Research
Systems science, renewable energy, and environmental modeling
As a systems scientist, my research focuses on understanding dynamic systems and their development over time. I apply advanced mathematical modeling to address complex problems in ecology, economy, energy supply, and the relationship between humanity and the biosphere.
Research Areas
Renewable Energy & Smart Grids
Developing new mathematical approaches for optimizing solar electricity generation and storage across large geographic areas.
- Isolines Concept: Novel mathematical method for determining optimal solar generation capacity and storage requirements
- Pan-Pacific Energy Grid: Comprehensive study on potential for PV-based energy systems spanning the Pacific, i.e. connecting all countries or continents surrounding the Hawaiian Islands: Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
- Long-Distance Trade in Electricity: Research on interhemispheric and global electricity trade utilizing complementary seasonal and diurnal cycles. By combining solar PV locations across hemispheres, significant potential gains can be achieved through strategic electricity transmission infrastructure.
- Load Curve Approximation: Optimization techniques for matching energy supply with demand through strategic location selection
Climate Economics & Risk
Analyzing economic risks from global climate change and developing indicators for sustainable development.
- Economic Risk Indicators: Quantifying climate impacts on regional and global economies
- Carbon Leakage: Research on border carbon adjustment and carbon-free production processes
- Regional Climate Targets: Implementation strategies for achieving EU climate objectives at regional levels
Forest Ecology & Environmental Systems
Investigating forest decline, biodiversity loss, and sustainable land use patterns.
- Forest Die-back Research: Identifying photo-oxidants as a major factor in forest decline (Austrian State Award winner)
- VOCs Control: Research on volatile organic compounds that influenced European legislation
- Maps Over Time: Innovative GIS-based methodology combining dynamic models with geographical information systems
Information Society & AI
Exploring how emerging information technologies can reshape humanity's relationship with Earth.
- Complex Land Use: Early research (1986) on AI-powered robots for agriculture and forestry - pioneering work that anticipated modern precision agriculture technologies
- Double G-Link Approach: Holistic framework for realizing sustainable development through information society, integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions
- Dynamic Modeling: Advanced systems models for urban development, regional planning, and rural systems analysis using mathematical optimization techniques
Methodology
Dynamic Systems Modeling
Construction of comprehensive models integrating socio-economic and ecological systems
Geographic Information Systems
Spatial analysis and temporal mapping for environmental and land use planning
Mathematical Optimization
Advanced mathematical techniques including isolines and curve approximation methods
Interdisciplinary Integration
Combining insights from mathematics, ecology, the humanities, economics, and technology
Key Achievements
MASUA Distinguished Foreign Scholar Award
Research on complex land-use agriculture management using AI-driven tiny robots, University of Lincoln/Nebraska
Austrian State Award for Applied Ecosystems Research
For systems ecology research and development of "maps over time" methodology for complex land use integrating humanity and nature
European VOC Legislation Impact
Research results used for implementation of VOCs emission control laws across Europe
PNAS Publication on Solar Isolines
Groundbreaking mathematical framework for solar energy optimization
Pan-American Energy System Research
Comprehensive analysis of distributed solar electricity generation across large geographic areas, published in Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews (Parts I & II)
Photovoltaic Economics Research
Published analysis on investment and employment from large-scale photovoltaics up to 2050 in Empirica
Climate Risk Indicators
Published indicators for economic risk from global climate change in Environmental Science & Technology
Development Strategies in the Information Society
Published seminal book "Entwicklungsstrategien in der Informationsgesellschaft" (Springer Press, 350 pp)
Socio-Economic Ecological Models & EU MOSES
Principal Investigator on EU Project MOSES (Modelling Sustainable Regional Development in the Information Society, €250k+ grant); Published framework for evaluating ecological models in Ecological Modelling
Research Funding
Often served as principal investigator or Co-PI on numerous research grants from Austrian and German Federal Ministries, EU, and other agencies