Skip to main content

Learning and Innovating through Energy R&D

1752831440

Learning and Innovating through Energy R&D

Friday 18, July 2025
3 min read

I am an R&D engineer in the Energy Management team at EDP R&D, where I explore innovative solutions in renewable energy integration, storage and flexibility. With a background in electrical and chemical engineering, I’ve been able to combine my desire to help in the fight against climate change with my interest in technical engineering topics. The ever-evolving nature of the energy sector keeps me on my toes with every day differing and presenting new challenges and opportunities. 

Over the past two years, I’ve been involved in several EU-funded projects that support the energy transition. Among these, the IANOS project focuses on decarbonising islands, and has given me insights into whole energy systems from generation to consumption. Another project, StorHy which explores new ways to increase the flexibility of hydropower systems, has given me a deeper understanding of hydropower, a critical force in Europe's energy mix. My work at EDP R&D allows me to contribute to designing future-proof solutions while engaging with researchers and engineers across Europe. One of the most fulfilling parts of my work is seeing research move from theoretical stages to practical implementation.  

Being at the beginning of my career, I find it incredibly motivating to collaborate with top experts in the energy sector across Europe and learn from real-world systems. That said, one of the main challenges in this field is the slow pace of adoption. Innovations often take years to gain traction due to regulatory and institutional barriers. Bridging the gap between promising concepts and market-ready solutions is where I believe R&D can, and must, accelerate these processes. Looking forward, I am excited to continue learning and participating in exciting new projects and energy research. The world is finally waking up to the critical emergency of climate change and the next few years of research will be crucial in slowing this while ensuring our energy systems are sustainable and reliable. 

Being an R&D engineer in the energy sector keeps me on my toes, I'm always learning about new solutions and strategies to tackle the climate crisis. Through EU funded projects, I explore innovative solutions in renewable energy integration, storage and flexibility.
Martha Fitzpatrick
Project Manager/Engineer @ EDP R&D

Being at the beginning of my career, I find it incredibly motivating to collaborate with top experts in the energy sector across Europe and learn from real-world systems. That said, one of the main challenges in this field is the slow pace of adoption. Innovations often take years to gain traction due to regulatory and institutional barriers. Bridging the gap between promising concepts and market-ready solutions is where I believe R&D can, and must, accelerate these processes. Looking forward, I am excited to continue learning and participating in exciting new projects and energy research. The world is finally waking up to the critical emergency of climate change and the next few years of research will be crucial in slowing this while ensuring our energy systems are sustainable and reliable. 

Carbon impact evaluator
This web page produces:
per Byte
0.000
g CO2
per Visit
0.000
g CO2