Hi, I'm Carl von Holly-Ponientzietz 👋
Electrical Engineer | Control Systems | Game Theory | Power System Stability | Climate Tech Enthusiast
I am passionate about addressing challenges in the energy sector through engineering innovation and policy design. Based in Zurich, I specialize in Control Theory and Game Theory applied to power system.
🎓 My Academic Journey
I am very close to finishing my MSc candidate in Energy Science and Technology at ETH Zurich (2024-2026). My studies dive deep into Power Systems, Control Systems, Optimization, Game Theory, and Energy Markets.
- Master's Thesis: "A Coalitional Stable and Fair Reward Allocation for Dynamic Virtual Power Plants" (full text) at the Automatic Control Laboratory. I achieved a 6.0 (the highest possible grade) for proposing a new allocation scheme and control design for distributed energy resources. During the thesis, we (Dr. Häberle, Dr. Bolognani, Prof. Dörfler, me) submitted a paper to the PowerUp 2026 Conference.
- Project with the Energy and Technology Policy Group: I applied Natural Language Processing and Information Theory to patent data to measure the complexity of low-carbon energy technologies. My team (Dr. Anurag Panda, Lingxi Tang) even presented this project at the Conference on Economic Complexity!
- BSc Electrical Engineering: Also from ETH Zurich (2020-2023), where I wrote my thesis on "Optimal Battery Parameterization for Peak Load Reduction" in collaboration with EKZ.
💻 My Experience
Photovoltaic Data Analytics Intern @ candi solar
Zurich and South Africa | Sept 2023 - Mar 2024
- Developed automated issue detection pipelines in Python and AWS, drastically reducing reaction time to solar plant faults.
- Designed and deployed performance monitoring dashboards using Looker Studio, Python, and AWS for a fleet of commercial PV plants.
Teaching & Research @ ETH Zurich
- Teaching Assistant (IfA & IIS): Supported over 150 students in Control Systems and Electronic Circuits.
- Research Assistant (HVL): Implemented code in Python and MATLAB to analyze circuit breaker insulation equipment.
🌍 Tech for Good & Policy
- Hackathon for Climate Change (OpenAI): I developed a Chrome extension using a GPT model to classify green jobs and compare green skills. (Watch application video)
- Mini Makeathon (ETH4D): Prototyped movable cooling rooftops for Bangladesh.
- Policy Sprint Member: Collaborated with stakeholders in Luzern to formulate policies aimed at making the Swiss transportation sector climate-neutral by 2050 (read article).
🛠️ My Toolbox
Python MATLAB SQL Git AWS (Lambda, EC2) Looker Studio LaTeX
🚴 Off the Clock
When I'm not coding or analyzing energy markets, I like to stay active and give back to the community:
- Community: I'm an active ambassador for foodsharing Zurich where we reduce food waste by cooperating with local businesses. Also, the D-ITET Netto Null Arbeitsgruppe was initaited by myself, leading to new courses for students which focus on net zero emissions.
- On the Move: You can catch me delivering organic fruits through the city as a bike messenger for Öpfelchasper. I'm also a road cycling coach at ASVZ and enjoy ski touring in AACZ. In 2024, I finished the "Barockman" long distance (Ironman) triathlon.
- Music: I (used to) play the trombone in a symphony orchestra!