Biography
Dr. Willy Villasmil, Lecturer and Research Group Leader at the Institute for Building Technology and Energy and Program Head of the CAS Thermal Networks at HSLU, focuses on the development of innovative methods for the optimization and decarbonization of district heating and cooling (DHC) networks. Using advanced modeling and simulation methods, his research aims to develop intelligent control strategies and adaptive energy supply systems that not only efficiently meet current energy needs, but also flexibly respond to future changes in energy demand caused by climate change. A core area of his work is the research and development of innovative topologies for 5th generation DHC networks, known in Switzerland as "anergy networks". Another focus of his work involves the integration and smart operation of thermal energy storage systems to increase efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions, and relieve hydraulic constraints on DHC networks.
Dr. Villasmil studied mechanical engineering at the Simón Bolívar University in Venezuela, graduating with honors in 2006. His advanced studies took him to the Institute of Energy Technology at ETH Zurich, where he received his MSc in 2008 and subsequently completed his PhD in the field of thermochemical energy storage. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoc at the Laboratory for Solar Technology at the Paul Scherrer Institute, specializing in high-temperature thermochemical processes for the production of liquid fuels using concentrated solar energy. In 2015, he moved to Flow Products in England, where he contributed to the development of micro combined heat and power systems as a senior development engineer.
In 2017, Dr. Villasmil joined the School of Engineering and Architecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, first as a Research Group Leader at the Competence Center for Thermal Energy Storage and later at the Institute for Building Technology and Energy. Since 2022, he has extended his commitment to the development and promotion of sustainable energy systems through his role as a board member of Thermische Netze Schweiz (Swiss Association for District Heating and Cooling).
