Change in division management: Ilka Cußmann takes over the management of the RLI research division Transformation of Energy Systems alongside Mascha Richter

April 10, 2024 | Ilka Cußmann has been the new Head of the Transformation of Energy Systems research unit at the Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI) since April 1, 2024. She will head the division together with Mascha Richter.

Ilka is an expert in the creation of open data models for energy system analysis and the collaborative development of energy system models across sectors and grid levels. As part of her ongoing PhD, Ilka is also working on the better consideration of planetary boundaries in energy system modeling. Ilka has now come to RLI via Flensburg University of Applied Sciences and Europa-Universität Flensburg.

And there is already a common link: As part of RLI’s collaboration with Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, she was involved in the open-eGo research project as a research assistant from 2015 to 2019 and took over the management of the subsequent eGon project in 2020. In this project, the researchers are investigating the effects of sector coupling, i.e. the joint consideration of the energy sectors electricity, heat, mobility and gas, on the German electricity grid.

Seamless transition in the collaboration

“We are delighted that Ilka is joining the management team in the Transformation of Energy Systems research area. Due to the good cooperation as project partners so far, Ilka can start almost seamlessly,” says Christine Kühnel, Managing Director of RLI, on the start of the new management team.”

Ilka takes over as Head of Unit from Editha Kötter, who has held the position since 2018.

The Transformation of Energy Systems research unit comprises 27 employees, including research assistants, students, interns and volunteers. They conduct research in four areas: electricity grids, energy system analysis and sector coupling, open science and data management, and participation and knowledge communication.