Ellert Christoph

Prof. Christoph Ellert is a Professor in Physics and holds the academic rank of Professeur HES Ordinaire at HES-SO Valais-Wallis. His primary affiliation is with the School of Engineering and IT (Technique et IT), Department of Energy and Environmental Technologies (Energie et techniques environnementales).

Education & Early Career: PhD in Physics (1995, University of Freiburg, Germany) focusing on optical spectroscopy of metal clusters. Postdoctoral research at the National Research Council (Ottawa, Canada) and CEA Grenoble/Paris (France), specializing in laser-matter interactions and plasma physics.

Research Interests:

• Plasma technology for energy and environmental applications (e.g., waste conversion, surface treatment)
• Renewable energy systems: Photovoltaic integration, DC microgrids, hydrogen storage
• Material science: Plasma deposition of thin films (e.g., hematite, functional coatings)
• Energy management: Grid stability, peak shaving, and electrolysis for green hydrogen

Key Projects:

• Plastic-to-hydrocarbon conversion via hydrogen plasma (2022–2024)
• DC-microgrid development for industrial energy autonomy (2017–2019)
• Cold atmospheric plasma for food decontamination (2014–2015)
• Solar energy potential assessment in urban environments (Geneva solar cadaster)

Grants & Funding: Over CHF 2.5M in grants from Innosuisse, HES-SO Rectorate, and industry partners. Projects emphasize applied R&D in energy systems, plasma engineering, and sustainable technologies.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Energy Systems Group at HES-SO Valais-Wallis, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams across engineering, materials science, and environmental technology. Key partners include EPFL, Oerlikon Solar, and local industry.