BPIE is a leading independent centre of expertise on energy performance of buildings.

We are advancing the transition towards climate-neutrality in Europe and globally.

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BPIE has an extensive publications library. Use the filter option to search publications by year, type, country, keywords or language.

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    • #AmBIENCeproject
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Meet the Team

Oliver Rapf
Executive Director
Office: Brussels

Mariangiola Fabbri
Head of Research
Office: Brussels

Elodie Da Rocha
Head of Finance and Operations
Office: Brussels

Sibyl Steuwer
Head of BPIE Berlin Office
Office: Berlin

Caroline Milne
Head of Communications
Office: Brussels

Hélène Sibileau
Senior Policy Advisor
Office: Brussels

Zsolt Toth
Team Lead
Office: Brussels

Ivan Jankovic
Team Lead
Office: Brussels

Sarah Cohen
HR Manager
Office: Brussels

Anita Derjanecz
Business Development Manager
Office: Brussels

Judit Kockat
Project Manager
Office: Brussels

Jelena Simjanovic
Senior Project Manager
Office: Brussels

Carla Mauricio-Planas
Senior Communications Manager
Office: Brussels

Michaella Panteli
Communications Intern

Victoria Taranu
Senior Researcher
Office: Brussels

Denisa Diaconu
Project Manager
Office: Brussels

Teresa Henriques Lobo
Finance and Operations Manager
Office: Brussels

Richard Steinert
Finance and Operations Officer

Sriraj Gokarakonda
Project Manager
Office: Berlin

Liz Eve
Team Assistant
Office: Berlin

Carolina Koronen
Senior Researcher
Office: Brussels

Xerome Fernández Álvarez
Researcher
Office: Brussels

Essam Elnagar
Data Analyst
Office: Brussels

Lisa Graaf
Senior Project Manager
Office: Berlin

Caroline Düvier
Project Manager
Office: Berlin

Volodymyr Vladyka
Policy Assistant
Office: Brussels

Emily Bankert
Researcher for Carbon and Energy in the Built Environment
Office: Brussels

Jerson Alexis Pinzon Amorocho
Senior Researcher
Office: Berlin

Panta rhei - Everything flows.
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Oliver Rapf
Executive Director
Office: Brussels

Oliver Rapf

Executive Director

Panta rhei - Everything flows.

As Executive Director of BPIE, Oliver has spearheaded strategic planning, administration, program development, fundraising and outreach since joining BPIE during its infancy in 2011. Through his leadership, Oliver has grown BPIE into a financially independent non-profit organization and trusted thought leader on energy performance of buildings in Europe and globally.

Before joining BPIE, Oliver worked for the global conservation organization WWF in various roles, including as Head of the Climate Business Engagement unit of WWF International, managing strategy and partnership development with the private sector. Leading an international team, he advised multinational companies on climate change and energy issues.

Oliver’s experience in buildings efficiency goes back to the late 90s when he was a project leader for several deep renovation projects on behalf of WWF in cooperation with housing companies across Germany. Oliver participated in UNFCCC negotiation processes, and was the leader of the German NGO coalition at international conferences. Oliver has been active as a jury member of environmental and sustainability awards and serves on various advisory boards. In his early career, he worked on regional sustainability strategies and spatial planning.

Office: Brussels
Estote Parati (Be prepared)
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Mariangiola Fabbri
Head of Research
Office: Brussels

Mariangiola Fabbri

Head of Research

Estote Parati (Be prepared)

As Head of Research at BPIE, Mariangiola leads the design and implementation of BPIE’s research and policy strategy, and oversees the day-to-day work of the BPIE research team. With over fifteen years of experience working in energy efficiency and climate change policy analysis, Mariangiola has managed numerous flagship projects at BPIE, including iBroad, De-Risking Energy Efficiency Investments (DG ENER), EmBuild, and the adoption of the Clean Energy Package for All Europeans.

