-Peter Ebert

  • Head of the division for energy efficiency, "Bayerischen Zentrum für Angewandte Energieforschung" (ZAE Bayern), Germany
  • Chairman of the working group on thermal physics, "Deutschen Gesellschaft für thermische Analyse"
  • Doctorate degree in physics, University of Würzburg

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Christiane Egger

  • Deputy manager of the OÖ Energiesparverband and manager of the Oekoenergie-Cluster
  • Conference director of the World Sustainable Energy Days
  • Lawyer and environmental engineer with long-term experience in developing and implementing sustainable energy projects on international and regional levels

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference
<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Anselm Eisentraut

  • Bioenergy Analyst in the Renewable Energy Division of the International Energy Agency (IEA)
  • Lead author of the recently published technology roadmap "Biofuels for Transport and Bioenergy for Heat and Power"
  • Before, BKN Biostrom AG, Berlin and NLU Projektgesellschaft, Münster
  • Diploma in Landscape Ecology from University Münster

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Hans Erhorn

  • Head of the department of heat technology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, Germany
  • Since 2004 Coreteam Leader at the EU EPBD Concerted Action project
  • Academic degrees in building services engineering (TFH Berlin) and in environmental engineering (TU Berlin)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Kirsten Engelund Thomsen

  • Core Theme Leader – Concerted Action EPBD
  • Senior researcher, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University
  • Master in Building Engineering (Technical University of Denmark)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Jan Geiss

  • Secretary General of EUFORES – The European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources
  • Since 2011, President of the Renewable Energy House, Brussels
  • Dipl.-Kulturwirt, PhD in Political Science and Economics (University of Passau, Germany)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Eunate Goiti

  • Project Manager in the Construction Unit and Manager of the NanoE2BCluster, Tecnalia R&I, Spain,
  • Previously, Researcher at Institute of Polymer Science and Technology, CSIC, Madrid
  • PhD in Chemistry, University of Salford (UK); Master degree in Polymer Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (Spain)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Thomas Götz

  • Research Fellow, Research Group 2: Energy, Transport and Climate Policy of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Germany
  • Formerly, researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Competence Center for Sustainability and Infrastructure Systems
  • Degree in Geoecology from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

MEP Fiona Hall

  • Vice-President of the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES)
  • Member of the European Parliament since 2004 and member of the bureau of the Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary Party since 2009
  • Member of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee, European Parliament

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Hans Hartmann

  • Head of the subject area "biogenic solid fuels" at the "Technologie- und Förderzentrum" (TFZ), Germany
  • Over 20 years experience in applied research on the energetic use of renewable resources
  • PhD in Agricultural Sciences

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Johannes D. Hengstenberg

  • Founder & CEO of co2online and SEnerCon, Germany
  • Previously, Founder & CEO of Arbeitsgruppe Energie; CEO of Global Challenges Network and researcher at Max-Planck-Institute
  • PhD in Economics

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Andreas H. Hermelink

  • Managing Consultant, Deputy Head of "Buildings" (International), Director of Ecofys office in Berlin, Germany
  • 13 years of experience in energy-related user behavior, life cycle assessment, cost-benefit analysis and application of the Passive House philosophy in new construction and renovation
  • Degree in business administration (Dipl.-Kfm.) and Civil Engineering (Dipl.-Ing.), Doctorate in the field of sustainability-oriented assessment of buildings (Dr.-Ing.)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Jaap J.N.M. Hogeling

  • Manager of international affairs of ISSO, the Dutch Building Services Knowledge Centre, The Netherlands, and chairperson of the CEN-TC371 Programme Committee on EPBD (Energy Performance Buildings Directive)
  • Previously, Managing Director of ISSO and director of KBI
  • MSc and ME, Delft Technical University

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Tetiana Ignatenko

  • Secretary General, Ukrainian Pellet Union, Ukraine
  • Previously, Head of the Industry Events Department, Renewable Energy Centre/Innovative Business Centre
  • MA in Ecology and Environment Protection and Practical Psychology, National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Ewan Jones

