Community Energy Modelling: District Systems - developing optimisation and visualisation techniques for the co-design of building and district energy systems

Loughborough University is a top-ten rated university in England for research intensity (REF2014). In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College, including tailored careers advice, to help you succeed in your research and future career.
Find out more: www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/supporting-you/research/
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering (SABCE) was ranked first for research environment in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning, with 95% of research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ for its influence on society, the economy and policy. The School boasts world class facilities, with £1.4m recently invested in its 3,000m2 laboratory and one of the fastest High-Performance Computer clusters in the UK.

A key part of the School’s ethos is the extensive links with industry. Many research projects are sponsored and applied by organisations in the civil engineering, construction and transport sectors, and Loughborough graduates are highly sought after by industry and commerce world-wide.

Full Project Detail
Applications are invited for PhD research in (SABCE) on the co-design of building and district energy systems. The research will develop optimisation and visualisation techniques for the co-design of building and district energy systems, considering traditional, low, and ultra-low temperature heat networks for existing and green field applications. The work seeks to develop a tool enabling selection of the “best” building heating systems and network layout considering cost, energy consumption, peak energy demand, various planning horizons and future uncertainty.

This project is one of four studentships focused on the design and operation of buildings on an individual and community scale. All four projects make use of building performance modelling and numerical search methods, with the students in the cohort collaborating to accelerate their individual understanding and to explore research questions that lie across the boundaries of their individual topics.

More information about the School can be found at: www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/.

Entry requirements
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Applicants having a background in subjects relating to building energy use, mechanical or control engineering, and computing science are particularly welcomed. A relevant master’s degree and/or employment experience will be an advantage.

How to apply
All applications should be made online at www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research/. Under programme name, please select Civil and Building Engineering (Built Environment).

Please quote reference number: ABCE18/R75/2