Vera Silva joined the Working Group (WG) C06.09 ‘Demand Side Response' in June 2005 after attending the kick off meeting in Turin.

“I attended this meeting as a guest, invited by a colleague from the University of Manchester . It was very interesting and following the discussion and distribution of tasks I was included in the work team, becoming a member of the WG and actively participating from the start.”

On participation:

“I was able to support the WG Convenor with tasks such as writing the minutes of meetings and through reviewing and contributing to WG reports. This contribution included the development of material defining important terminology, and the selection of case studies & simulations of ‘Demand Side Management'. In addition to this, I was able to contribute directly to the WG by preparing presentations, literature surveys and participating in the discussions during meetings”

On the benefits of joining:

“By participating in the WG, I have benefited greatly from the fruitful discussions held during the meetings. I am able to tap into the knowledge of the WG members, and access cutting-edge technical and scientific reports and documents that are presented and prepared during the two years lifecycle of the WG. I also have the invaluable opportunity of discussing and presenting my work to the members and getting valuable feedback. And overall, I get the chance to know and be known by some of the experts on my field.”