The School is a five-day residential course, and covers the following topics:
- Energy: a global societal challenge. In a series of lectures by internationally renowned scientists, we present the current state of the energy system, its relationship with other global issues, and the key trends and indicators; we then identify the system’s weak points from the technical, economical, and social perspective, and outline some of the possible solutions and future scenarios – including that of the hydrogen economy.
- Technologies for the energy transition. This series of lectures provides an overview of some of the main renewable energy sources: hydropower, wind power, geothermal, biomasses. A special focus will be dedicated to the technology and economics of solar photovoltaic energy as one of the key renewable energy technologies and a model case study. A critical review of some controversial emerging and re-emerging technologies will also be given, such as biofuels, nuclear power, carbon capture and storage. The role of energy efficiency and energy savings is also presented in a series of practical cases demonstrated at different levels of the energy supply chain.
- The integration of electrical systems, storage, and transport. As the energy balance shifts towards an increase in the use of electricity, the recent and upcoming evolution of the electricity dispatching and distribution systems is described, and the corresponding enabling technologies are presented – including the key role of smart-grids and storage technologies, and their relation to the impending electrification of the transport sector.
- Frontiers in energy research and special topics. Internationally renowned scientists present their frontier research on energy topics and their vision; industry experts present their experience and outlook for the future of energy.
Lectures occupy half a day, while the other half is normally dedicated to networking, discussions, working on assignments, as well as relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
One of the new features of the Summer School 2025 will be the student pitch session, designed to encourage interaction and knowledge exchange among participants. It will be an opportunity for all students to introduce themselves, share their academic background and present their research interests.
The pitch session will be structured as follows:
- Bachelor students will give a short self-presentation (maximum 2 min), explaining their background, their reasons for joining the school, and what they hope to gain from the experience.
- PhD students and Master students who are already working on their thesis, will give a short PowerPoint presentation of their research topics (maximum 2 min). It will be an opportunity to outline the main goals of their work, discuss the main challenges and emphasize the importance of their research.
The session aims to create an engaging environment where participants can exchange ideas, receive feedback and make meaningful connections. We look forward to hearing your presentations and sparking interesting discussions!
The presentations by Master and PhD students must be sent to nicola.blasuttigh@units.it by May 23, 2025!