Francesca Vecchi | Energy and Sustainability | Best Researcher Award

Mrs. Francesca Vecchi | Energy and Sustainability | Best Researcher Award

Mrs. Francesca Vecchi | Energy and Sustainability | PhD | Polytechnic University of Bari | Italy

Francesca Vecchi is an Italian researcher specializing in sustainability engineering, renewable energy communities, and urban energy planning, with a strong academic background in urban and territorial planning. Currently pursuing her PhD at Politecnico di Bari in collaboration with Concordia University, she focuses on integrating renewable energy communities into urban areas through energy market mechanisms and policy analysis. Her research combines GIS-based tools, energy modelling, and solar analysis to optimize mixed-use urban neighbourhoods, with international experience as a visiting scholar in Canada at Toronto Metropolitan University and Concordia University. She has authored multiple publications in high-impact journals, contributed to notable projects such as ICELL, S2E, and Tools4Cities, and received several prestigious awards and scholarships, including the Ermenegildo Zegna Founder’s Scholarship and AiCARR Thesis Award. Francesca’s work is marked by interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to advancing sustainable urban energy solutions.

Professional Profile 

Education  

Francesca Vecchi holds a PhD in Sustainability Engineering and Safety in Civil and Industrial Buildings from Politecnico di Bari, conducted in collaboration with Concordia University in Montreal, where her research focuses on integrating renewable energy communities into urban contexts. She earned a Master’s degree in Planning for the Global Urban Agenda from Politecnico di Torino, an international program aligned with the United Nations’ New Urban Agenda, complemented by her participation in the Alta Scuola Politecnica, a prestigious multidisciplinary program jointly run by Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino. She also completed a Bachelor’s degree in Urban, Territorial and Landscape-Environmental Planning from Politecnico di Torino, enriched by an Erasmus semester at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. Her educational path began with a High School Diploma in languages from Liceo Scientifico Manfredo Fanti, which included a cultural exchange experience at Burlingame High School in San Francisco, USA.

Professional Experience

Francesca Vecchi has gained extensive professional and research experience across academic, international, and project-based environments. At Politecnico di Bari, she has been actively engaged in research on renewable energy communities, energy network management, and the integration of renewables in urban and coastal cities. As a visiting scholar at Concordia University in Montreal, she contributed to projects such as ICELL and S2E, developing energy remuneration and sharing policies, simulating energy communities, and integrating occupancy profiles into urban energy modelling tools. She also worked on demographic scenario simulations for Montreal districts, assessing both energy and financial impacts. Earlier, as a visiting scholar at Toronto Metropolitan University, she developed her master’s thesis on urban building energy modelling and solar assessment. Additionally, she served as a learning support teacher at Politecnico di Torino, assisting students with general learning needs. Her professional journey reflects a consistent commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, technical innovation, and the advancement of sustainable urban energy systems.

Research Interest

Francesca Vecchi’s research interests center on the integration of renewable energy communities within urban environments, with a strong focus on energy market mechanisms, policy analysis, and sustainable urban planning. She is particularly engaged in developing GIS-based energy assessments, multi-scalar urban energy modelling, and solar analysis to optimize building and district-level performance. Her work explores mixed-use neighbourhoods, residential occupancy patterns, and the diffusion of renewable energy policies in different socio-political contexts. She is also interested in applying advanced simulation tools to assess energy and financial impacts, fostering cross-disciplinary approaches that bridge engineering, planning, and policy-making to accelerate the energy transition and support climate-resilient cities.

Award and Honor

Francesca Vecchi has received multiple awards and honors in recognition of her academic excellence, research contributions, and commitment to sustainability. She was awarded the AiCARR Thesis Award for outstanding work on energy efficiency and sustainable well-being, and earned a Certificate of Merit at the AIGE/IIETA International Conference for her research on solar analysis in urban contexts. She is a recipient of the prestigious Ermenegildo Zegna Founder’s Scholarship, enabling advanced research abroad, and has been honored by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Carpi for achieving top grades in both her master’s and bachelor’s studies. Her distinctions reflect not only her high academic performance but also the innovative and practical impact of her research in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable urban planning.

Publications Top Noted

National Geodatabase to Map Consumptions for Energy Transition
Year: 2025

Energy remuneration mechanisms for renewable energy communities: Insights from a mixed-use district
Year: 2025

Modelling the complexity of interconnected energy systems at different urban scales: a critical review
Year: 2025

Modelling tools for the assessment of Renewable Energy Communities
Year: 2024

Solar analysis for an urban context from GIS to block-scale evaluations
Year: 2024

Self-Sufficiency Building Energy Modelling from Urban to Block-Scale with PV Technology
Year: 2023

Data-driven urban building energy models for the platform of Toronto
Year: 2023

Conclusion

Francesca Vecchi stands out as a highly promising and deserving candidate for the Best Researcher Award. Her combination of technical skill, cross-cultural research experience, policy insight, and consistent scholarly output not only positions her as an emerging leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban systems but also aligns closely with the award’s aim to recognize impactful, forward-looking research that addresses global challenges.

Emad Kazemzadeh | Energy and Sustainability | Best Researcher Award

Emad Kazemzadeh | Energy and Sustainability | Best Researcher Award

Dr Emad Kazemzadeh, Ferdowsi university of Mashhad, Iran

Emad Kazemzadeh is a dedicated researcher in Energy and Environmental Economics, recently completing a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (2022-2023) under Associate Professor Narges Salehnia’s supervision. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics (2022) and has conducted research at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Emad’s teaching experience spans Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and energy financing at Ferdowsi and Payam-e-Noor universities. He has also served as a research assistant for distinguished professors and presented at international conferences, including one on income inequality’s impact on ecological footprints. 🌍📊📉👨‍🏫

Publication profile

google scholar

Education 

Dr. Emad Kazemzadeh is a dedicated Post-Doctoral Researcher specializing in Energy and Environmental Economics at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (2022-2023) 🌍📊, under the mentorship of Associate Professor Narges Salehnia. He completed a research course at the University of Coimbra, Portugal (2020-2021) 🇵🇹📈, supervised by Professor José Alberto Fuinhas. Dr. Kazemzadeh earned his Ph.D. in Economics, focusing on energy and environmental topics, from Ferdowsi University (2016-2022) 🎓🌱. His academic journey began with an M.Sc. in Economics from Sistan and Baluchestan University (2012) and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from the University of Farhangian (2008) ➕📐.

Experience

Emad Kazemzadeh has been actively engaged in teaching a range of B.Sc. economics courses across Iran. Currently, he teaches Microeconomics I and Principles of Economics (3 units) at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (2023–2024). Previously, he lectured on Financing and Energy Contracts at the same institution (2021–2023) and Principles of Economics (2 units) in 2022. Emad also taught Macroeconomics I and Microeconomics I and II at Payam-e-Noor University in Ilam, Darreshahr, from 2016 to 2018. His experience highlights his commitment to shaping future economists. 📘📊✨

Conferences and presentations

In a recent seminar at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, the focus was on “The Impact of Income Inequality and Economic Complexity on Ecological Footprint,” analyzing these factors over an extended period 🌍📉. Additionally, research on Iran’s business landscape was presented at the First International Conference on Economics, Management, Accounting, and Social Sciences, titled “Investigation of the Business Environment in Iran and the Introduction of Influential Institutions” 📊🇮🇷. At the Second International Conference on Future Research, Management, and Economic Development, insights were shared through “Analysis of Business Partners of Iran’s Automobile Market,” highlighting market trends and partnerships in this sector 🚗📈.

Awards

Dr. Emad Kazemzadeh was honored as Iran’s Best Researcher by the Ministry of Education in 2023 🏆🇮🇷. Known for his dedication to advancing educational research and innovation 📚🔍, Dr. Kazemzadeh has made significant contributions that shape the academic landscape of Iran. His work emphasizes progressive learning methods, student engagement strategies, and impactful educational policies 🎓💡. This recognition highlights his role as a thought leader in the field, inspiring educators and researchers nationwide 🌐👩‍🏫👨‍🏫. Dr. Kazemzadeh’s achievements reflect his commitment to fostering a brighter future for Iran’s education system and its learners 🌱📖.

Research focus

Ehsan Kazemzadeh’s research primarily focuses on environmental economics, exploring the interactions between income inequality, economic complexity, renewable energy, and ecological sustainability 🌍📉. His studies analyze the ecological footprint and how factors like globalization, renewable energy policies, and energy efficiency impact sustainability in emerging economies and Latin American countries 🌱🔋. Kazemzadeh’s work also investigates the effectiveness of electric and hybrid vehicles in reducing emissions, using complex models and quantitative methods like quantile regression and data envelopment analysis. His research provides vital insights for policymakers aiming to balance economic growth with ecological preservation and cleaner energy solutions 🚗💨📊.

Publication top notes

The impact of income inequality and economic complexity on ecological footprint: an analysis covering a long-time span

The impact of renewable energy policies on deaths from outdoor and indoor air pollution: Empirical evidence from Latin American and Caribbean countries

Globalization, renewable energy consumption, and agricultural production impacts on ecological footprint in emerging countries: using quantile regression approach

Do energy efficiency and export quality affect the ecological footprint in emerging countries? A two-step approach using the SBM–DEA model and panel quantile regression

Measuring the economic efficiency performance in Latin American and Caribbean countries: An empirical evidence from stochastic production frontier and data envelopment analysis

Effect of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on PM2. 5 emissions in 29 European countries

Assessing influential factors for ecological footprints: A complex solution approach