People

Double roles at TU Darmstadt and GFZ

Since September 2021, Professor Sass has double roles: Professor at TU Darmstadt and Head of Section 4.8 Geoenergy GFZ Potsdam

Education

Mar 1991 - Dec 1993 Doctor-Thesis: Wells and Filters for the Treatment of Underground Contaminations, Graduation as Dr. rer. nat. in Mar 1994

Mai 1987 - Mar 1990 Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany

Diploma in Applied Geology, Main Subject: Hydrogeology, Mar 1990

Oct 1984 - Apr 1987 University of Hamburg, Germany

Pre-Diploma Geology/Paleontology, Jan 1987

Professional Experience

Since 05/09 Full Professor (W3) for Geothermal Science and Technology at Technische Universität Darmstadt

Since 06/08 Professor for Geothermal Systems and Geothermal Resources Utlization at School for Renewable Energy Science, Universities of Iceland and Akureyri, Iceland

2005 - 2009 Full Professor (W3) for Engineering Geology and Geothermal Laboratory at Technische Universität Darmstadt/Germany

1999 – 2005 Member of the Executive Board, CDM Consult AG; responsible for South Germany and International Acitivites, CDM Consult GmbH

Project Manager Geothermal Power Plant, FlowNet Management & Consult GmbH

Managing Director, FlowTex GUT GmbH, Ettlingen/Germany

Project Engineer, Pall Schumacher GmbH, Crailsheim/Germany

Professional Activities and Lecturing

1996 Founder of the Journal “Grundwasser”, Springer, (SCI listed since 2006) as a member of the working group A&I of FH-DGG

1996 - 1999 Lecturer at the Deutsche Bohrmeisterschule [German School for Drilling Professionals] in Celle, Germany, Professional training "Geology and Geotechnology"

1997 - 2004 Haus der Technik, Essen - Professional education, seminar leader "Practical Fundamentals for Groundwater Well Planning and Design"

1998 - 2005 University of Karlsruhe, Faculty of Construction Engineering: Horizontal Drilling Technology and Utility Construction, Hydrogeology, Construction Supervision

1996 – 2002 Co-editor of “Grundwasser”, Springer Publishers

2002 - Reviewer for “Grundwasser”

2003 - Expert for the DVGW for Horizontal Directional Drilling

2003 - 2005 University of Stuttgart: Hydrogeology and Water Wells

2004 - Professional Consulting Engineer for Geothermal Energy and Geotechnical Engineering at the Chamber of Consulting Engineers

2004 - 2008 Lecturer for Ground Water Well Hydraulics and Design (3 CTS) at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum

2005 - Reviewer for ZDGG (Journal of the German Society for Geosciences)

Since 2005 TU Darmstadt: Geohydraulics, Geothermics, Engineering Geology, Environmental Geology, Drilling and Trenchless Technology

2006 - 2007 Universidad de Santiago de Chile and Universidad de la Serena, Lecturer for Applied Geology and Well Hydraulics

2006 Organizer and Lecturer of the 2006 Geothermal Summer School at TU Darmstadt: Introduction to Geothermal Systems

2006 1st Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer)

2006 - Expert for Czech Science Foundation (Grantová agentura ?eské republiky)

2007 Organizer and Lecturer of the 2007 Geothermal Summer School at TU Darmstadt:: Double Well Systems and Numerics

2007 2nd Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer)

2007 - 2009 Associate Editor of the “Hydrogeology Journal” (Sci listed)

2008 Reviewer for the Journal of Thermal Sciences (Sci listed)

2008 Organizer and Lecturer of the 2008 Geothermal Summer School at TU Darmstadt:: Shallow Geothermal Systems

2008 - 2011 Lecturer at RES - The School for Renewable Energy Science, University of Akureyri and Iceland, Iceland

2008 3rd Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer)

2009 Organizer and Lecturer of the 2009 Geothermal Summer School at TU Darmstadt:: Petrothermal and Hydrothermal Systems

2009 4rd Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer)

2009 Lecturer for Geothermal Systems (3 CTS) at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum

2010 5th Forum for Deep Geothermal Resources in Hesse (Organizer)

2011 6th Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer) Sept 15th

2012 Reviewer for Environmental Earth Sciences

2012 7th Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer)

2013 8th Forum for Deep Geothermal Reservoirs in Hesse (Organizer)

Membership and Activities in Professional Bodies

1994 - 2002 Working Group Trenchless Technology of the German Association for the Gas and Water Professionals (DVGW) - GW 321, GW 329

