PhD Studentship: Novel method for energy system designs of residential communities with renewable energy generation and storage

Applications are invited for a PhD (via MPhil) studentship in the Research Institute for Engineering, within the School of Engineering and Computing. The studentship is funded through the school and be part of the UCLan Doctoral Training Centre for Industry Collaboration and is tenable for up to 3.5 years full time [subject to satisfactory progress].  Both Home and EU/International applicants may apply but EU/International applicants will be required to pay the difference in tuition fees between the UK and EU/International fee rates. The studentship will provide successful applicants with an annual stipend in line with UKRI rates (2024/25 rate £19237 per year) subject to satisfactory progress.

It is expected the successful applicant will commence September 2024. 

Project Description:

The concept of sharing excess electricity generation from photovoltaics (PV) with neighbours to increase self-consumption is recently becoming very attractive as a path to large adoption of PV as an electricity source. Furthermore, leveraging diverse demand profiles using large community scale storage units or distributed storage devices aggregated across a regional group of installations is more promising than stand-alone storage integrated with solar PV for individual houses. Research so far is focused on energy management, with little work conducted on the design of such systems. Specifically, there is a lack of studies where, in the estimation of generation and demand, the long-term weather variability is considered.

In the development of national scale energy system models the need to account for long term weather effects has been now widely established, and multiple years historic weather data series are being used for this purpose. Nevertheless, in the design of these emerging community scale energy systems of shared generation and storage this aspect has so far been neglected. However, the use of electric vehicles and the anticipated penetration of domestic heat pumps for heating pose additional challenges since heat pumps require electricity to provide heat and heat is heavily weather dependent.

This project will use recently available re-analysis weather data such as SARAH2, state of the art techniques and commercial simulation tools with the aim to incorporate long-term year to year weather variability in the design of site-specific applications. The student will have the opportunity to use monitored system data and benefit from the experience of Together Housing Association, one of the largest housing associations in North and Midlands, on rooftop PV installations coupled with battery storage and/or heat pumps.

Further information

Informal project related enquiries about the post can be made to Dr Katerina Fragaki ([email protected] ).

For the full details go to: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/studentships

Applications should be completed on our online application system , selecting the following options:

• Type of Study – Research Degree (Postgraduate)

• Course - Master of Philosophy/Doctor of Philosophy

• Mode of Study – Full Time

Please quote the studentship reference number DTC12-22-42 on the online application form.

Closing Date: 12th April 2024

Proposed Interview Date: TBC

Expected Start Date: 23rd September 2024

CURRENT UCLAN RESEARCH STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP