OBITUARY
GÜNTHER BRAUNER †
Günther Brauner held the Chair of Energy Systems and was head of the Institute of Energy Systems and Energy Economics for many years. After studying telecommunications, he switched to high-voltage research. After completing his doctorate in the field of high-voltage technology at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Günther Brauner worked as a department head for network development and simulation in industry for 14 years before moving to the Vienna University of Technology. His main areas of research were most recently in the fields of decentralised renewable and autonomous energy systems, energy efficiency and electric mobility. He has held various positions in numerous associations – OVE (Austrian Electrotechnical Association), VDE (Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), CIGRE (Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques), CIRED (Congrès International des Réseaux Electriques de Distribution).
Günther Brauner was first elected to the Presidium of the World Energy Council Austria in 1998. He was a member of this body without interruption until 2019. During his many years as a member of the Executive Board, Günther Brauner played a key role in numerous projects of the association and thus played a decisive role in shaping the WEC Austria association for more than two decades. The thematic range of the WEC Austria workshops initiated by him was impressive. In these workshops, renewable energy potentials and their use were explored, the integration of decentralised energy generation into the energy system was discussed, aspects of demand side management and supply side management were debated, and perspectives of the energy infrastructure in view of the energy transition were highlighted. The future topics of ‘alternative mobility’ and ‘sector coupling’ were given wide scope at an early stage.
With ‘his’ topics, Günther Brauner proved sustainability early on. And that was a good thing. Today, these topics are at the centre of attention and are of great importance for the success of the energy transition.
In his workshops, however, Günther Brauner also explored questions about the causes of major disruptions in energy systems. His analyses were incorporated into blackout prevention and thus decisively increased the security of supply with electrical energy in Austria.
However, Günther Brauner’s commitment to WEC Austria was not limited to workshops. It was his firm belief in the future of our society that made him put a lot of energy into our Young Energy Professionals programme. As a board member, he actively promoted this project.
Günther Brauner took responsibility for WEC Austria and contributed in many ways and for the benefit of WEC Austria. For these special services to the association WEC Austria, Günther Brauner was awarded honorary membership of WEC Austria on 14 October 2020 on the occasion of the 73rd General Assembly.
WEC Austria will honour the memory of its honorary member and expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of Prof. Günther Brauner.
World Energy Council Austria |
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Mag. Dr. Michael Strugl, MBA
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Dr. Robert Kobau
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