Prior to joining BPIE, Mariangiola worked as an energy consultant at Dunsky Energy Consulting in Montreal, where she carried out primary and secondary research on energy efficiency financing, market transformation, programme evaluation, market analysis and characterisation and best practices reviews of residential and commercial programmes.

Prior to working at Dunsky, Mariangiola was Senior Policy Officer at WWF EPO in Brussels. In this role, Mariangiola led the organisation’s energy efficiency work, contributing to the adoption and implementation of a wide range of policies, including the recast of the EPBD, the Climate and Energy Package, and the Eco-design and Energy Services Directives. She then became Senior Partnership Manager for the Climate Business Engagement unit, managing international partnerships with the private sector.

She holds a Masters in Environmental Law and a Masters in European Political and Administrative Studies, and served several years on the board of CAN-Europe and Topten International Group.

Office: Brussels
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Elodie Da Rocha
Head of Finance and Operations
Office: Brussels

Elodie Da Rocha

Head of Finance and Operations

She holds a Master degree in Business Administration and gained twelve years of professional expertise by working for SME’s and multinational corporations in France, Belgium and Germany.

During this time, she managed finance and process related projects all around the world.

Today her biggest motivation is to support the company making the right financial decisions as she believes in the company’s purpose.

In her free time, Elodie enjoys roaming the playgrounds of Brussels with her two little sons.

Office: Brussels
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Sibyl Steuwer
Head of BPIE Berlin Office
Office: Berlin

Sibyl Steuwer

Head of BPIE Berlin Office

As head of the BPIE Berlin Office, Sibyl is responsible for BPIE’s research activities on climate protection in the building sector in Germany. In addition, she is in charge of outreach to German stakeholders: the team in Berlin is providing information on current European research and policy developments and engages in national debates on climate protection in the building sector.

Sibyl has been working on sustainable energy transitions and the politics of energy efficiency for more than a decade. Her professional expertise includes the governance of the German energy transition, policy instrument choice in climate and energy policy, and the management of multi-stakeholder projects in different areas of sustainable development. Prior to joining BPIE she had worked for the Environmental Policy Research Center at Freie University Berlin, the German Advisory Council on the Environment, and the German Council for Sustainable Development.

Sibyl holds a PhD in political science. In her dissertation project at Freie University Berlin, she compared the implementation of energy saving obligations in different European Member States. She also holds a M.A. and a B.Sc. in Environmental Management.

In her spare time, Sibyl enjoys bike tours, exploring biodiversity, and playing the Orgue.

Office: Berlin
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas
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Caroline Milne
Head of Communications
Office: Brussels

Caroline Milne

Head of Communications

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas

As Head of Communications at BPIE, Caroline develops and deploys BPIE’s long-term communications strategy, and manages communications campaigns across a wide range of projects.

Prior to joining BPIE, Caroline was Director of Communications and Marketing at Joule Assets, where she led communications and stakeholder engagement for European projects targeting energy efficiency project developers and investors, including SEAF H2020 and LAUNCH H2020. In this role, she also led deployment of the commercial launch of the eQuad platform, which facilitates investment in energy efficiency projects for SMEs in Europe, and organized outreach towards municipal leaders and residents in New York State in effort to create bulk energy buying programmes (“Community Choice Aggregation”). Before entering the energy efficiency space, Caroline spent several years working as a freelance English teacher for business professionals, copywriter and academic editor.

Caroline holds a BA in Political Science and French from the University of Victoria, Canada, and a MSc of Political Science from the Université libre de Bruxelles, where she specialized in institutional evolution in the context of EU electricity market.

When Caroline isn’t working, she can be found at her piano, going for a long run, brewing kombucha or practicing handstands in the kitchen.

