Education & Training
One of the main objectives of StoRIES is to create and empower a new generation of researchers and technologists with holistic competencies encompassing:
​
-
technical,
-
environmental,
-
economic and
-
social aspects
​
of energy storage technologies, systems and hybridisation, and to foster knowledge exchange between academia and industry through courses and training for existing and future workforce.
StoRIES education and training opportunities are open to all those interested in hybrid energy storage.
The following actions will be targeted:
​
Training program for university master’s students
StoRIES early-stage researcher network
Mentoring program for PhD students dealing with energy storage
Summer schools for early-stage researchers
Online courses for workforce from academia and industry
Online platform with existing online open academic courses on energy storage
Training Programme For University Master’s Students
The Master Student Training Programme will provide the opportunity for the students working on energy storage DURING THE THESIS PERIOD to get additional knowledge and skills necessary for the understanding of the hybrid energy storage and its influence on its technical, economic, social and environmental surrounding.
​
Training Programme is not required to be formally recognized by the Universities. It is based on a mentorship model over a voluntary basis. Involved Universities are invited to mentor the students, attending the Programme. Mentors monitor and assess the achievement of training objectives by the students, and on local coordinators who trace the outcomes of students' activity at each University. No degree title is delivered.
​
Students have to be involved over a specific Challenging Scientific and Technological Topic in the field of:
​
-
Development of new materials for energy storage devices
-
Hybridization in the energy storage field at the materials level
-
Hybridization in the energy storage field at the component/device level
-
Innovative Energy carriers and related technologies for production/utilization
-
Energy Storage Integration in multi-energy eco-systems
-
Sustainability of the hybrid energy storage solutions
​
Dr. Titichai Navessin - Accelerated Materials design and industrial scale up for H2 Technologies
​
Dr. Dominic Bresser - Fundamentals, State of the Art, and Anticipated Developments in Lithium-ion Batteries
​
Antonio Morandi - Magnetic energy storage: state-of-the-art, application and future perspectives
The Training Objective consists in the achievement, over a specific topic, of a knowledge including the following components:
-
Technical: mentored research investigation on a Challenging topic (it can include working experience at the infrastructure of RI providers within StoRIES)
-
Interdisciplinary and multi-level approach: the student follows a multidisciplinary approach as needed by a challenge-driven study, understanding the multi-level (from materials-to component and systems) aspects of systems solutions developed
-
Environmental: the students are trained toward sustainable solutions and to assess environmental benefits provided by the implementation of developed solutions
-
Economic: the student during the training is trained to consider the economic aspects in the solutions development since a viable business model is needed for their implementation
-
Social: the student is trained to consider social acceptance aspects in the solutions development and/or social impact of the developed solutions
For more information please contact Linda Barelli
​
The presentations of the StoRIES Seminars can be found here. The recordings are also available. You can watch them here.
Prof. Andrea Balducci - Supercapacitors: state-of-the-art, application and future perspective
2
2
StoRIES Early-stage Researcher Network
Objective
Energy storage research is one of the key elements for realizing a sustainable energy transition where young generation energy researchers will act as a driving force. In this manner, StoRIES project addresses the required future research directions and promotes a strong transdisciplinary research cooperation within the created storage eco-system. Hence, the aim of the network is to provide opportunities for early-stage researchers in the field of energy storage to benefit from the fund of scientific knowledge and improve their skills under the supervision of leading scientists and engineers.
The StoRIES Early-stage Researcher Network is open to scientists and engineers (Bachelor, Master, PhD students and PostDocs within 2 years after their PhD), including those outside the StoRIES consortium (from H2020 countries). The network's researchers are given priority in the mentoring programme and summer schools. They are also actively informed about conferences dealing with hybrid energy storage, invited to present their work to the StoRIES community for improving the quality and involved in the revision of the project publications.
​
Procedure
To join the network, please send Hüseyin Ersoy (KIT) a motivation letter (no longer than 1.5 pages) in which you briefly describe:
-
your research topic and how your approach will contribute to solving existing and potential challenges of energy storage
-
other technologies and/or aspects of energy storage in which you are interested and which could make an important contribution to the development of future energy storage solutions
​
Researchers in the Network
​
​
​
The list of the researchers affiliated to the StoRIES Early-stage Researcher Network in alphabetical order can be seen here.