1988 - Professional Department Hydrogeology of the German Association of Geosciences (FH-DGG), International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)

1994 - German Association for the Gas and Water Professionals (DVGW)

1996 - German Geothermal Association (GtV)

1996 - Swiss Geothermal Association

2000 - 2004 Advisory Board of GtV

2000 - 2007 Technical Engineering Association for Site Decontamination (ITVA)

2001 - Diverse German Standard Committees (DIN)

2002 - European Standard Committee WG1 CEN/TC 341

2003 - Chamber of Consulting Engineers as a Consulting Engineer

2004 - Working Group "Geothermie" of the FI/FH-DGG (Speaker)

2004 - Advisory Board of FH-DGG

2004 - Working Group "Geothermal Energy" of the VBI, Assoc. of Professional Engineers (Vice-Speaker)

2006 - German Association for Geotechnics and Foundations (DGGT)

2006 - Working Group "Geothermal Energy" of the DGGT (Vice-Speaker)

2007 - Standard Committee DIN NABau 005-05-21 AA “Borehole Heat Exchanger” (Speaker since 02/2007)

2007 - Advisory Board of the FI-DGG (Professional Department of Engineering Geology of the German Association of Geosciences)

2008 - 2009 Expert Panel “Feasibility Deep Heat Mining for the University of Harvard/ Boston Allston Campus/USA

2009 Member of the Geothermal Expert Panel EGEC (European Geothermal Energy Council)

2011 - Full member of EERA European Energy Reserch Alliance, EERA-JPGE Subprogram Co-Speaker

Recent Research Funding and Awards

2008 – 2011 3D-Model of the Deep Geothermal Resources of Hesse

2008 National Award for Young Geothermal Researchers, GtV Fund (Winner: Sebastian Homuth, supervised Diploma-Student)

2008 National Award for the best Diploma or Ph.D. Thesis in Hydrogeology, FH-DGGT Fund (Winner: Nils Michelsen, supervised Diploma-Student)

2008 - Scientific and technical supervision of the hydrothermal – petro-thermal CHP plant project of the Frankfurt Airport

2008 - Scientific and technical supervision of the hydrothermal projects in the Southern Hessian Rhine Rift Valley for HSE AG

2008 – 2010 DIN-INS Development of a Device for measurements of unsaturated thermal conductivities of soft rocks

2009 - 2014 FRAPORT AG: Scientific consultancy for the geothermal exploration of the geothermal resources of the Rhine-Main-Airport

2009 - Scientific and technical supervision of the hydrothermal Power/CHP project Geretsried, Bavaria for Enex Power Germany GmbH

2009 – 2019 Funding of the Chair of Geothermal Sciences and Engineering by the NaturPur Fund (industrial)

2009 Federal Ministry of Research: Research Award for Best Research in industrial cooperation

2009 – 2011 Shallow Geothermal Potential of Hesse

2009 – 2011 DAAD: Thermo-physical properties of Jordanian Basalts

2010 – 2014 BMWi: Experimental investigations of multi-phase models for the heat transport behaviour in the subsurface

2010 Long-term effect of a seasonal thermal storage on the subsurface: a case study from the Upper Muschelkalk, SW Germany

2010 - 2013 Scientific expertise on hydrogeology and structural modelling of a mining land slide incident

2011 – 2014 Characterization of the geothermal reservoir potential of the Permocarboniferous in the northern Upper Rhine Graben, Germany (BMU)

2012 – 2014 Efficiency of Buried Cables Depending on Hydrogeological and Geothermal Properties of Trench Fill Materials (E.ON Bayern AG)

2012 Technology Transfer Price awarded for the development of a thermal conductivity measurement device for soils

2012 Elmar-Stenitzer-Preis is granted to Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Stegner (supervised PhD-Student)

2012 Environmental Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing Related to Exploration and Exploitation of Unconventional Natural Gas Deposits for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)

2013 Energy Prize 2013 awarded to Dipl.-Ing. Johanna Rüther, MSc. (supervised PhD-Student)

2013 Athens Price for Good Teaching awarded to Sebastian Homuth (supervised PhD-Student)

2013 – 2014 Simulation and Evaluation of coupled Storage concepts of renewable Energy sources for heating purposes (HA Hessen Agentur GmbH)

2013 – 2015 IMAGE - Integrated Methods for Advanced Geothermal Exploration (EU-FP7-Energy)