Office: Brussels
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
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Hélène Sibileau
Senior Policy Advisor
Office: Brussels

Hélène Sibileau

Senior Policy Advisor

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Hélène SIBILEAU joined BPIE in February 2021 as Senior Policy Advisor. Before that, she was Senior EU Affairs Manager for almost six years at EuroACE – Energy Efficient Buildings, a Brussels-based business association representing manufacturers of energy efficient products in buildings. At EuroACE, she advocated for more ambitious EU policies in the field of energy performance of buildings, and lobbied the negotiations of key files of the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package. Hélène’s missions ranged from monitoring, policy analysis, drafting amendments and implementing advocacy strategies towards the EU institutions. Previous experiences include a Blue Book Traineeship in the European Commission in the ‘Energy Efficiency’ Unit of DG ENER and various roles as consultant.

A graduate of both Sciences Po Strasbourg and the College of Europe, where she wrote her Master Thesis on the Energy Efficiency Directive, she also teaches for many years now at Sciences Po Strasbourg, notably courses on ‘Lobbying in Practice’ or ‘The Energy Transition’. Hélène is French, and also speaks English and German. Besides energy efficiency in buildings, Hélène’s passions include horse riding, playing badminton, reading books, and continuing to learn more about European history.

Office: Brussels
Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same.
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Zsolt Toth
Team Lead
Office: Brussels

Zsolt Toth

Team Lead

Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same.

Zsolt is Senior Project Manager at BPIE where he is responsible for leading BPIE’s work across a number of research projects, focusing on green finance and European policy.

Before joining BPIE, Zsolt acted as Senior Adviser at the EMF-ECBC (European Mortgage Federation – European Covered Bond Council) focusing on green mortgages and reinforcing the link between building performance, market value and lending risk. Prior to this role, he worked for almost 10 years as EU Affairs Manager at RICS Europe (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) responsible for driving public affairs activity and delivering EU policy in the built environment. Working with a great diversity of projects, policy areas and stakeholders across Europe has given him a privileged insight into the real estate lifecycle and many of the current issues in green building as well as its relation with economic development and society.

Zsolt holds a PhD in Political Theory and has contributed to a series of academic and industry publications on energy efficiency, construction and sustainability, as member of international think thanks and European sustainability-built environment stakeholder partnerships.

In his spare time, Zsolt loves listening to jazz and classical music; he is a passionate record collector and dedicated to exploring the history and science of audio engineering and listening experience.

Office: Brussels
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Ivan Jankovic
Team Lead
Office: Brussels

Ivan Jankovic

Team Lead

Ivan holds M.Sc. in mechanical engineering with major in thermal engineering (University of Belgrade) and MBA degree with major in finance (Athens University), while his work experience covers both engineering and finance topics. Ivan worked as energy efficiency consultant and HVAC design engineer for IFI and privately funded projects in Europe and Middle East, concentrating on energy efficiency performance and renovation of public buildings. In addition, Ivan worked in the banking industry as a credit risk analyst for different loans and investments, as well as financial analyst for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Western Balkans and Serbia.

Office: Brussels
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Sarah Cohen
HR Manager
Office: Brussels

Sarah Cohen

HR Manager

Prior to joining BPIE, Sarah gathered experiences in European and international institutions in Paris and Brussels, where she carried out administrative and human resources functions. During this time, she provided business support to high-level stakeholders and gained experience with procedures, protocols and rules of governance within headquarters and a regional office.

Prior to working for institutions, she worked for a EU federation representing the interest of the bioenergy sector as an Office Manager based in Brussels. During this experience, she gained a thorough knowledge in the day-to-day business operations of an EU association working closely with the EU institutions.

She holds a Master degree in Translation and International Relations from ULB.

When Sarah isn’t working, she can be found walking in nature, dancing bachata, trying new recipes and spending time with her family.

Office: Brussels
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Anita Derjanecz
Business Development Manager
Office: Brussels

Anita Derjanecz

Business Development Manager

Office: Brussels
... we face the question, if and how the economic system can reintegrate its impacts on the environment into its communication. In principle, this is possible through the instability of prices – but only through that. ... Niklas Luhmann
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Judit Kockat
Project Manager
Office: Brussels

Judit Kockat

Project Manager

... we face the question, if and how the economic system can reintegrate its impacts on the environment into its communication. In principle, this is possible through the instability of prices – but only through that. ... Niklas Luhmann

As Project Manager at BPIE, Judit designs and implements research related to modelling energy efficiency and CO2 scenarios in the buildings sector as part of integrated energy system analyses. She interprets the modelling results to draw conclusions for the design, implementation and transfer of policy instruments and bundles.

