2018 REN Prize with new awards, jury and category

REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais is accepting entries for the 2018 REN Prize, which comprises a number of changes this year: a new jury, better awards and a new category.

Professor João Peças Lopes will continue as jury chairman and he will be joined by three new members on the panel of 12 persons responsible for assessing the entries. Maria José Clara, director of REN Institutional Relations, Zita Almeida do Vale, of the Porto Higher Institute of Engineering (Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto), and Patricia Pereira da Silva, of Coimbra University, will join Manuel Costa Matos, of Porto University's Faculty of Engineering, Paulo Sena Esteves, of Banco Carregosa, Jorge Vasconcelos, of Newes, Aníbal Santos, of the Catholic University, Luís Ferreira, of the Lisbon Technical University (Instituto Superior Técnico), Paulo Ferrão, of Lisbon Technical University and the Foundation of Science and Technology, and Albertino Meneses and Miguel Moreira da Silva, both of REN.

The value of the awards has also changed, with the winner in the Best Thesis category receiving €25,000, and the runner-up and third-place receiving €15,000 and €10,000, respectively. There will also be up to three honourable mentions, each receiving €2,500.

From 2019, the REN Prize will also be open to doctoral theses. This prize is for the best doctoral thesis completed at a Portuguese university by newly graduated doctoral students in the Energy field, in the following scientific areas: engineering, economics, physics, chemistry, information systems and computer science. This prize will be awarded every two years, and is open to all doctoral theses of the areas mentioned above that have been defended during the two academic years prior to the year in which the prize will be awarded.

The REN Prize is awarded to the best master's thesis in the energy field, produced in Portuguese establishments of higher education across the different branches of engineering, as well as in economics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, information systems and computer science.

The theses considered for the Prize will be on topics of the energy systems field, in the following categories: Planning, operation and management of electric and gas energy systems; integration of renewable energy sources; development of electricity and gas smart grids; regulation and electricity and gas markets; and new technologies in electricity and gas systems.

Established in 1995, the REN Prize aims to keep pace with the transformations and developments that have shaped the energy industry in recent years. After 23 years, making it one of the oldest in the industry, the REN Prize continues to demonstrate REN's commitment to the development of the Portuguese energy industry and to enhancing cooperation between institutes of learning, technological development and the Portuguese business community.

Entries for the 2018 REN Prize will be open until 30 April. For further information and to view the rules, visit https://www.ren.pt/pt-PT/sustentabilidade/premios_ren/