Patrik Thollander

Professor, Head of Division

How industry can reduce energy costs and how policy instruments can be designed are two central issues in my research.

Reduced industrial energy costs and cost-effective policy instruments for increased productivity

Improved industrial energy efficiency is an important means to reduce company's energy costs and reduce environmental impact. Increased energy prices and scarcity of resources puts great demand on industrial decision-makers regarding how improved energy efficiency successfully can be carried out in organisations. Great demands are also imposed on public policy decision-makers on how to design and launch properly functioning public policy instruments that supports improved energy efficiency in industry.

My research concerns improved industrial energy efficiency, and includes small and medium-sized industrial enterprises (SMEs). My research areas, e.g.:

industrial energy management,
energy efficiency in SMEs,
barriers to and drivers for energy efficiency,
energy audits,
energy policies for improved industrial energy end-use,
industrial energy efficiency potentials.

I am leading and participating in several research projects in the area. At international level, I am managing the project Energy Efficiency in SMEs within the International Energy Agency. At EU level, I have, among other things participated in the work on financial instruments for more efficient use of energy, DG Energy, Energy Efficiency Financial Group. At national level, I have assisted the Swedish Energy Agency and governmental bodies in a number of different investigations, e.g. the design of the national energy audit policy programme, energy efficiency networks, and the act energy audits for large companies.

Interplay between theoretical and practical work

Theory affects how we think and act about different things. I have, together with colleagues, had the privilege of defining some new theoretical concepts such as asymmetric energy policy shocks, the energy service gaps, the extended energy efficiency gap and the energy management gap. The past two scientific concepts were mentioned in the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report (2014) as scientific contributions which revealed an additional energy efficiency potential.

Several of my scientific articles about drivers for and barriers to energy efficiency in industry are among the most cited articles internationally in those areas.

Being able to apply theory and disseminating knowledge is extremely important. I teach at basic, advanced and postgraduate levels and also have the privilege to give lectures outside the university, both nationally and internationally.

Publications

2026

Lea Fobbe, Robin von Haartman, Per Hilletofth, Patrik Thollander, Olli-Pekka Hilmola (2026)

Extending Energy Management Towards Suppliers-An Analysis of Drivers, Barriers and Selection Criteria Energies, Vol. 19, Article 4618 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en19194618

Johan Nordensvärd, Emma Lindkvist, Fayas Malik Kanchiralla, Patrik Thollander, Patrik Rohdin, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Erin Heinz, Frauke Urban, Niklas Arvidsson, Muhammad Asif, Weimin Zhang, Thomas Kwan, Daniel H. B. Gamez (2026)

Energy efficiency first for homes? Public priorities, barriers and residential energy choices in six European countries Energy Efficiency, Vol. 19, Article 74 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12053-026-10478-7

Mikael Säberg, Emma Lindkvist, Roozbeh Feiz, Patrik Thollander (2026)

Reply to Missing the goal: Comments on a comparative life cycle assessment of natural and artificial football turf, by Säberg et al. (2025) Cleaner Environmental Systems, Vol. 23, Article 100525 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2026.100525

Vlatko Milić, Patrik Thollander, Maria Andersson, Jim Enkel, Bahram Moshfegh (2026)

Pursuing a hierarchical taxonomy in a water-cooled data center room Scientific Reports, Vol. 16, Article 26484 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-68222-1

Emma Lindkvist, Patrik Thollander, Mikael Säberg (2026)

Barriers to and drivers for environmental, energy, and water management practices in football facilities-Toward increased sustainability in the sports community FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABILITY, Vol. 7, Article 1845069 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2026.1845069

Research

Energy-smart sports facilities in East Middle Sweden

The project aims to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions from sports facilities used for football, ice hockey and bandy in Östergötland, Örebro and Uppsala.

Resilience in the future electricity system

The Swedish electricity system is facing major changes. New research has begun at LiU which focuses on resilience in the future electricity system. The project can provide insights into how the resilience of the electricity system can be improved.

A man in the building measuring something.

CARBONSTRUCT

International research shows that there is no available knowledge of where energy is used in Swedish industry. The project aims to cover this knowledge gap about where energy is in fact used, the so-called energy end-use.

Research Collaborations

Energy flexible building

Together with Tekniska Verken and Stångåstaden, I and Danica Djuric are participating in a project funded by Tillväxtverket and co-funded by the European Union, where the interaction between buildings and energy systems in real time is being studied. The project aims to develop smart solutions that reduce energy costs and climate impact, while maintaining indoor comfort and enhancing flexibility and resilience in the energy system.

My and Danica’s contribution focuses on a more general and research-based analysis, with an international perspective on how smartly controlled energy systems and business models can be developed and implemented in different contexts.

News

Study reveals where a data centre’s energy goes

Server operation and cooling account for 95 percent of the energy use in a data centre room studied. A new analysis shows where the energy goes and can help data centres identify measures that will have the greatest impact.

Patrik Thollander, professor in energy systems at Linköping University.

How to reduce global CO2 emissions from industry

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from industry can be reduced by five per cent. But that requires companies and policy makers to take a holistic approach to energy efficiency. This is the conclusion of researchers, including from LiU.

Research at IEI holds a high standard

Stanford University has recently released an updated list of the top two percent most cited researchers globally, and it is gratifying to note that once again, several distinguished researchers from IEI are represented on the list.

Organisation

Energy Systems (ENSYS)

The division of Energy Systems is involved in research, undergraduate and graduate education and collaboration with industry and public sector organisations in the field of energy.

Graduate School in Energy Systems

Graduate School in Energy Systems purpose is to increase understanding of how energy system depends on the interaction between technology and society's regulatory framework, policy development and operators interests and behavior.

Department of Management and Engineering (IEI)

The Department of Management and Engineering (IEI) strengthens and develops tomorrow’s industry, business world and society by ground-breaking research, education and innovation.