Tom Brown
Professor, Digital Transformation in Energy Systems, Technische Universität Berlin
Tom Brown is professor for "Digital Transformation in Energy Systems" at the Technical University of Berlin. His group researches future pathways for the energy system, with a particular focus on revealing the trade-offs between energy resources, network expansion, flexibility and public acceptance of new infrastructure. His recent research has emphasised the need for an integrated approach to planning for electricity, heat, hydrogen and derived products as we head to a net-zero economy. Tom is a strong supporter of openness and transparency in research data and software, with the goal to enable a vigorous public debate on the trade-offs necessary to reach climate neutrality. He is one of the lead developers of the widely-used open-source toolbox Python for Power System Analysis (PyPSA). Before joining TU Berlin in 2021, he led a Helmholtz Young Investigator Group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He did his BA and MMath at Cambridge University and his PhD at Queen Mary, University of London.
Featured work
Europe’s energy information problem
Choices are needed about responsibilities at European and national levels, expanding existing institutions or creating new independent ones
How data centres can chase renewable energy across Europe
Harnessing the flexibility offered by data centres depending on renewable energy availability could cut costs and emissions