Research focuses

Energy Market Design, Energy Economics, Energy Transition

Curriculum vitae

• Since 07/2023: Assistant Professor of Energy Market Design at the University of Cologne
• Since 07/2023: Research Scientist at the Institute of Energy Economics (EWI) at the University of Cologne
• 2022-2023: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Hertie School, Berlin
• 2019-2021: Research Associate and Doctoral Candidate at the Hertie School, Berlin
• 2017-2019: Data Scientist at Digital Energy Solutions by BMW and Viessmann
• 2011-2017: Bachelor and Master of Science in Engineering and Economics at the RWTH Aachen University

Selected publications

• Ruhnau, O., Stiewe, C., Muessel, J., Hirth, L., 2023. Natural gas savings in Germany during the 2022 energy crisis. Nature Energy.
• Ruhnau, O., 2022. How flexible electricity demand stabilizes wind and solar market values: The case of hydrogen electrolyzers. Applied Energy.
• Ruhnau, O., Qvist, S., 2022. Storage requirements in a 100% renewable electricity system: Extreme events and inter-annual variability. Environmental Research Letters.
• Ruhnau, O., Eicke, A., Sgarlato, R., Tröndle, T., Hirth, L., 2022. Cost-potential curves of onshore wind energy: the role of disamenity costs. Environmental and Resource Economics.
• Ruhnau, O., Bucksteeg, M., Ritter, D., et al., 2022. Why electricity system models yield different results: Carbon pricing in a model-comparison experiment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
• Ruhnau, O., Hirth, L., Praktiknjo, A., 2020. Heating with wind: Economics of heat pumps and variable renewables. Energy Economics.

Selected media publications

• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 2023: Warum sich die Lage auf dem Gasmarkt entspannt
• Tagesspiegel, 2023: Gasverbrauch ist in Deutschland 2022 stark zurückgegangen
• Financial Times, 2022: Germany dims the light to cope with Russia gas supply crunch