Judit has been modelling building stocks and policy impacts for 10 years with a focus on data analysis, building modelling and related policies. Judit  holds a PhD in civil engineering, degrees in economy & engineering and business administration. After researching energy demand in buildings at the Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research she joined BPIE in November 2016.

As Project Manager at BPIE, Judit designs and implements research related to modelling energy efficiency and CO2 scenarios in the buildings sector and as part of integrated energy system analyses. Profound knowledge of German and EU energy policies connected to efficiency and renewable energy and buildings enables helps her to assess the ambition and evaluate their impact. In the latest EU-project, she modelled all energy uses in buildings for Europe by Member state, see http://tool.european-calculator.eu.

In various techno-economic analysis with international partners, Judit assessed costs and benefits and the macroeconomic effects of policies and analyzed policy instruments and their design, such as white certificates and subsidy schemes. Within the Odyssee-MURE database project, she maintained the German policies section adding their evaluation. In close collaboration with the international research team in the EU Project “ENTRANZE”, she contributed to the modelling of the building stock and renovation cost in the projections for EU countries. One of her particular roles was to design the data analysis tools that handle the data for all European countries’ building stocks.

When she’s not managing projects or modelling energy scenarios, Judit enjoys biking and theorizing.

Office: Brussels
Before you go looking for happiness, check - you might already be happy. Happiness is small, ordinary, inconspicuous. Many don’t see it. Duško Radović, a Serbian novelist
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Jelena Simjanovic
Senior Project Manager
Office: Brussels

Jelena Simjanovic

Senior Project Manager

Before you go looking for happiness, check - you might already be happy. Happiness is small, ordinary, inconspicuous. Many don’t see it. Duško Radović, a Serbian novelist

Jelena is as a Senior Project Manager who brought to BPIE more than 15 years of global work experience in energy efficiency, renewable energy, electricity & carbon markets, and clean technology fields. Prior to joining BPIE Jelena was with RWE Renewables, where she was working on renewable market development in the US and Asia. Besides working on corporate business development, Jelena’s experiences include advocacy (Transport & Environment), project management (Global CCS Institute); market analytics & strategy development (Refinitiv), as well as policy, technical and market analytics for numerous clients in Europe, United States and Asia such as the California Attorney General’s Office, the World Bank, the Hoover Institution, and many others. In her country of birth, Serbia, Jelena worked with the Alliance to Save Energy, where she implemented the first national energy-efficiency curriculum in schools and worked with local municipalities on energy efficiency improvements in public buildings.

Jelena earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Science (MS) in Energy & Resources degrees at the University of California, Berkeley. There, at the Haas School of Business and the School of Engineering she also specialized at Engineering and Business for Sustainability, and for Management of Technology. At Chuo University in Tokyo, Jelena studied Japanese medieval history, while her bachelor’s in Japanese Language and Culture she earned at University of Belgrade. She is a published author fluent in four languages.

In her free time, Jelena likes to develop fusion recipes inspired by tastes of 8 countries she lived in, and is a fitness instructor. Her goal is to motivate people aged 40+ who may have forgotten to take time for themselves to do so, help them get back in shape and stay healthy for years to come.

Office: Brussels
"Live and let live" - Ancient Law-Merchant book by G. De Malynes
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Carla Mauricio-Planas
Senior Communications Manager
Office: Brussels

Carla Mauricio-Planas

Senior Communications Manager

"Live and let live" - Ancient Law-Merchant book by G. De Malynes

Before joining BPIE, Carla worked as a communication consultant at Arctik (Technopolis Group) managing Horizon 2020 projects on sustainability topics. Her main experience on research and science communication was however built during her time at the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Association) as a communications officer. There she was in charge of developing publications and audiovisual projects as well as supervising the development and implementation of the COST branding.

