IEA SHC Solar Academy: Making Low Carbon District Heat a Reality in the UK

Since September 2009 Gernot Wörther works with the Austrian climate and energy fund. Since 2023 he is Deputy Managing Director and Senior Manager for Strategy. In previous positions, he was responsible for management accounting and programme management. Within the field of management accounting, he was responsible for the operative budget of the climate and energy fund as well as the management of a yearly grant volume of approximately 600 million € per year.

Furthermore, Gernot Wörther was the Programme Manager for grant programmes in the areas electromobility, solar thermal energy and climate change research. Previously he worked as Senior Grant Consultant, specialized in grants in CEE-Europe with focus on environmental grants. Additionally, he has experience in project management, business development and business informatics.

Gernot Wörther studied commerce at the Vienna University of Economics and business and the Vrije University of Amsterdam and specialized in business informatics and business psychology.

Presentation: The Austrian funding program "Big Solar Thermal"

Dr. Andrej Jentsch completed his studies in energy and process engineering at the TU Berlin in 2006 with a diploma thesis at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. 

He completed his doctorate in 2010 with the dissertation paper "A novel exergy-based concept of thermodynamic quality and is application to energy system evaluation and process analysis".

Since 2010 he is Managing Director of Richtvert, a company that specialises in applied science for an effective energy transition. Since 2012, he manages IEA DHC - the hub for international research on district heating and cooling for AGFW. Since 2017, he has increased his work for AGFW as a Project Manager. Ever since 2021 he coordinates the German Real laboratory of Large-Scale Heat Pumps in District Heating.
In 2022 together with Euroheat and Power he co-intiated the "10-Point Plan to accelerate the EU heat transition".
In spring 2023 he was part of a multi-stakeholder meeting with EU Commissioner on Energy on the issue of promoting an effective heating transition.

In summer 2023, Dr. Jentsch was awarded the "Recognition Award 2023 Market Development - Individual" by Cogen Europe for his outstanding efforts to bring science-based argumentation to the policy debate, and in particular for educating the broader energy community and policymakers about the value of exergy-based systems analysis.
 

Presentation: Resource exergy analysis (REA) - A key to comprehensive technology assessment including solar heat networks

Magdalena Berberich studied energy and environmental technologies in Ansbach, and sustainable energy competence in Stuttgart. Since 2015 she has been working at Solites – Steinbeis Research Institute in Stuttgart, where she has been serving as the Vice Executive Director since 2021. 

Her expertise encompasses various facets, including the design and implementation of large-scale solar thermal systems, specialized knowledge in decarbonizing heat supply for district heating and large consumers, proficiency in sector coupling, and innovative Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems. Furthermore, her skills extend to the development and optimization of seasonal and multifunctional heat storages, the enhancement of energy efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy sources into sustainable heating systems. She brings experience in developing simulation models and calculation tools for energy-related analyses and foster energy-conscious behavior in various capacities.

Magdalena is a Subtask leader in IEA SHC Task 68 (from 2022 to 2025). She is a member of the Horizontal Working Group “100 % renewable Districts” in the European Technology and Innovation Platform and collaborates in the Working Group on Long-Term Heat Storage, Germany. 

Presentation: Current market status of solar district heating systems in Germany and government support measures

Thomas Pauschinger has been working as a scientist and consultant in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency in the heating sector since 1991. Since 2021, he has been responsible for international research cooperation at AGFW as well as the association’s advisor for Baden-Württemberg. Previously, he worked long-term as a manager for the Steinbeis Research Institute Solites and for six years abroad as a consultant for public administrations. Thomas Pauschinger is the initiator and coordinator of numerous national and international market preparation projects for solar and renewable district heating. 

As an independent and neutral sector association, AGFW promotes combined heat and power and district heating and cooling on a national and international level. As responsible organisation for technical regulation and service provider for the industry, AGFW has been representing the interests of about 700 companies and organisations of the sector for more than 50 years with its technical, energy and environmental policy, legal and business management know-how.

Presentation: Challenges and opportunities for solar thermal in a rapidly transforming German district heating and cooling sector

The Webinar will be moderated by George Bennett, Lead Technical Energy Advisor at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (UK). George is UK ExCo member in the Solar Heating and Cooling TCP and a Mechanical Engineer by background with a professional and personal passion for decarbonising heating and cooling.

Presentation: Introduction to IEA SHC Solar Academy and IEA SHC as well as the motivation for this webinar and the context of the UK.

Robin is the UK representative and current Chair of the IEA TCP on District Heating & Cooling. He has worked in the energy field for more than 20 years and strongly believes in the role of heat networks for a sustainable future and to enable greater penetration of renewable energy sources including solar thermal