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.

MADHIARASAN M | Renewable Energy Technologies | Best Researcher Award

MADHIARASAN M | Renewable Energy Technologies | Best Researcher Award

Dr MADHIARASAN M, French Institute of Pondicherry, India

Publication profile

google scholar

EDUCATIONAL PROFILE

Dr. Madhiarasan M holds an impressive educational background in electrical engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Anna University, Chennai (2018). He completed his M.E. in Electrical Drives and Embedded Control with a CGPA of 8.403 (2013) and a B.E. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Anna University (2010). His recent postdoctoral fellowships include roles at the Transilvania University of Brașov (2022-2023) and IIT Roorkee (2020-2022). These credentials position him as a scholar with robust expertise in both engineering theory and practical applications.

FIELD OF INTEREST & ACADEMIC PROJECTS

Dr. Madhiarasan’s research interests span SCADA-based supervisory control, robotics for power transmission line inspection, and hybrid neural network models for renewable energy forecasting. His UG and PG projects focused on control systems and robotics, while his Ph.D. tackled neural network applications in energy forecasting. His research aligns with global energy sustainability initiatives, showcasing his commitment to solving pressing electrical engineering challenges.

EXPERIENCE

He has accumulated extensive academic and research experience, starting as a lecturer in 2010. He has taught at various institutions, including the Madras Institute of Technology and Anna University. As an assistant professor at the Bharat Institute of Engineering and Technology (2018-2020), and later as a research fellow, his contributions to academia are significant. His current role at the French Institute of Pondicherry further extends his research prowess.

AWARDS

Among his accolades, Dr. Madhiarasan received the UGC Fellowship and Transilvania Fellowship for young researchers. In 2023, he was honored with the Best Researcher Award at the 10th Global Research Awards on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. His accolades highlight his excellence in research, particularly in AI and renewable energy applications.

PROJECT GUIDANCE

His project supervision includes the development of IoT-based systems, including energy monitoring and robotics for military use. His work has practical applications, particularly in power transmission monitoring and control, emphasizing his capability to guide impactful projects in the field of electrical and computer engineering.

WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS/CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION

Dr. Madhiarasan has organized key academic events, such as the World Entrepreneurs’ Day TECHFEST 2023 and national workshops on research writing. He also co-coordinated AICTE-sponsored faculty development programs on artificial intelligence at IIT Roorkee. His leadership in academic forums demonstrates his active engagement in sharing knowledge with the broader research community.

EDITOR & REVIEWER

He has contributed as an editor for various international journals and special issues, including those on renewable energy and embedded technologies. His editorial work in prestigious journals like Sensors (MDPI) reflects his strong academic standing in the field of electrical engineering and renewable energy research.

CO-CURRICULAR CERTIFICATIONS

Dr. Madhiarasan has completed numerous certifications related to wind and solar energy, electronics, and design thinking, which reflect his commitment to continuous learning. These certifications from top global universities via Coursera strengthen his expertise in energy systems and innovation.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Throughout his career, Dr. Madhiarasan has excelled in academics, including ranking second in his M.E. program. His extracurricular achievements include awards in oratory competitions and television appearances. His participation in national seminars and debates further demonstrates his well-rounded profile as a scholar and communicator.

RESEARCH FOCUS

M. Madhiarasan’s research primarily focuses on applying artificial neural networks (ANNs) and machine learning techniques to wind speed forecasting. His work includes developing methods to optimize neural network architectures, such as selecting the appropriate number of hidden neurons for improved prediction accuracy. He has explored various ANN models, including backpropagation, radial basis function, and spiking neural networks, enhancing their performance with optimization algorithms like Grey Wolf Optimization. Additionally, his studies cover different forecast horizons, long-term predictions, and comparative analyses of network architectures for wind energy applications. 🌬️🌐🤖📊

CONCLUSION

Dr. Madhiarasan M is highly suitable for the Best Researcher Award. With his comprehensive educational background, extensive research experience, and significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering and renewable energy, he stands out as a leader in academic and industrial collaborations. His awards, editorial roles, and leadership in organizing academic events further support his candidacy for this prestigious honor.

PUBLICATION TOP NOTES

Comparative analysis on hidden neurons estimation in multi layer perceptron neural networks for wind speed forecasting

A novel criterion to select hidden neuron numbers in improved back propagation networks for wind speed forecasting

Accurate prediction of different forecast horizons wind speed using a recursive radial basis function neural network

Analysis of artificial neural network: architecture, types, and forecasting applications

Long-Term Wind Speed Forecasting using Spiking Neural Network Optimized by Improved Modified Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm

A comprehensive review of sign language recognition: Different types, modalities, and datasets

ELMAN Neural Network with Modified Grey Wolf Optimizer for Enhanced Wind Speed Forecasting

New criteria for estimating the hidden layer neuron numbers for recursive radial basis function networks and its application in wind speed forecasting

Performance investigation of six artificial neural networks for different time scale wind speed forecasting in three wind farms of coimbatore region

Analysis of artificial neural network performance based on influencing factors for temperature forecasting applications

A Novel Method to Select Hidden Neurons in ELMAN Neural Network for Wind Speed Prediction Application

Agnese Rapposelli | Energy and Sustainability | Best Researcher Award

Agnese Rapposelli | Energy and Sustainability | Best Researcher Award

Prof Agnese Rapposelli, University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Italy

Dr. Agnese Rapposelli is a Senior Assistant Professor of Economic Statistics at “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, since November 2021. She holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from the same university and achieved National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in 2017. Her research focuses on dynamic methodologies for evaluating complex systems, statistical models for spatial analysis, and the impact of environmental pollution on health 🌍📊. Dr. Rapposelli has also been a visiting scholar at Warwick Business School and holds professional qualifications as a chartered accountant and accounting auditor.

Publication profile

google scholar

Education

🎓 Achieving academic excellence, I earned a Ph.D. in Statistics from “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, with a thesis on efficiency evaluation and Data Envelopment Analysis under Prof. Mauro Coli’s guidance in April 2006. I previously completed a Laurea in Economics, summa cum laude, at the same university in July 2002, finishing in 3.5 years instead of 4. My high school journey culminated in a Scientific Lyceum diploma with a focus on lab courses and languages (French/English), scoring 54/60 in July 1998. Professionally, I am a certified Chartered Accountant since November 2012 and an Accounting Auditor since January 2014. 📊📚✈️

Experience

Dr. Agnese Rapposelli has been a dedicated lecturer at “G. D’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. Since 2013, they have taught courses in Statistics, Econometrics, and Quantitative Methods, all held in English. 📊 From 2019-2024, Dr. [Name] taught Statistics and Basic Econometrics for the PhD in Accounting, Management, and Business Economics program. 📈 In 2014-2015, they lectured on Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Management and Business Administration. 📚 Additionally, in 2013-2014, they focused on Econometric Methods in Finance and Business Administration. 📉 Their commitment to education and expertise in these fields have made them a valuable asset to the university. 🎓

Research project

From 2024-2025, I serve as Principal Investigator for the University of Chieti-Pescara’s PRIN 2022 PNRR project on the circular economy through the lens of mathematics for signal processing 🔍🔄. In 2022, I investigated statistical models for spatial analysis 📊🌍, and in 2021, I focused on spatial-temporal models to examine environmental pollution’s impact on human health 🌿🧬. From 2020 to 2019, my research analyzed corporate governance and financial performance 📈🏢. Earlier, from 2007-2013, I participated in evaluating complex systems 🧩. In 2007-2008, I evaluated airline efficiency ✈️, and in 2002-2003, I worked on strategic planning and performance measurement for Air One SpA 📉📊.

Awards

From 2024-2025, I served as the Principal Investigator for the PRIN 2022 PNRR research project “Circular Economy from the Mathematics for Signal Processing Perspective” at the University of Chieti-Pescara. I received the Best ItAIS Conference Paper award for my study on carbon emissions and economic growth, presented in 2022. My work on waste sector efficiency earned special mentions at international workshops in 2021 and 2022. I also won the Best Track Award in 2021. In 2020 and 2019, I was ranked first in my department for MIUR research funds based on scientific production. 📊🌍🏆

Research focus

A Rapposelli’s research focuses primarily on environmental efficiency and waste management, as well as the inclusion of disabled individuals in the labor market. His work involves evaluating the joint environmental and cost performance of municipal waste systems, the impact of green technology and environmental policies on ecological footprints, and the efficiency of urban waste services. Additionally, Rapposelli has conducted significant research on the employment of disabled people in Italy, analyzing the effectiveness of laws and policies aimed at their inclusion. His studies employ methods such as data envelopment analysis to assess efficiency and policy implications. 🌍♻️👨‍🦽📊

Publication top notes

Evaluating joint environmental and cost performance in municipal waste management systems through data envelopment analysis: Scale effects and policy implications

Improving waste production and recycling through zero-waste strategy and privatization: An empirical investigation

The impact of green technology innovation, environmental taxes, and renewable energy consumption on ecological footprint in Italy: Fresh evidence from novel dynamic ARDL …

Monitoring environmental efficiency: an application to Italian provinces

Inclusion of disabled people in the Italian labour market: an efficiency analysis of law 68/1999 at regional level

Efficiency evaluation in an airline company: some empirical results

Employment of disabled people in the private sector. An analysis at the level of Italian Provinces according to article 13 of law 68/1999

The factors affecting Italian provinces’ separate waste-collection rates: An empirical investigation

Assessing efficiency of urban waste services and the role of tariff in a circular economy perspective: An empirical application for Italian municipalities

Regional performance trends in providing employment for persons with disabilities: Evidence from Italy