Thanks to a couple of internships in international organizations including the United Nations and the European Parliament, Carla realized she loves working in multicultural environments and on projects with a social impact. 

Carla holds a MA in journalism, media and communications from Cardiff University (Wales) and a BA in humanities from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. She is a Catalan and Spanish native speaker and is also fluent in English and French. 

In her free time, Carla enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, discovering new brocantes or taking care of her plants. 

Office: Brussels
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Michaella Panteli
Communications Intern

Michaella Panteli

Communications Intern

Michaella joined BPIE in September 2024 as Communications Intern. She has graduated with a BA from the University of Sheffield in Korean studies and is finishing her MS from the University of Edinburgh in East Asian Relations. She has recently been presented with The Edinburgh Award for extra curricular activities in her project of ‘Leveraging AI and digital accessibility in the University” in line with the UN’s sustainability goals.

Michaella speaks 4 languages including English, Russian, French and Korean and is planning on expanding this list with Mandarin. In her spare time Michaella enjoys dancing and reading books and as a foodie enjoys trying out new
cuisines.

The only constant in life is change. Heraclitus
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Victoria Taranu
Senior Researcher
Office: Brussels

Victoria Taranu

Senior Researcher

The only constant in life is change. Heraclitus

In the previous six years, Victoria has been researching policies to promote energy efficiency in the residential sector. In 2019 she received a PhD at the Faculty of Architecture and Arts, Hasselt University. Her research focused on evidence-based, behaviourally-informed policies to encourage energy renovation. Using insights from behavioural economics, she analysed the efficacy of the Flemish energy label for dwellings and investigated private homeowners’ decision-making regarding energy renovation. During the postdoc, Victoria worked on the RETAX Project, which aimed at reforming the property tax in Belgium to contribute to energy efficiency and sustainable land use. She has experience collaborating with public agencies and stakeholders in elaborating evidence-based policies; and is advocating for tighter collaboration between policymakers and researchers.

Victoria holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin.

Besides her passion for the environment, Victoria enjoys volunteering for the community, politics, photography and piano.

Office: Brussels
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Denisa Diaconu
Project Manager
Office: Brussels

Denisa Diaconu

Project Manager

As a Project Manager at BPIE, Denisa is directly engaged in the coordination and implementation of various projects that aim at enabling the decarbonization of the built environment.

Previously to BPIE, Denisa was a Senior Researcher at Energy Policy Group, the leading energy and climate think-tank in Romania. In that position, she carried out policy research on energy related issues, particularly energy efficiency and circular economy. During her studies, she was involved in several international research projects regarding political representation and electoral behavior.

She holds an MA in Energy Business from the University of Economic Studies (Bucharest), a master’s degree in Political Theory and Policy Analysis and a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences, both from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (Bucharest). Due to her background, she pays particular attention and shows genuine interest in the social impacts the energy policies have among different social groups. She is also an alumna of Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET).

In her spare time, she is either at the cinema or doing bouldering.

Office: Brussels
Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream. Jack Kerouac
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Teresa Henriques Lobo
Finance and Operations Manager
Office: Brussels

Teresa Henriques Lobo

Finance and Operations Manager

Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream. Jack Kerouac

As Finance and Administrative Officer, Teresa is involved in the preparation and support of funding proposals while supporting the Finance and Human Resources teams, ensuring smooth day-to-day running of BPIE’s internal programs and administration. 

Teresa finished her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the School of Economics and Management of the University of Porto in 2018. Since then, she had the opportunity to work as an intern in the treasury team of a multinational company.

She joined The Climate Reality Project in June 2018 and day by day she is trying to improve herself as an environmentally-conscious human being. In her free time, Teresa enjoys a good chat while absorbing the sun or a good marathon of tv shows.

Office: Brussels
Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing. - Peter Drucker
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Richard Steinert
Finance and Operations Officer

Richard Steinert

Finance and Operations Officer

Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing. - Peter Drucker

Richard joined BPIE in August 2024 as a Finance and Operations Officer. He began his career with an apprenticeship at the Bavarian State Bank in Munich, which he then complemented with a B.A. in International Business Administration, majoring in International Economic Relations and Politics, from Euro-FH in Hamburg. During his studies, Richard worked at the Bavarian State Bank in Munich for a total of seven years.
Driven by a desire to make a more tangible difference, Richard decided to pursue an M.Sc. in International Development and Public Policy at Nova SBE in Lisbon. This experience sparked his interest in working in an international and intercultural environment, contributing to shaping policies for a greener and more equitable future.
Richard is German and speaks German, English, and Portuguese. In his free time, he enjoys doing various sports such as football, padel, fitness, and cycling, as well as exploring new restaurants or trying new recipes at home.

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Sriraj Gokarakonda
Project Manager
Office: Berlin

Sriraj Gokarakonda

Project Manager

A researcher and energy analyst with over 12 years of broad work experience in a variety of international projects related to sustainability in buildings and building related technologies, including green building and energy certification, building energy performance simulation and compliance, energy and IEQ monitoring, technoeconomic feasibility studies, and policy advice and outreach

Office: Berlin
Think global, act local - Patrick Geddes, Scottish town planner and social activist
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Liz Eve
Team Assistant
Office: Berlin

Liz Eve

Team Assistant

Think global, act local - Patrick Geddes, Scottish town planner and social activist

Liz Eve is joining the BPIE Berlin Office as Team Assistant in June 2023. Passionate about architecture, stories and solutions, Liz has worked with a number of organizations in the built environment on creative, business management and communication projects. She enjoys improving processes and supporting teams.

Liz began her academic career with BSc in psychology, writing her dissertation on economic psychology, well-being and debt. Her creative side was calling and she won a scholarship to study photography in Bristol. She became interested in how people and organisations make decisions in relation to environmental change, particularly how visual communication leads to climate action. Studying part-time for an MSc in sustainability and adaptation has brought her deeper into topics in environmental politics, economics, building and city design and transformative adaptation to climate change.

Since moving to Berlin in 2012 she became German, qualified as a permaculture designer and published a book about food forest gardening at Café Botanico. She is a committee member for urban gardening project Feld Food Forest and helped to kick off the EU-Horizon-funded Open Soil Atlas to inspire local people to actively participate in citizen science.

She loves swimming in Berlin’s lakes or wandering in woodlands with family and friends.

Office: Berlin
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Carolina Koronen
Senior Researcher
Office: Brussels

Carolina Koronen

Senior Researcher

Carolina Koronen is joining BPIE Brussels Office in June 2023 as Senior Researcher for Carbon and Energy in the Built Environment. 

She graduated from Lund University in 2018 with a master in Environmental Engineering and spent her early career in interdisciplinary energy systems research, first at Lund University and later at Vrije Universiteit Brussels. Her most recent work experience prior to joining BPIE was as Programme Manager at Environmental Coalition on Standards where the main focus of her work was on technical standards and policies for sustainable products and for the phase-out of fluorinated greenhouse gases. 

In her spare time, Carolina sings in a choir, goes trail running with her dog, or searches for gems at antiques markets.

Office: Brussels
We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past. Miguel de Unamuno
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Xerome Fernández Álvarez
Researcher
Office: Brussels

Xerome Fernández Álvarez

Researcher

We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past. Miguel de Unamuno

As a researcher, Xerome conducts data gathering and analysis as well as contributes to outputs from conceptualization to completion, in both technical and policy projects.

Xerome has been always interested in energy efficiency in buildings since starting university, as he studied a Bachelor’s degree in Energy Engineering at the University of Vigo (2013-2017), carrying out a Post-Occupation evaluation of Lugo’s market, in NW Spain. He then continued his education with a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, from which he graduated in September 2019. For his final thesis, he conducted a feasibility study on the conversion of an educational building into a nZEB.

Beyond energy performance of buildings, Xerome is passionate about football, ice hockey, languages and taking part in multicultural events, as a member of a folk group in his hometown, at the border with Portugal.

Office: Brussels
Believe you can and you’re halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt
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Essam Elnagar
Data Analyst
Office: Brussels

Essam Elnagar

Data Analyst

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt

Essam joined BPIE in September 2023 as a Data analyst.

Bringing with him a deep understanding of climate change mitigation strategies in the building sector, Essam firmly believes that effective strategies in the building sector can play a pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals. For instance, he envisions leveraging advanced data analytics to optimize energy consumption patterns in buildings, contributing to substantial reductions in carbon emissions.

Hailing from Egypt, Essam began with a degree in Electrical Engineering, but his passion for energy prompted him to pursue a Master’s in Energy Engineering at TU Berlin. His dedication was rewarded with a DAAD fellowship, allowing him to research technology sets in nearly zero-energy buildings at Fraunhofer-ISE in Freiburg, Germany.

Prior to joining BPIE, Essam conducted his doctoral research at the University of Liège in Belgium, focusing on the intricate relationship between climate change and the energy performance of buildings and their impact on the electricity grid. His research not only addressed technical aspects but also delved into the broader implications for the built environment in Belgium.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Essam’s commitment extends to community engagement. He actively serves as a Board member at EIT Climate-KIC alumni and holds the role of Belgium Country representative in YES-EUROPE.

In his free time, Essam is playing football or exploring new places with his camera and drone.

Office: Brussels
There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart - Jane Austen
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Lisa Graaf
Senior Project Manager
Office: Berlin

Lisa Graaf

Senior Project Manager

There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart - Jane Austen

As Senior Project Manager in the BPIE Berlin Office, Lisa will be involved in both, BPIE’s research activities as well as in the outreach to German stakeholders.

Lisa has been working on concepts and policies supporting the transformations towards climate neutrality and sustainability for more than a decade now.

Before joining BPIE, she conducted research projects at the Environmental Policy Research Centre, Freie Universität Berlin (2011 – 2019). Over six years, she consulted the strategy process and supported the stakeholder engagement of the German National Resource Efficiency Program (ProgRess). Besides that, she had also extensively worked on the dynamics of transformation processes, as well as environmental strategy processes – translating the findings into concrete guidelines or recommendations for policy makers, in particular for the German Ministry of the Environment.

From mid-2019 onwards, Lisa coordinated projects at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy (Berlin Office), with a focus on sustainable resource use in cities of the Global South. For her academic endeavors, she also held a position at Habitat Unit at the Technical University of Berlin, coordinating capacity building and academic writing under the Urban Change Maker project.

Lisa holds a Diploma in Political Science and a B.A. in Communication Science. She had the opportunity to spend time abroad in Peru (voluntary service), Spain (Erasmus) and, thanks to a DAAD Scholarship, at The Resource and Energy Institute in India.

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys rock climbing, to discover adventures with her family in everyday life and beyond, and to contribute to neighbourhood initiatives to increase the liveability of the city.

Office: Berlin
'We must dare to invent the future' Thomas Sankara
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Caroline Düvier
Project Manager
Office: Berlin

Caroline Düvier

Project Manager

'We must dare to invent the future' Thomas Sankara

Prior to joining BPIE, Caroline completed her interdisciplinary PhD on sustainable transitions in the social housing system in England at the University of Bradford. She holds an MSc in Psychological Research from Oxford University and a BSc in Psychology from Essex University.

Caroline’s PhD focused on systems thinking and combining theories and concepts from a variety of different disciplines. This allowed her to combine her previous work experience on sustainable buildings and environmental psychology, as well as learning new theories particularly in engineering, transitions studies, and housing studies. Caroline has worked and lived in three different countries – Germany, the UK, and the USA. Her journey took her from a primary focus on environmental psychology to a policy focus on sustainable buildings in the social housing sector. She also enjoys teaching and has worked in a few higher education institutions in areas such as statistics, research methods, environmental psychology, social psychology, and sustainable cities.

Caroline is active as a volunteer in areas combining climate and energy justice and increasing our understanding of the interconnectedness of different areas, such as health, biodiversity, energy poverty, quality housing, and greening our living environments.

In her free time, she likes to read non-fiction, crochet realistic-looking flowers (she has too many, please take them off her hands!), be active, be outdoors, and travel the world, preferably by train.

Office: Berlin
Wherever you go you will find your teacher, as long as you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. - Shunryu Suzuki
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Volodymyr Vladyka
Policy Assistant
Office: Brussels

Volodymyr Vladyka

Policy Assistant

Wherever you go you will find your teacher, as long as you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. - Shunryu Suzuki

Volodymyr joined BPIE in March 2023 as Policy Assistant.

Before joining he completed a Blue Book traineeship in the European Commission in the ‘Buildings and Products’ Unit of DG ENER. There he obtained first-hand experience with the energy efficiency in buildings policy, assisting the Unit with various tasks, performing analysis and supporting negotiations of the EPBD recast.

Volodymyr is a recent graduate from the College of Europe, where he majored in EU Public Affairs and Policies with a particular focus on energy policy. Additionally, Volodymyr is a fellow of the European Leadership Programme and an active member of European youth organizations, such as BETA Poland and JEF Ukraine. He is passionate about energy transition, digital transformation, European identity and integration.

Volodymyr is Ukrainian, he speaks Ukrainian, English, Polish and Russian. In his free time, Volodymyr enjoys studying and reading non-fiction books, participating in philosophical and political discussions, attending cultural events and art exhibitions, and doing sports.

Office: Brussels
“Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations." –Dr. Mae Jemison
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Emily Bankert
Researcher for Carbon and Energy in the Built Environment
Office: Brussels

Emily Bankert

Researcher for Carbon and Energy in the Built Environment

“Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations." –Dr. Mae Jemison

Emily joined BPIE in April 2023 as a researcher for Carbon and Energy in the Built Environment.

She recently finished the Blue Book Traineeship at DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission, where she worked on cluster 5 of Horizon Europe and various Green Deal files. She graduated from the Erasmus Mundus Master in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (MESPOM) in summer 2022 where she focused her research on the connection between energy, urban transitions, and ecological economics. In her Bachelor in Technology and Liberal Arts and Science at University College Twente she specialised in resource management and circular economy.

Besides, Emily has worked in different grassroots movements while living in Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Sweden, often in the role of a facilitator or coordinator for political education activities on climate topics and interrelated crises.

In her free time, Emily is a youth climate advocate, previously at Generation Climate Europe or the European Forum Alpbach, and most recently at the European Youth Energy Network. She also sings, dances Lindy Hop, climbs, and enjoys discovering cultural places in the city.

Office: Brussels
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals -Marie Curie
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Jerson Alexis Pinzon Amorocho
Senior Researcher
Office: Berlin

Jerson Alexis Pinzon Amorocho

Senior Researcher

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals -Marie Curie

Jerson joined BPIE in March 2023 as a Researcher

He considers that the transformation of the energy and building sectors is crucial to achieve the sustainable development of urban regions while enabling social innovation, decarbonization of many of our daily activities, and the creation of livable spaces for everyone.

Jerson studied Electrical engineering in Colombia. Later, his interest in buildings and energy led him to focus his masters’ studies at the university of Campinas in Brazil on the integration of microgrids and smart buildings. Prior to joining BPIE, Jerson was a researcher at the Civil systems engineering institute at TU Berlin, where he focused on the building renovation field and the digitalization of the construction industry.

Jerson also conducted his doctoral research at TU Berlin. As part of his dissertation, he developed a decision-making framework and a set of knowledge models to support a more comprehensive renovation of buildings, considering not only technical and economic aspects, but also social elements. Jerson considers that technical solutions and policy strategies to tackle climate challenges should thoroughly consider the social aspects of the context where they are meant to be implemented.

In his free time, Jerson enjoys playing volleyball, painting, and walking around Berlin with his camera.

Office: Berlin
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