  • Principal Engineer at AECOM, UK, specialised in energy efficiency, renewable energy and dynamic thermal modelling
  • 7 years experience in thermal modelling of buildings and optimising energy strategies
  • Master of Engineering, specialised in renewable energy, University of Durham

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Paul Kenny

  • CEO, Tipperary Energy Agency, Ireland
  • Expert on community wind energy, biomass heat development, public sector energy management and building energy renovation
  • Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Lukas Kranzl

  • Senior Researcher, Energy Economics Group, Vienna University of Technology, Austria
  • More than 15 years experience in energy system research; coordination of research projects in the field of sustainable energy systems with a focus on building related energy consumption
  • Degree in industrial engineering and PhD in energy economics, Vienna University of Technology

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Clemens Kraus

  • Coordinator, PEFC Austria, Austria
  • Previous work experience in the paper and building material industry and in wood market research
  • Degrees in Forestry and Wood Technology and Global Innovation Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria) and Turku School of Economics (Finland)

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Jarek Kurnitski

  • Professor in Energy Performance of Buildings and Indoor Climate, Tallin University of Technology
  • Leader of the NZEB research group at the Tallin University of Technology
  • 2009 - 2012 senior lead in the energy programme for SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Lucinda Maclagan

  • Coordinator of the Concerted Action Energy Efficiency Directive (CA EED) Energy and Climate Change, NL Agency, The Netherlands
  • Over twenty years experience working in energy policy development and implementation
  • Extensive participation in international energy cooperation and information exchange programmes

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Alexander Makhonko

  • General Manager of JSC "Timber Terminal "Factor", Ust-Luga Port, Russia
  • PhD in Economics

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Silvio Mergner

  • Senior Consultant for Global Biofutures Practice, Pöyry Management Consulting, Germany
  • More than 6 years of experience in forestry and bioenergy markets
  • Engineering degree in Forestry from the University of Freiburg (Germany) and the University of British Columbia (Canada)

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Wolfram Moritz

  • General Manager of the MPW Institute LLC, USA, and partner at MPW Legal & Tax, Germany
  • Previously, consultant for Energy Service Companies regarding strategic, sales, legal and financial issues
  • Degree in economics and business administration (Dipl.-Kfm.)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Ingwald Obernberger

  • Managing Director of Bios Bioenergy Systems, Austria
  • Head of the research group "Energetic Use of Biomass", Institute for Process and Particle Engineering, Technical University Graz
  • Professor at the Technical University Graz

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Herbert Ortner

  • 1989: Foundation of ÖkoFEN Forschungs- und Entwicklungs Ges.m.b.H. and Managing Director of ÖkoFEN Forschungs- und Entwicklungs Ges.m.b.H.
  • 1997: development and market launch of the first pellet-heating in Austria

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Annalisa Rossana Paniz

  • Senior Managing Expert, Italian Agriforestry Energy Association (AIEL), Italy
  • Pellet certification expert and responsible for ENplus in Italy; Member of the executive board, European Pellet Council (EPC)
  • Degree in Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Padua, Italy

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Michael Paula

  • Head of the Department of Energy and Environmental Technologies at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, Austria
  • Initiation of the “Austrian Strategieprozess ENERGIE 2050”
  • R&D strategies in the field of technological sustainability

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Francisco Puente

  • Projects Director, ESCAN Energy Consulting, Spain
  • Lecturer, Rey Juan Carlos University
  • PhD Industrial Engineering and MSc Energy and Fuels Engineer

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Marie-Laure Rabot-Querci

  • R&D Manager at SUPRA SA, France
  • PhD in wood combustion sciences, Degree in wood technologies engineering

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Olga S. Rakitova

  • General director and chief editor of the magazine "The Bioenergy International.Russia"; executive director of the National Bioenergy Union, Russia
  • Previously, bioenergy director in the Wood Industries Confederation of North-West Russia
  • Master in Management, woodworking and forestry specialization (St. Petersburg), MBA-program at the Reutlingen University of Applied Science (Germany)

