Cookies Policy
The website need some cookies and similar means to function. If you permit us, we will use those means to collect data on your visits for aggregated statistics to improve our service. Find out More
Accept Reject
  • Menu
About

About

Born in 1967 in Madrid, José Villar is senior researcher at the Centre for Energy Systems of INESC TEC since 2017, and currently responsible for the Electricity Markets area that is dedicated to the modelling and regulation of electricity markets in a context of decarbonization and decentralisation of the energy system. PhD from the "Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieria-ICAI" of the "Universidad Pontificia Comillas" (Madrid) in 1997, he was member of the "Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica -IIT" of the same university and sub-director from 2004 to 2016, and Associate Professor until 2017 at the same university. He has participated in more than 80 research projects with industry and administrations, and has coauthored more than 140 research papers in international journals and conferences. His areas of interest focus on modelling and regulation of electricity markets, integration of renewable energy sources and decentralisation of the energy system.

Interest
Topics
Details

Details

  • Name

    José Villar
  • Role

    Area Manager
  • Since

    01st September 2016
038
Publications

2026

Assessing Green Hydrogen Support Mechanisms in Coupled Electricity and Hydrogen Markets

Authors
Herrero Rozas, LA; Campos, FA; Villar, J;

Publication

Abstract
Green hydrogen is expected to play an important role for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors but faces regulatory, economic, and operational barriers. In the EU, strict renewable energy usages requirements and temporal and geographical criteria constrain green hydrogen production and complicate integration with electricity markets. Support mechanisms (SMs), such as premiums and quotas, aim to boost hydrogen production, yet their impacts on coupled electricity-hydrogen systems remain underexplored. This paper extends a previous joint electricity-hydrogen Cournot equilibrium model to represent and analyze the impact of different green hydrogen production SMs. Different SMs lead to different equilibrium models that were solved using equivalent quadratic optimization problems and applied to real-size Iberian case studies. Results reveal how different SMs influence hydrogen and electricity prices, production and emissions, highlighting trade-offs among stakeholders. The findings provide guidance for designing balanced policies that stimulate green hydrogen while minimizing unintended consequences and offer flexible tools to assess regulatory and economic interactions in emerging hydrogen markets

2026

Co-optimizing energy and reserve interconnection capacity in coupled EU electricity markets

Authors
de Oliveira, AR; Martinez, SD; Villar, J; Saraiva, JT; Campos, FA;

Publication
ENERGY

Abstract
The European Union Internal Electricity Market is undergoing major reforms to support the transition to a fully decarbonized energy system by 2050, where non-dispatchable renewable energy sources play a central role. To enhance market efficiency, renewable energy sources integration, and power system balancing, the European Union promotes increased cross-border interconnection and cooperation among Member States. This paper reviews existing literature and market models addressing multi-zone interconnection capacity allocation and proposes a novel inter-zonal co-optimization mechanism for the joint allocation of energy and automatic balancing reserve capacity based on system cost minimization. Unlike previous approaches that treat energy and reserve coordination separately or sequentially, this study introduces a unified optimization framework that captures the interdependencies of intra-and inter-zonal dispatch. The proposed mechanism is implemented within the CEVESA market model and applied to a realistic Iberian case study, assessing its economic and operational impacts under varying interconnection capacity scenarios. Results show that while energy coordination alone achieves significant cost reductions, joint coordination of energy and reserves delivers further efficiency gains, reduces reserve price volatility, and enhances cross-border system flexibility.

2026

A hybrid Cournot-linear supply function equilibria of coupled electricity and hydrogen markets: An equivalent optimization approach

Authors
Fernández, FAC; Domínguez, GG; Rozas, LAH; Collado, JV;

Publication
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY

Abstract
Hydrogen is becoming a key energy carrier in the transition toward decarbonization, as electrolysis creates strong interdependencies between electricity and hydrogen markets. Accurately representing strategic behaviour in these coupled markets is essential, yet current models fail to capture price-responsive bidding. To address this, a joint hybrid Cournot-Linear Supply Function Equilibria (CLSFE) model is developed and reformulated as an equivalent optimization problem, enabling tractable large-scale analysis. The model is applied to the Iberian system for 2030 and compared with perfect competition and Cournot benchmarks. Results show that hydrogen prices are lowest under CLSFE, with a reduction of about 44% relative to perfect competition and 10% to Cournot, while hydrogen demand increases by up to 58%. Electrolytic hydrogen production rises up to 92%, displacing grey hydrogen and reducing hydrogen-sector emissions. However, renewable self-curtailment reaches 82 TWh, indicating increased market power. These results highlight cross-sector trade-offs and support market design and policy analysis.

2026

Planning distributed energy resources and power-to-hydrogen systems in renewable energy communities

Authors
Reis, D; Rodrigues, L; Villar, J; Soares, T;

Publication
Electric Power Systems Research

Abstract

2025

Cost-Effective Indoor Temperature Control Strategies for Smart Home Applications

Authors
Javadi, MS; Soares, TA; Villar, JV; Faria, AS;

Publication
2025 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2025 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe (EEEIC / I&CPS Europe)

Abstract
This paper deals with cost-effective strategies for controlling indoor temperature using different technologies, including inverter-based and thermostatic control systems. In this regard, the indoor temperature control model incorporates instant heat loss coefficient, heat transfer capability, and heat energy conversion coefficient. The decision variable is the power setpoint of the energy conversion system, which can be operated in both cooling and heating modes. The thermal system coefficients have been estimated based on historical data for energy consumption, indoor, and outdoor temperatures of the case study presented, which are the minimal datasets required for the coefficient estimation. The inverter-based model benefits from the quasi-continuous power consumption model, while the thermostatic model has a hysteresis functionality resulting in discrete power consumption with several turn-on and turn-off modes, which can be controlled by changing the thresholds. The flexible thermal range resulted in 4.715% and 6.235% cost reductions for thermostat-based and inverter-driven heat pumps, respectively. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.