Fabio Armanasco holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree from the Polytechnic of Milan. Fabio started his career as researcher at Centro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale Italiano (CESI) then moving to Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (RSE) following a corporate restructure. Over the years he developed his experience as manager and coordinator of research activities focusing on the study and development of polygenerative systems (heat/electricity/refrigeration) in the field of distributed energy generation and with particular reference to renewable sources and, more in general, to the energy conversion of plants and their components. Fabio is an author and contributor to several national and international articles and papers and is often a speaker at conferences, workshops and seminars.

Dr. Patryk Chaja received his Ph.D. degree in construction and operation of machines from the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdansk (IFFM) in 2012. Dr Chaja has used his experience within IMP-PAN in the field of developing software for ship propeller design to create a new programme for the design and analysis of axial turbines (water and wind). Since 2013 he has been engaged in the development of the Research Centre in Jabłonna in the position Research and Development Coordinator. Currently Dr. Chaja’s research interests are focused on smart energy management systems, renewable energy sources in modern energy systems, energy storage in smart grid systems, and idea IoT in energy systems.

Prof Geraint Ellis is Professor of Environmental Planning at Queens University, Belfast. He is Editor of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning and an independent member of the Irish National Economic and Social Council.

Prof Ellis has research interests in planning and sustainability, with a particular emphasis on energy transition, planning governance and healthy urban planning. He is currently the Lead Coordinator of the EU-funded MISTRAL Innovative Training Network which brings together eight universities and 15 Early Stage Researchers to explore social aspects of energy transition.

Dr. Doerte Ohlhorst is a lecturer at the Bavarian School of Public Policy at the Technical University of Munich, Germany.

She has a background in political science and has long-standing research experience in the fields of energy policy, climate change policy, sustainability policy, as well as environmental policy with a focus on wind energy, acceptance issues, citizen energy, governance in the multi-level system, participatory decision-making processes, and methods of inter- and transdisciplinary research.

Molly Walsh studied Environmental Science at University College Dublin in Ireland. She started her campaigning career working on Irish national climate policy.

Molly currently works at Friends of the Earth Europe in Brussels and campaigns for the energy transition to be community-owned. Her work includes coordinating the Community Power Coalition, advocacy work towards the EU and supporting the movement for energy democracy.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, cycling and taking direct action against dirty energy.

Matteo Zulianello (stand-in for Fabio Armanasco) is researcher at Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (RSE). RSE carries out research into the field of electrical energy with a special focus on national strategic projects funded through the Fund for Research into Electrical Systems.

The focus of Matteo’s work is to provide support to decision-makers in defining legislation and the regulation acts on collective self-consumption schemes and the energy community.