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The Chairman and Executive Director of the Institute, Mr. Costis Stambolis participated as an invited keynote speaker in the celebratory event which was organised by the UK section of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) which took place at the Royal Institution, in London, on September 19. This special event was organised by some of the founders and board members of the UK section of ISES on the occasion of 50 years since its inception
Dame Mary Archer, Founding Hon. Secretary and Patron of UK-ISES and well known researcher in the energy field ( thermal methods of solar and energy conversion to power) and founder chair of UK’s National Energy Foundation, welcomed the invited speakers and guests and recalled how in January 1974 together with the late Professor John Page, and under the patronage of RI chairman Dr. George Porter, she co-founded the UK section of ISES.
Other speakers included Dr. William Gillet, currently Director of EASAC’s Energy Programme with a long career in solar energy research, Prof. Bernard Mc Nellis, another long standing solar researcher and former board member of ISES-UK, Prof. Nicola Pearsall, Emerita Professor of Renewable Energy at Northumbria University, Prof. Paul Ruyssevelt, Professor of Energy and Building Performance at the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College, London, Prof. Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, Dr. Wolfgang Palz, former head of Renewable Energy R&D, European Commission and others.
In his opening remarks Costis Stambolis recalled the vital role that the UK-ISES had played in introducing solar energy not only in the UK but also in Europe where Britain as a new member of the European Community ( UK entered the EC in January 1973) was eager to play a leading role, and his own involvement as a young researcher in solar building applications at the North East London Polytechnic ( NELP), later at the Architectural Association and then in private practice. He further mentioned as how from the very start he was an active member of the UK-ISES and recalled with appreciation his cooperation, on different occasions and under various capacities, with the late Professors John Page, Brian Brinkworth, Peter Dunn, Dr. Michael Hutchins, the architect Dominic Michaelis and many others.
For his contribution to this special celebratory event Costis Stambolis chose to present the solar picture in Greece and South East Europe where, as he underlined, developments have greatly accelerated over the last 5 years. Today, Greece covers more than 45% of its electricity production from renewables with solar photovoltaics contributing the most. He also emphasized how SE Europe, including Turkiye, is a fast-rising solar market with several GW of new installed capacity added each year. However, he observed, that the exceptionally fast rise of RES has brought problems related to grid stability and this has resulted in continuous curtailments of electricity injected into the grid. This is a major challenge which needs to be addressed very soon in order to avoid market collapse but requires the massive introduction of energy storage and wiser grid management. To see the full presentation of Costis Stambolis go here.