​
If you need more information or would like to join the StoRIES Early-stage Researcher Network, please contact Hüseyin Ersoy (KIT) (interim chair of the network).
Mentoring Programme For PhD Students
Dealing With Energy Storage
3
Objective
Through the Mentor-Mentee Pair Programme, StoRIES offers PhD students the support of excellent senior scientists and engineers. In the programme, PhD students will be mentees under the guidance and supervision of senior research mentors from academia or industry. The mentor must be external, not the student’s official PhD supervisor from their own organization. StoRIES believes that successful thesis activities, which prepare students for their future work, should include opportunities for networking and developing soft skills, as well as gaining knowledge on topics not directly related to the thesis. PhD students working on energy storage technologies will have a great opportunity to meet with expert mentors to discuss their work and its impact, and take a broader perspective.
Procedure
1. If you would like to become one of the StoRIES mentors, please apply by contacting Pınar Arpaçay (KIT) and Olga SumiÅ„ska-Ebersoldt (KIT) by email.
2. The mentor (PhD supervisor) is asked to submit a short CV, while the mentee (PhD student) submits a CV and thesis description. As the mentor must agree to the mentee's participation in the programme, his/her email address should be included in the application email.
3. The application will be assessed within one month, after the application email. Mentor-mentee pairs must be accepted by the Education Programme Management Committee (EPMC) of StoRIES.
Implementation
The collaboration between the mentor and mentee established under the StoRIES programme should include the following:
-
Regular online meetings, scheduled at intervals agreed upon by both parties (e.g., every 4, 6, or 8 weeks), will be held to discuss the PhD work, progress, challenges, and plans for the coming months.
-
A face-to-face meeting can be arranged upon request, ideally in a location of mutual interest for both the mentor and mentee. This could be, for example, the research organization of the mentor or mentee. However, it is highly recommended that this meeting can take place during the Third StoRIES Summer School, scheduled for summer 2025.
-
Either the mentee or the mentor will apply for the reimbursement to attend the face-to-face meeting and StoRIES will cover the costs of travel, accommodation and daily expenses for a stay up to 3 nights. Please note that StoRIES will not cover the costs of both parties. The application for reimbursement must be done by either the doctoral candidate or the mentor before the trip. Please contact Pınar Arpaçay (KIT) to receive the confirmation that your expenses will be covered before travelling. Depending on the decision of EPMC, a confirmation of reimbursement will be sent, or a refusal will be justified. The budget rules for reimbursement will be shared before the trip. The last request for reimbursement will be accepted by the end of July 2025.
-
In order to receive financial support, the report on the mentoring programme must be submitted after the mentor's or mentee's travel, together with all relevant travel invoices for expenses. The report must include information about the dissertation, the added value of the programme, and a communication flow (meetings) to be confirmed by both parties. The report template can be downloaded here. After completing the report together, the mentee must ensure that the mentor is in carbon copy (cc) when sending the report to Pınar Arpaçay (KIT). The report will be published on the StoRIES website.
-
The collaboration between the mentor and the mentee must end automatically with the end of the PhD study or with the end of the StoRIES project (31/10/2025). Even if the formal collaboration and support ends with the StoRIES project, the mentor and mentee are encouraged to continue their collaboration as they see fit.
​
Potential Collaboration Ideas
The mentor and mentee jointly make the final decision on the content of the collaboration, considering the program's objective. Here are some potential collaboration ideas for the program, including but not limited to the following:
-
The mentor leads the mentee in their area of expertise.
-
Collaborate/support on writing a research paper.
-
Utilize the facilities at the mentor's organization to help the mentee acquire new skills.
-
By regularly attending the mentor’s online group meetings, the mentee can develop soft skills for effective communication and teamwork, and expand their professional network. These meetings also encourage idea exchange, fostering creativity and collaboration. Additionally, the mentee can practice presentations, enhancing public speaking skills and understanding of scientific concepts.
