Dr. Binod Koirala
Group Leader Buildings and Cities | Urban Energy Systems
Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
Tel +41 58 765 46 83
www.empa.ch
Short Bio
Dr. Koirala leads the Buildings & Cities Group at Empa's Urban Energy System Lab. His research focuses on techno-economic, environmental, and socio-institutional issues of energy system transformation and sustainability transition from district to transnational scale. He has over 20 years of experience developing and valorizing methods for modeling and optimizing integrated energy systems on various tempo-spatial scales at renowned European research institutes. At Empa (CH), TNO (NL), UTwente (NL), TU Delft (NL), Institute for Research of Technology (ES), and Fraunhofer ISE/IWES (DE), he was involved in many international projects. He is experienced in various leadership roles and responsibilities and has excellent project management, acquisition, and networking skills. Dr. Koirala studied renewable energy management at the University of Freiburg and holds an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate in Sustainable Energy Technologies and Strategies from TU Delft, KTH, and Comillas Pontifical University.
Key projects
Colouring Dübendorf
DigiFrauenfeld
DigiSisslerfeld
Netto-Null Rheintal
BBL
Key Scientific Publications
Koirala, B., Cai, H., Khayatian, F., Munoz, E., An, J.G., Mutschler, R., Sulzer, M., de Wolf, C., and Orehouning K. Digitalization of urban multi-energy systems – Advances in digital twin applications across life-cycle phases. Advs. in Appl Energy 2024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adapen.2024.100196
Vandenberghe, R., Humbert G., Cai, H., Koirala, B., Sansavini, G., Heer, P., Optimal sizing and operation of hydrogen generation sites accounting for waste heat recovery, Applied Energy 2025 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.125004
Koirala, B. P.; Koliou, E.; Friege, J.; Hakvoort, R. A.; Herder, P. M. Energetic communities for community energy: A review of key issues and trends shaping integrated community energy systems. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2016, 56, 722–744 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.11.080
Koirala, B. P.; van Oost, E.C.J.; van der Windt, H. Community energy storage: A responsible innovation towards a sustainable energy systems, Applied Energy, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.09.163
Koirala, B. P.; Hers, S.; Espana, G. M.; Ozmedir, O.; Sijm, J.; Weeda, M. Integrated electricity, hydrogen and methane Systems modelling framework: Application to the Dutch Infrastructure framework 2050, Applied Energy, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116713
C. Eid, L.A. Bollinger, B. Koirala, D. Scholten, E. Facchinetti, J. Lilliestam, R. Hakvoort, Market integration of local energy systems: Is local energy management compatible with European regulation for retail competition?, Energy. 114 (2016) 913– 922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.08.072
B. Koirala, B.Sahan, N.Henze. A study on MPP Mismatch Losses in Photovoltaic Applications, 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibitions 2009, Hamburg, Germany, pp. 3727-3732
https://doi.org/10.24406/publica-fhg-364351
Koirala, B. P.; Chaves-Ávila, J. P.; Hakvoort, R. A.; Gomez, T.; Herder P. Local alternative for energy supply: Performance assessment of Integrated Community Energy Systems, Energies, 2016 https://doi.org/10.3390/en9120981
Koirala BP, Araghi Y, Kroesen M, Ghorbani A, Hakvoort RA, Herder PM. Trust, awareness, and independence: Insights from a socio-psychological factor analysis of citizen knowledge and participation in community energy systems. Energy Res Soc Sci 2018;38:33–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.009
Koirala, B.P.; van Oost, E.; van der Windt, H. Innovation Dynamics of Socio-Technical Alignment in Community Energy Storage: The Cases of DrTen and Ecovat. Energies 2020, 13, 2955. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13112955
Costa C, Ortega M, Bunsen T, Koirala B, Ghorbani A. Facilitating Energy Transition through Energy Commons: An Application of Socio-Ecological Systems Framework for Integrated Community Energy Systems. Sustainability 2018;10:366. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020366
Koirala BP. Integrated Community Energy Systems. PhD Thesis, Delft University of Technology; 2017. https://doi.org/10.4233/uuid:10d555dd-8f03-4986-b5bf-ef09a63c92e1
Koirala, B. P.; Hakvoort, R. A.; van Oost, E.C.J.; van der Windt, H. Community energy storage: Governance and business models, Consumer, Prosumer, Prosumager: How service innovation will disrupt the utility business model, edited by Fereidoon Sioshansi Academic press, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816835-6.00010-3
Koirala, B. P.; Hakvoort, R. A. Integrated community-based energy systems: Aligning technology, incentives and regulations, Innovation & disruption at the Grid’s Edge, edited by Fereidoon Sioshansi (Academic Press, June 2017) https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-811758-3.00018-8
Koirala, B. P.; Chaves-Ávila, J. P.; Hakvoort, R. A.; Gomez, T. Assessment of integrated community energy systems. International Conference on European Energy Markets. 2016, Porto, Portugal. https://doi.org/10.1109/EEM.2016.7521194
I.J. Pérez-Arriaga, T. Gómez, C. Batlle, P. Rodilla, R. Cossent, I. Herrero, I. Usera, P. Mastropietro, S. Vinci, J.P. Chaves, B.P. Koirala, F. Boschi, B. Parajuli, Adapting market design to high shares of variable renewable energy. Project: IRENA-Policies. Funded by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). May/2017. https://www.irena.org/publications/2017/May/Adapting-Market-Design-to-High-Shares-of-Variable-Renewable-Energy