2026 Ecology Prize from the Viktor & Sigrid Dulger Foundation
July 2026
With its Ecology Prize, the Viktor & Sigrid Dulger Foundation is once again honouring outstanding scientific work in 2026 that contributes to solving current environmental and sustainability issues. This year’s award, worth 10,000 euros, goes to TT-Prof. Dr Benjamin Schäfer from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Research into the energy grids of the future honoured
The energy transition poses major challenges for electricity grids. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are subject to natural fluctuations, whilst new technologies such as photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles and smart household appliances are increasingly changing consumption patterns. To ensure a secure and sustainable energy supply, new approaches are therefore needed to predict electricity demand accurately and operate grids in a stable manner.
Benjamin Schäfer is working to enhance the stability and resilience of electricity grids through transparent and explainable methods of artificial intelligence. In his award-winning paper *Data-driven load profiles and the dynamics of residential electricity consumption*, he collaborated with international researchers to develop a data-driven load profile that maps current consumption patterns much more accurately than previous standard models. This will enable electricity generation and consumption to be better coordinated in future and energy systems to be managed more efficiently.
With the Ecology Prize, the Viktor & Sigrid Dulger Foundation – established by the founder of ProMinent – annually recognises outstanding scientific work in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering that addresses environmental problems and their solutions. Benjamin Schäfer’s work exemplifies the forward-looking ethos of this award.
Image: Achim Kubesch (right), representing the Viktor & Sigrid Dulger Foundation, with Ecology Prize winner TT-Prof. Dr Benjamin Schäfer (left) from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). (Image: Heidelberg Academy of Sciences).