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Christian Rakos

  • Since 2005, Managing Director of proPellets Austria, President oft he European Pellet Council
  • Previously, responsible for the issue renewable energy sources at the Energieverwertungsagentur
  • Study of Physics, Philosophy and History

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Marc Ringel

  • Professor of Energy Economics, University of Applied Economics and Environmental Sciences Nürtingen-Geislingen, Germany
  • Previously, Deputy Head of Unit at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology; national Expert at the Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
  • Correspondent for the Integrated Energy Roadmap of the EU Research Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Energy Efficiency Policies"

Andreas Roskam

  • Managing director of KCO Cogeneration and Bioenergy and of other subsidiary companies of the Group KOHLBACH, Austria
  • Technical training in mechanical engineering

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Tony Ryan

  • Divisional Building Technology Manager at Kingspan Insulated Panels, UK
  • Accredited Low Carbon Consultant for the design of commercial buildings in the UK
  • BEng (Hons) in Sustainable Energy and BEng in Building Services Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Innovative Building Technologies"

Christoph Schmidl

  • Head of Unit "small-scale combustion systems" at Bioenergy 2020+, Austria
  • Programme Director "Regenerative energy systems and technical energy management", FH Wiener Neustadt, Austria
  • Previously, researcher at Vienna University of Technology, Austria

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Christian Schraube

  • Researcher at EIFER, Germany, responsible for laboratory and field experiments and innovative heating technology
  • 10 years experimental work in the areas of CHP, fuel cells, small-scale biomass boilers and solar thermal
  • Degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University Munich and the University of Karlsruhe

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Markus Schwarz

  • Researcher in the Department of Energy Technologies, Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria
  • Previous work experience at Siemens
  • Currently pursuing a doctorate in social and economic sciences at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz, holds degrees in Urban Technologies (Dipl.Ing.(FH)) and Energy Management (P.MSc)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Adam Sherman

  • Consultant with the Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC), focusing on wood energy program design and the assessment of wood fuel and heating project feasibility
  • Chair of the Northeast Biomass Thermal Working Group (NEBTWG)
  • More than 19 years experience in the biomass energy industry

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Reinhard Six

  • Senior engineer for energy efficiency and renewable energy, European Investment Bank
  • Previously, Project Manager of Rhônalpénergie-Environnement
  • Degree in Thermal Engineering

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Robert Stoffers

  • Managing Director of "juwi Energielösungen", Germany
  • Previously, business opportunity development at Deutsche Bank, primacom and co-founder of AGBC (American-German Business Club)
  • Degree in Economics and Business Administration, University of Michigan and WHU / Kellogg

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Hon Adriana Taylor MLC

  • Member of the Tasmanian (Australia) Legislative Council
  • Previously Mayor (2005-2011) and Alderwoman (1999-2011) of the City of Glenorchy (Tasmania)
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of New England; Diploma in Education, University of Tasmania

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Giulio Volpi

  • European Commission, Directorate General for Energy
  • Previously, Directorate General for Environment
  • Master in Environmental Management, Master in International Environmental Law

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Tobias Wagner

  • Researcher and Deputy Head of Department, Department of Building Climatology and Building Services, Technical University Munich
  • Consulting services in the fields of energy efficiency and energy supply
  • Degree in Environmental Planning and Ecological Engineering, degree in Architecture (Diploma)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"

Johannes Waselmayr

  • Project planning/sales with a focus on wood pellet production and pellet storage technology, Albert Knoblinger GmbH & Co KG, Austria
  • Professional experience in the fields of air and suction technology and of mechanical conveying Technology

<link>Speaker at the European Pellet Conference

Theodor Zillner

  • Deputy head of the division for energy and environmental technologies at the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT)
  • Programme manager of the impulse programme “Haus der Zukunft” (house of the future)
  • Chair of the executive committee of the European network "ERACOBUILD"
  • Degree in mechanical and process engineering (Technical University Vienna)

<link>Speaker at the Conference "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings"