Heroes of modern energy at FEE CTU: Dr. Valentová and Šimon Falta received prestigious awards

The Association of Modern Energy and the Solar Energy Association recognized energy experts from the public sector, industry and academia. The Heroes of Modern Energy Awards went to authors of inspiring projects using renewable energy sources, often in combination with storage, energy-efficient buildings and other smart solutions. The best projects in four categories were selected by an expert jury.

Heroine Michaela Valentová, MSc., Ph.D.

Forty women were nominated for the first edition of the Women Heroes of Modern Energy competition. Researcher Michaela Valentová, MSc., Ph.D. from the Department of Economics, Management and Humanities at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of CTU came third in the category Professional Women.

"Transformation of the energy sector needs more than just technology - it needs trust, diversity and active involvement of all. Our goal is to connect socio-economic and technological knowledge and apply it not only to individuals, but also at the level of cities and municipalities. I see the award as a confirmation of the importance of these topics in the context of decarbonisation," said Valentová.

Valentová's research focuses on policy and financing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, including small investor decision-making, sustainable investments, and taxonomy or transformation of district heating. She is an external expert for the European Commission and has also worked at The Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. In her previous analytical work, she has led and contributed to a number of international projects on energy services or product design. She holds a Master's degree from the Central European University in Budapest and a PhD from the Czech Technical University in Prague.

"The number of women applying and the quality of their projects proves that women have long been part of the modern energy industry, we just don't hear much about their work. We all agree on the need for even greater involvement across the sector. So I believe that together we can make the energy, or even the technology sector attractive enough for the new generation of female students," said Zuzana Krejčiříková, Director of Public Affairs at CEZ Group, member of the Board of Directors of the Czech Chamber of Commerce and a juror of the Heroes of Modern Energy.

Valentová is one of the leading experts in the energy sector. Two years ago, she appeared in the list of outstanding faces in the field of sustainability prepared by the [ta] Udržitelnost (The Sustainability) project in cooperation with the Euro weekly.

Hero Šimon Falta

In the male competition Hero of Modern Energy, Šimon Falta, a freshman of the Electrical Engineering, Power Engineering and Management (EEM) programme, succeeded. He received a special award from the jury for the innovative approach he applied in the IQstat project.

The IQstat app saves households, hotels and restaurants on electricity costs. It remotely controls relays and smart sockets that control appliances such as the boiler, heat pump, electric heating and electric car chargers. Based on data such as spot electricity prices, distribution data or, for example, the production of domestic photovoltaics, it assesses the time intervals at which appliances should draw electricity.

"It was a great satisfaction for us to be awarded in the Heroes of Modern Energy competition. For over two years in high school, we have been intensively researching how the entire energy industry works and where we can bring the most value to the market to help the entire Czech economy. I am very pleased that our efforts are beginning to be noticed by such prestigious organisations as the Modern Energy Association. At the same time, I am very aware that awards are never the most important thing in business. The main thing is to provide an honest service that makes our customers' lives easier - that is always our goal."

Šimon Falta started developing the idea of saving money on electricity bills in this way as a 17-year-old high school student, together with his classmate Šimon Kala. Today, he is developing it further as a startup.

According to him, it is possible to combine the demanding studies at the FEE CTU and entrepreneurship even in the first year. "I mainly enjoy mathematics. When I have stress in the company, I go to school to relax. I integrate 50 examples and it's fine," says Šimon Falta.