-
Working together to write a proposal for potential future research funding opportunities enables the mentee to develop their writing skills during the PhD and can create opportunities for their future career.
These collaborative efforts can significantly enrich the mentee's PhD experience and contribute to their professional development.
​
​
Mentor-Mentee Pairs
In March 2023, StoRIES' first mentor-mentee pair began their collaboration. Prof. Stefano Passerini, senior expert advisor at Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and senior professor at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), will support Hüseyin Ersoy from KIT with his expertise in the PhD thesis entitled ‘Application of constructive sustainability assessment (CSA) for emerging energy storage technologies’. The central question of the dissertation project is to identify how can constructive sustainability assessment (CSA) approach be used to develop a sustainable and economically feasible Al-air battery for seasonal energy storage, while minimizing negative impacts and identifying opportunities for improvement through informed decision-making. To this aim, the dissertation aims evaluation of LCSA methodologies, and provide a full application case that will act as a blueprint for full assessment of an emerging energy storage technologies. The cumulative dissertation will be carried out with 3 papers concerning methodology review and evaluation, a full LCSA of an emerging Al-air battery, and a conclusive research article about the impact of integrating sustainable thinking in early design phases.
StoRIES introduced its second mentor-mentee pair in Mentoring Programme in January 2024. Researcher Dr. Manuel Baumann from Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) in KIT will support Irena Beloreshka from Faculty of Management in Technical University of Sofia in her PhD project with the title of ‘Research into and development of economic models for the construction of battery-based electricity storage systems’. The main objective of the work is hybrid projects involving a renewable generation asset and battery-based energy storage system in Bulgaria. The project is aimed to assess the business case, funding gap, and identify possible additional revenue streams for the storage array. The case of a standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) to provide energy-storage-as-a-service in Bulgaria will also be explored as well as a suitable tariff structure and calculation. The research considers various technical options and configurations with reviewing regulatory frameworks, proposing measures to address any gaps identified.
In September 2024, StoRIES welcomed the third mentor-mentee pair collaboration between senior researcher Prof. Giovanni Battista Appetecchi from ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Sustainable Economic Development) and PhD student Luigi Jacopo Santa Maria from JLU Gießen. Dr. Appetecchi will support Santa Maria in his PhD project entitled ‘Microstructure effects in sodium-based composites for all-solid-state batteries’. The doctorate project focuses on the development and validation of electro-chemo-mechanical microstructure-resolved models and simulation for sodium solid-state batteries (Na SSB). Furthermore, the PhD work will focus on developing electrode design proposals with a special focus on their performances. This study is a part of the HiPoBat project, a German-French research project dedicated to batteries for high power applications.
StoRIES continued to grow with the fourth mentor-mentee pair in September 2024. Prof. Linda Barelli from the University of Perugia will support Monica Giovannucci from the University of Bologna in her PhD thesis entitled ‘Use of green supercapacitors to improve redox flow battery performance: testing and modelling’. The doctorate research aims to develop hybrid storage systems combining Redox Flow Batteries (RFBs) and Supercapacitors (SCs). Initially supported by the HyFlow European project, the work focuses on creating a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) that exploits the high specific power of SCs and the large storage capacity of Vanadium RFBs. The project also explores eco-friendly electrolytes for SCs. Furthermore, the research includes testing a lab-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Cell connected directly to SCs, forming a HESS without power converters. A MATLAB model was used to analyze current flow and optimize system capacitance. Preliminary results are promising, and the next steps involve economic evaluation and expanding to other battery types and HESS applications.
