Professor Hermann de Meer

Professor Hermann de Meer holds the Chair of Computer Networks and Computer Communications at the University of Passau and is Honorary Professor at University College London. Previously, he held positions as Junior Professor at the University of Hamburg and Visiting Professor at Columbia University in New York City, USA. His research interests include cloud computing, energy systems, network virtualisation, IT security, smart grid, smart city, Industry 4.0, the digitalisation of energy systems, computer networks, and computer communication, as well as distributed computing.

"With our research, my team and I want to drive forward the energy transition using digitalisation. On account of renewable energy sources, the electricity system is evolving from a centralised to a decentralised system – the overall structure is changing. Digitalisation is necessary to sustain energy supplies and maintain the stability of the network structure. Collaboration with other disciplines is crucial here, because we are facing not only a technical, but also a societal, a political challenge. What this means is that people need to be willing to get involved, everyone needs to take responsibility. Anyone operating a solar power system must ensure that their system is able to activate protective mechanisms, for instance when a short circuit occurs in the transmission line to the neighbour's home. In other words, onetime consumers do not merely turn into power producers, they also need to guarantee the safety of the system."

A selection of projects

EU project "META BUILD": Using digital twins to electrify university buildings

BMBF-Project ESN4NW: Tapping wind energy to provide sustainable computing with maximus performance

BMWK Project EnerSat – satellite networks for reliable monitoring of critical infrastructures

EU project LocalRES: how blackouts can be avoided

DFG project "Blackstart" – new strategies against blackouts II

DFG project ResiServD – resilient infrastructure for the energy revolution

EU project RENergetic: IT solution from Passau for the energy revolution from the bottom up

DFG project – calculating flexibility in energy systems

Information video on the RENergetic project

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Articles in the Research Magazine

The EU Horizon project RENergetic is researching how renewable energy hubs can optimise energy self-sufficiency. As part of the project, a team from the University of Passau is developing smart solutions integrating IT and legal perspectives.

In his doctoral thesis, the computer scientist explores the challenges that power grids face on account of the growing number of electric vehicles and the increasingly inconsistent power input from photovoltaic systems.

Humboldt fellow and computer scientist Abdorasoul Ghasemi is using his stay at the University of Passau to advance the concept of resiliency, which concerns not only modern energy systems but also society at large.

Researchers from the University of Passau are helping to design the electricity grid of the future: As part of the Horizon2020-project EASY-RES, they are looking for ways to equip the grid for the increasing number of small producers.