Professor for Decentralized Grids for Renewable Energy

• Coordinator for Practical/Internship Semester(s) / Praxisbeauftragter - Electrical Engineering and Information Technology 
• Academic Advisor / Fachstudienberater - International Engineering

Meeting hours and exam reviews are available by appointment via email

Biography

Matthias Kühnbach did his Master's degree in Industrial Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Bergamo University.

In his dissertation with the University of Freiburg (supervision: Prof. Dr. Anke Weidlich) he assessed demand-side flexibility in decentralized electricity systems using simulation and optimization models.

From 2017 to 2022, he worked as a researcher for Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research. Between 2022 and 2024, Matthias led the research group "Data-driven operation of energy systems" at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.  
Since 2024, he is professor for Decentralized Energy Systems at the University for Applied Sciences Kempten.

His main areas of research includes the techno-economic evaluation of (business) use cases for the decarbonization of small and medium-sized companies, e.g. with regard to investments in storage systems and electric mobility.

Complementary to this, Matthias investigates decentralized energy systems such as energy communities and concepts for small-scale energy generation and flexibility like energy sharing: What added value can an active and coordinated use of flexibility resources create from a prosumer, grid and energy system perspective?  What is the effect of regulatory (mis-)incentives on the diffusion and behavior of flexibility resources?

Expertise

• Prosuming models, energy sharing and energy communities
• Techno-economic optimization of the decarbonization of small and medium-sized companies
• Electric vehicle infrastructure and smart charging
• Analysis and modeling of energy systems

Publications

For a full list, see Google Scholar

Latest publications:

• Kühnbach, M.; Klobasa, M.; Stephan, A.; Lux, B.; Frank, F.; Surmann, A. et al. (2024): Potential of a full EV-power-system-integration in Europe and how to realise it. Study on behalf of Transport & Environment (T&E) Europe. Fraunhofer ISE; Fraunhofer ISI. PDF-Link
• Gnann, T.; Yu, S.; Stute, J.; Kühnbach, M. (2025): The value of smart charging at home and its impact on EV market shares – A German case study. In: Applied Energy 380, S. 124997. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124997 .
• Kühnbach, M.; Plötz, P.; Stephan, A.; Kähler, J.; Surmann, A.; Biener, W.; John, R. (2024): Potenziale von Stellplätzen an Wohn- und Nichtwohngebäuden zur Bereitstellung privater Ladeinfrastruktur. Fraunhofer ISE, Fraunhofer ISI. Freiburg/Karlsruhe. Online verfügbar unter https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/462634.
• Oberfeier, O.; Kühnbach, M.; Surmann, M.; Mehling, H.; Flemming, S.; Timofeeva, E. et al.: Vor-Ort-Systeme im Fokus: 7 Thesen für eine erfolgreiche Energiewende. Fraunhofer CINES. Berlin. Online verfügbar unter https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/474499.
• Oberfeier, P.; Surmann, A.; Kühnbach, M. (2023): Großer Wurf oder leeres Versprechen? Attraktivität und Wirtschaftlichkeit der Gemeinschaftlichen Gebäudeversorgung. In: Energiewirtschaftliche Tagesfragen 73 (11). PDF-Link
• Misconel, S.; Zimmermann, F.; Mikurda, J.; Möst, D.; Kunze, R.; Gnann, T. et al. (2024): Model coupling and comparison on optimal load shifting of battery electric vehicles and heat pumps focusing on generation adequacy. In: Energy 305, S. 132266. DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.132266 .
• Pelka, S.; Bosch, A.; Chappin, E. J. L.; Liesenhoff, F.; Kühnbach, M.; Vries, L. J. de (2024): To charge or not to charge? Using Prospect Theory to model the tradeoffs of electric vehicle users. In: Sustain Sci. DOI: 10.1007/s11625-023-01432-y .
• Stute, J.; Pelka, S.; Kühnbach, M.; Klobasa, M. (2024): Assessing the conditions for economic viability of dynamic electricity retail tariffs for households. In: Advances in Applied Energy, S. 100174. DOI: 10.1016/j.adapen.2024.100174 .
• Stute, J.; Kühnbach, M. (2023): Dynamic pricing and the flexible consumer – Investigating grid and financial implications: A case study for Germany. In: Energy Strategy Reviews 45, S. 100987. DOI: 10.1016/j.esr.2022.100987 .
• Gross, A.; Kreilgaard, L.; Koepfer, B.; Kühnbach, M. (2023): Getting Closer to Reality? Peak-Shaving with Battery Systems in Commerce and Industry. In: Proceedings of the International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (IRES 2022), 2023/05/25: Atlantis Press, S. 193–205. DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-156-2_14
• Kühnbach, Matthias; Bekk, Anke; Weidlich, Anke (2022): Towards improved prosumer participation: Electricity trading in local markets. In: Energy 239, S. 122445. DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.122445 .

Dissertation: 

• Kühnbach, M. (2022): Assessing demand flexibility in decentralized electricity systems. Dissertation. Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg. Institut für Nachhaltige Technische Systeme - INATECH. DOI: 10.6094/UNIFR/228095