​
StoRIES expanded in October 2024 with the addition of the fifth mentor-mentee pair. Dr Sai Gourang Patnaik, a researcher from the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), will mentor PhD student Mayank Joshi from Politecnico di Torino and CNR-ITAE Messina on his PhD project entitled ‘Exploring Na-ion battery electrode materials through electrospinning utilizing organic materials’. The PhD project focuses on developing environmentally friendly and sustainable materials for sodium-based energy storage technologies, including sodium-ion and sodium-air batteries. In order to improve energy storage performance, it aims to create organic anode materials that can function as self-standing electrodes without requiring a binder. The research also includes the investigation of hybrid (organic/inorganic) and organic electrocatalysts derived from biomass conversion and organic polymers for use in sodium-ion, sodium-air and redox flow batteries. The project, funded by CNR ITAE, aims to accelerate the development of innovative, sustainable materials. These materials will be tested in full battery cells to evaluate their charge/discharge efficiency and capacity retention, advancing sodium-based technologies as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
Finally, in October 2024, the StoRIES Mentoring Programme brought together its sixth mentor and mentee. Prof. John Irvine from the University of St. Andrews will support PhD student Deepa Davison from the University Carlos â…¢ of Madrid (UC3M) and Iberian Energy Storage Research Center (CIIAE) on her doctorate project entitled ‘Synthesis and processing technologies for reversible proton conducting ceramic cells (r-PCC)’. This PhD project aims to drive innovation in the development of cost-effective, energy-efficient reversible r-PCCs, with a focus on both electrode-supported and metal-supported designs. The research will explore the formulation of advanced proton-conducting ceramics with high conductivity, as well as an appropriate thermo-chemical & thermo-mechanical stability and sufficient catalytic activity. In addition to material development, the project will focus on optimizing manufacturing techniques such as Powder Extrusion Moulding, Powder Injection Moulding, and Tape-casting of Oil/Water emulsion for the fabrication of optimized ceramic/metallic supports. This research aligns closely with the objectives of the European-funded ALCHEMHY project, which is investigating the use of renewable hydrogen as a feedstock in innovative production routes, contributing to EU's climate-neutrality objectives.
If you need more information or would like to become one of the StoRIES mentors, please contact Pınar Arpaçay (KIT) and Olga SumiÅ„ska-Ebersoldt (KIT).
3
Summer Schools For Early-Stage Researchers
4
Second StoRIES Summer School 2024
The Second StoRIES Summer School 2024 entitled "Hybrid energy storage and application-oriented solutions in EU" will be held in Rome in Italy (Complesso Eni Gazometro di Roma, Via Ostiense 72, 00154 Roma) between 3 June and 6 June 2024.
​
The main objective of the Summer School is not only to provide a general overview of a combination of various energy storage technologies (electrochemical, chemical, thermal, electrical and mechanical energy storage), but to suggest innovative hybrid solutions at different levels (from industrial-, to grid-, microgrid-, and domestic-scale applications) for early-career researchers (MSc, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers within 2 years after PhD). Well-recognised experts will share insights on the issues related to hybrid energy storage applications.
Please note there is no registration fee for the summer school. Registration includes access to all summer school sessions, coffee breaks, lunch and dinner free of charge as part of the program. Please also note that accommodation, visa, travel costs and any other expenses are not covered. Participants are responsible for making their own arrangements in this regard.
The deadline for the application is 31 March 2024. Important updates regarding Summer School 2024 can be seen below:
​
Working groups information for the case studies
If you need more information, please contact Pınar Arpaçay (KIT).
CLOSED
applications
Dr. Peter Fischer - Hybridisation of vanadium flow batteries
​​
Linda Barelli - Flywheel-battery HESS integration in smart buildings
​
Ing. Davide Aloisio - Hybrid systems in Off-grid and Energy Islands
​
Prof. Massimo Santarelli - Hybrid hydrogen-battery storage systems for communities
​
Davide de Michino - Vehicle Grid Integration Technologies
​
Francesco Mastopierro - Electric energy storage for future aero mobility
​
Dr. Randell Johnson - Hybrid Renewables with Storage Technology Stack for Valuation, Planning, Design
​
Maria Carmen Falvo and Lorenzo Romagnoli - Integration of Energy Storage in Transmission & Distribution Grids: why, where and how?
​
Prof. Asmae Berrada - Hybrid Energy Storage for Renewable Energy Sources Integration in Industrial Grid
​
Giancomo Gorni - The role of Energy Storage with Renewable Electricity Generation
First StoRIES Summer School 2023
To enable early-stage scientists (Master, PhD students
and PostDoc within 2 years after their PhD) to gain
knowledge on various aspects of hybrid energy storage
and its integration into energy systems, StoRIES will
organise three summer schools for early-stage scientists
starting in 2023. Participants of the summer schools are
students from StoRIES consortium and external
organisations.
