No free lunch
A key objective for the new section is to make research more useful for both decision-makers and businesses navigating a world characterised by great uncertainty.
“We are working on managing many different scenarios and a high degree of uncertainty surrounding, among other things, our future energy consumption, technological developments and geopolitical conditions. We then present the results in a way that is accessible and can help inform robust decisions on where to invest,” says Marie Münster.
She highlights energy infrastructure as an area where it is crucial to make decisions based on thorough analysis, because it must last for decades after the investment has been decided.
Another is the development and deployment of new energy technologies. Companies need to know under what conditions a given technology can play a role in the energy system of the future. This knowledge informs decisions on the design of new technologies and innovation in existing ones, as well as the decision to bring them to market.
Authorities and politicians need similar knowledge to be able to make sound decisions on procurement, legislation and public investment.
“There are no free lunches when it comes to making these decisions. All technologies have advantages and disadvantages, and it is therefore crucial that we can compare them fairly. At the same time, we must manage the high level of uncertainty and identify robust solutions and investments that make sense across multiple possible futures,” says Marie Münster.
A link between engineering and policy
Lena Kitzing, Head of the Wind Energy Systems Division at DTU Wind, sees Marie Münster’s appointment as a significant strengthening of the institute’s work on long-term energy scenarios:
“The new section will act as a link between technical, technology-specific knowledge and the overarching political-economic analyses in which we are already well positioned. Marie Münster brings with her a body of knowledge and a modelling framework that will make us far better equipped to understand and communicate the consequences of technological innovation over a long time horizon,” she says.
“At the same time, we will be able to create far more dynamic models, which is crucial at a time when economic and political conditions are changing rapidly,” says Lena Kitzing.
