Why Most BESS Projects Underperform

Stephen LaPlante is Head of Special Projects at Doosan GridTech, a BESS integrator and energy power plant controller software company that designs, integrates, and operates BESS across Australia and the United States. He has worked across the technology and operations sides of the business, and now focuses on evaluating and integrating new tools, including analytics platforms like TWAICE, into GridTech's O&M workflow.

Emily Taylor is an Asset Manager at BW ESS, where she oversees the operational performance of grid-scale battery storage assets. Before that, she worked as an BESS asset manager at Harmony Energy. Her background combines frontline operational responsibility with a strong analytical grounding in performance data.

Tuomo Salo is Head of Technology at Olana Energy, a Finnish independent power producer specializing in grid-scale battery energy storage. One of the company's earliest employees, he holds a Master of Science (Technology) and has been central to Olana's growth into BESS, including architecting the asset management function for Olana's operational BESS fleet.

Emil Namor is BESS Performance Analyst at Alpiq. Since 2015 he works on lithium-ion battery diagnostics across research, automotive, and energy sectors. His work with grid-forming technologies started in 2018 within the H2020 project Osmose. Today, he monitors the evolution of this technology and its impact on power systems and represents Alpiq in the Inertia and Grid Forming task force of the Energy Storage Europe association.

Chris Swanson is Director, Performance Engineering at Fullmark Energy, where he leads asset management, operations, and performance optimization for battery energy storage systems. With nearly two decades of experience spanning engineering, project development, and commissioning, he has guided battery storage projects across design, implementation, and operations. Chris specializes in performance metrics, partner engagement, and advancing next-generation battery storage capabilities.

Ece recently completed her Master of Science in Management and Technology from the Technical University of Munich, specializing in Energy Markets and Computer Engineering, building broad expertise in energy trading, economics and renewable technologies. She is Associate Product Manager at TWAICE, where she is responsible for Simulation Solutions. Ece brings nearly three years of experience in the field.

Marie Sayegh is Technical Solutions Engineer at TWAICE since 2023. She has a Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Lebanese University and a PhD degree from the University of Technology of Compiègne, France in partnership with Safran Electrical & Power (previously Zodiac Aerospace). She has more than 10 years experience in battery's modeling and testing, and in developing Battery Management System algorithms especially State indicators such as State of Charge and State of Health.

Laura is an accomplished energy engineer with over a decade of experience in renewable energy projects, specializing in PV and BESS. Currently serving as Operations Manager at InterEnergy, she plays a pivotal role in decarbonizing the Dominican Republic and leads technical committees for large-scale renewable energy acquisitions. Laura holds multiple advanced degrees in energy and industrial engineering, with a proven track record in designing, managing, and executing over 500 MW of renewable energy projects across Central America and the Caribbean.

Julian Gerstner is the Head of Storage for EMEA and APAC at BayWa r.e. Global, where he leads the grid-scale storage project business from greenfield development to monetization. With over eight years of experience in hybrid energy and battery storage systems, Julian has managed teams and projects, focusing on market expansion, budget planning, and project finance. Previously, he held key roles at ABO Wind, where he was responsible for developing battery storage and hybrid energy systems worldwide, leading market analysis, project acquisition, and technical implementation.

Dr. Jonas Böhm is VP Mobility Americas at TWAICE, the leading battery analytics software. He is focused on unlocking the battery-powered future for everyone by working deeply with customers and partners in the mobility sector. Next to that, he is a Fellow of the Global Future Council on Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains of the World Economic Forum and a thought leader on platform dynamics and networked markets – co-authored more than 25 articles, conference contributions and books.

Dr. Spray tackles technical challenges in chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, and battery technology. Specializing in inorganic chemistry, electrochemistry, and surface chemistry, he provides solutions for industries like mining, transportation, and consumer electronics. His expertise includes performance and failure analysis of batteries (lithium-ion, lead-acid, NiMH, LiSOCl2), electronic devices, coatings, and electrical components. Proficient in performance testing, cell design, IP analysis, and legal support, he uses advanced non-destructive techniques like X-ray CT scanning.

Dr. Jonas Keil is the Technical Lead of Battery Analytics at TWAICE. He leads the research & development of battery modeling and data-driven battery algorithms that provide actionable insights into the health, safety & performance of batteries. Before he joined TWAICE in 2020, he was a Research Associate at the Institute for Electrical Energy Storage Technology, Technical University of Munich, Germany. During his research studies, he focused on physicochemical aging modeling and side reaction characterization of linear and nonlinear aging phenomena.

Cedric Kirst is a Battery Engineer at TWAICE Technologies GmbH, where he has worked since August 2018. He also serves as an Associate Researcher at the TUM Chair of Electrical Energy Storage Technology, a role he has held since March 2023.

Cedric’s professional journey includes a significant tenure as a Student Assistant at the Bundeswehr University Munich from January 2017 to October 2019. He also gained valuable industry experience during his internship at IBM Research Dublin, where he participated in the EnableS3 project funded by the European Union.

Cedric holds a Master of Science in Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering from the Technical University of Munich, completed in 2020. He also earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the same institution in 2018.

Alexander Karger is a battery and machine learning engineer at TWAICE, where he works on developing cutting-edge battery models for the electric, thermal, and aging behavior. At the same time, he pursues a Ph.D. at the Chair of Electrical Energy Storage Technology led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Jossen at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and regularly publishes his latest findings. He holds an M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, having studied at TUM and the University of Stuttgart. His career includes experience with Porsche and GE Aviation. He joined TWAICE in 2019, initially to complete his master’s thesis.

Dr. Matthias Simolka is Product Manager for Energy Solutions at TWAICE - the leading battery analytics software. Prior to joining TWAICE, Matthias was working several years in academic research focusing on the aging mechanisms of modern Li-ion batteries. His research combined material analysis down to the nanometer scale with system level observations to link the battery behavior to actual degradation mechanisms. After the academic research, Matthias worked for a few years as a Consultant focusing on the German energy market with special attention to renewable energies and energy storage technologies and their applications.

Dr. Jan Singer is Engineering Manager at TWAICE, where his primary focus is working on laboratory measurements and battery models. Before he joined TWAICE in 2019, he was a Research Associate at the Chair for Electrical Energy Storage Systems, Institute for Photovoltaics, University of Stuttgart, Germany. During his Ph.D. studies under the supervision of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Peter Birke, he focused on the detection of electrochemical effects induced by volume strains and the development of new non-destructive characterization methods for lithium-ion cells. He started his professional career in 2006 as mechatronic technician at Harman/Becker Automotive Systems. In 2012, he received his Bachelor’s degree from University of Applied Sciences Ulm and graduated with an M.Sc. from University of Stuttgart in 2015.

Startup Program EMEA @ MathWorks

Markus is a seasoned expert in battery analytics and simulation, with a decade of experience in the BESS and automotive industries. As Lead Battery Modeling Engineer at TWAICE, he bridges market needs with data-driven solutions that mitigate risks and optimize the battery life cycle. Holding a patent and a doctorate in electrical engineering, he combines deep technical expertise with strategic insight to shape the future of energy storage.

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Ryan Franks is a Senior Technical Solution Engineer at TWAICE. In this capacity, Ryan bridges the gap between sales, product, and technology, working with all teams to ensure that maximum value and the optimal solution are delivered to customers. Ryan’s career has previously also focused on the testing, certification, and techno-economic analysis of batteries and energy storage systems, as well as the development of codes and standards.