Dario Di Santo
Current occupation: Director FIRE, Italian Federation for the Rational Use of Energy, Rome.
Born in 1973, married with two children, he graduated in 1998 with a degree in mechanical engineering with a focus on energy from Sapienza University, devoting himself since his studies to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency.
After his military service, performed as a complement officer in the Army Corps of Engineers, he was a researcher at ENEA from 2000 to 2002, working on energy indicators, electricity and natural gas supplies, and thermal plant controls.
Since 2002 he has worked for FIRE (Italian Federation for the Rational Use of Energy), of which he was a member of the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2008 and has been director since 2007. In addition to managing the structure (personnel, projects and orders, etc.) he is involved in institutional relations, inter-associative tables and European projects on topics related to energy and sustainability.
In recent years, it has designed and managed several initiatives aimed at promoting rational energy use, dissemination of good practices for energy efficiency, and training, as well as studying the dynamics of the energy supply chain and identifying barriers to energy efficiency diffusion.
Topics covered in greater depth include energy efficiency market development, energy dissemination and information programs, multiple benefits of energy efficiency, white certificates and other incentive schemes, energy performance contracts (EPCs), project financing, ESCOs and EGEs, energy management systems cogeneration, power quality, and electricity and natural gas supplies.
Among the activities with an international scope, he has participated in the design and implementation of European projects on a variety of topics, such as ESI Europe (project financing with EPC contracts and insurance tools), M-Benefits (multiple benefits of energy efficiency), EPATEE (energy efficiency policy evaluation), EU-MERCI (best practices in industry), ENSPOL (incentive schemes for energy efficiency), SME energy check-up (opportunities for SMEs), H-REII and Whaves (thermal recoveries in industry and project financing). He participates on behalf of FIRE in EEFIG (Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group) meetings.
He has also contributed to several papers and participated in peer-reviewing processes on energy issues. In 2006-2007 he was responsible for the information and dissemination campaign component and an expert for the one on energy legislation within the Twinning project “Institutional Building at EEA” with the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Agency.
From 2002 to 2013 he was also a freelancer, collaborating with several organizations in addition to FIRE: Econerg (energy diagnoses, energy supplies), Cremonesi Consulenze (white certificates), Consip (gas tender commissioner, preparation of EIS III energy service tender), Federutility (Twinning Bulgaria), Ancitel (evaluation of new support activities for EELLs), TCVVV (white certificates).
Over the years he has participated in numerous national and European events as a chairman and speaker, as well as lectured at university masters and training courses.
He edits the blog > www.dariodisanto.com dedicated to energy issues and the promotion of rational energy use.