The first StoRIES Summer School entitled "REPowerEU
and the need for energy storage in Europe" will be held
at the Cyprus Institute in Nicosia from 29 May to 1 June
2023. The main objective of the Summer School is to
provide and exchange knowledge on the importance of
energy storage in Europe. Experts will share insights on
the issues related to energy storage, including needs.
existing and future technologies, hybridisation.
sustainability, legal issues and economic parameters.
Registration for the Summer School will open in January
2023. If you would like to be personally informed about
the opening, contact Hüseyin Ersoy and join our StoRIES
Early Stage Researcher Network.
​
The presentations of the first StoRIES Summer School can be found here.
​
CLOSED
applications
The StoRIES Summer School 2023 courses are available online! You can watch them here.
Video: Renewable Hydrogen costs and end uses: A case study for Cyprus - Nestor Fylaktos
​Manuel Baumann - Sustainability perspective on energy storage: technology, methods, challenges, prospects
​
Linda Barelli - Available Energy Storage technologies and their applications
​
Laura Meda - Eni's vision for storage in the Energy Transition
​
Dr. Stefano Passerini - What is StoRIES?
​
Kourosh Malek - Novel approaches in meta-data management and ontologies
​
Ivan Matejak - European and global green strategy | State of Play
Online Courses For Workforce From Academia And Industry
5
The development of hybrid energy storage solutions, as well as their implementation requires scientists and engineers capable to work with them and understand not only the technical aspects of the new technologies, but also see the interrelationships between the technology, the financial and environmental costs, and the social, regional, and political environment of the technology.
​
While other StoRIES Education and Training Programme activities focus on early-stage researchers who will be working on this aspect in the near future, this activity focuses on the existing workforce and their training needs related to energy storage in the context of the Clean Energy Transition and the changing energy market.
​
To propose topics for the next courses, please contact Pınar Arpaçay (KIT) and Olga SumiÅ„ska-Ebersoldt (KIT).
Listen to the first StoRIES lecture, by Prof. Stefano Passerini, coordinator of StoRIES, on “Energy Storage: Role of Electrochemistry”:
StoRIES Online Courses for Workforce from Academia and Industry are available to watch online here.
Dr. Daniel Lager - Thermal Properties of Energy Storage Materials
​
Dr. Antonio Agresta - Metal Hydrides as a Safe Hydrogen Chemical Storage
​
Fatima Ahmed - Communication & Dissemination for Energy Storage
​
Jacopo Tosoni & Carolina Cruz – Energy Storage Legislation Across Europe
​
Yannick Wimmer – Techno-economic Considerations on Hybrid Storage for Mobile Applications
​
Spyridon Pantelis – European Battery R&I Ecosystem Overview of Cross-cutting Topics
​
Antonio Vita – The Potential Role of Ammonia and Other Energy Carriers for Hydrogen Storage and Transport
​
Simon Clark - Digital Tools for Accelerating Innovation in Energy Storage
​
Ivan Matejak - EU Competitiveness & Strategic Autonomy: The Central Role of Low-carbon R&I
​
Viera Pechancová – Advancing Battery Innovation Through Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA)
Online Platform With Existing Online Open
Academic Courses On Energy Storage
6
Continuing education in energy storage technologies at both academic and professional level is crucial for the future development of efficient and hybrid storage solutions. Online open academic courses, ranging from massive open online courses (MOOCs), video tutorials for self-studies, to scheduled courses accessible remotely have been mapped and links made permanently available in the StoRIES courses on the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) website. Courses from StoRIES partners but also other available courses are covered on the platform page. The platform is expected to become a single point of access (single entry port) to online based education related to energy storage technologies and their hybridization.
​
​The content will be at least biannually updated and institutions interested to offer their educational materials are always invited to get in contact with the platform responsible institution: Poul Norby (DTU).
On the following website, you will find a selection of StoRIES courses focusing on energy storage technologies. Check it out: