Systems advocate joins Catapult board

The Energy Systems Catapult has appointed an expert in whole energy system modelling to join its board, strengthening its expertise in energy systems integration.

Professor Neil Strachan has joined the Catapult as a non-executive director, he is also deputy director at the Energy Institute.

A professor of energy economics and modelling, Strachan’s appointment comes as the Catapult pushes forward with the Future Power System Architecture project in partnership with the Institute of Engineering and Technology. This project explores the scope and requirement for creating commonly understood architecture for the UK’s electricity system. There has also been speculation that this project could expand to take in the wider energy system.

In recent years Strachan has made significant contributions to understanding energy system modelling. He was the principal investigator of the Whole Systems Energy Modelling Consortium (wholeSEM), a multi-institution initiative to develop, integrate and apply state-of-the-art energy models.

On Strachan’s appointment, Catapult chair Nick Winser said he was “thrilled” and that Strachan’s “impressive research skills and experience in the energy arena will be a great addition to the board.”