Chronicles

The foundation stone of NOWUM-Energy was laid in 1997 through a co-operation with Krefeld-based Weesbach AG as part of a degree dissertation: Prof. Dr. Klaus Peter Dielmann recognised the existing energy-saving potential during a visit to the company. Company boss Willi Weesbach commissioned him with the realisation.

Enthusiastic about the result, Weesbach then supported the foundation of an institute with DM 200,000 and provided premises in Krefeld -
the "Weesbach Institute" was founded. After Willi Weesbach's death, the institute was relocated to Jülich for organisational reasons and the name was changed to "NOWUM-Energy", with the "W" also standing for Weesbach.

In 2012, Prof Dielmann handed over the management of the institute
to Prof Dr Isabel Kuperjans. She sharpened the institute's profile, particularly in the areas of biogas and biomass as well as climate protection.

And the development continued in leaps and bounds:

• Since 2014, Prof Dr Markus Grömping has complemented NOWUM-Energy in the field of bioresource management with his research focus on wastewater and nutrient recovery
• Prof Dr Jörg Borchert joined in2016 and built up the Energy Management department. He has been Deputy Director of the Institute since 2018.
• Prof. Dr Christian Jungbluth has been a permanent member of NOWUM-Energie since 2018 and supports the Energy Economics department with
  expertise in the field of energy and resource management
• Since 2020, Prof Dr rer. oec. Ralf Schemm (Energy Economics, in particular Electrical Energy Systems) and Prof Dr rer. nat. Gereon Elbers (Environmental Sciences) have also been part of the NOWUM-Energy institute

In the years 2018-2021, the Weesbach Foundation supported the institute in order to strengthen its activities in the field of renewable energies.