OPTIO: Open-source techno-economic model to optimise PV, Battery, Heat Pump in Commercial Buildings

Simon Garcia Arcila

Urban environments account for 80% of global GHG emissions and 75% of the energy use. Specifically commercial buildings employ 20% of the world’s electricity and thus have a key role in the decarbonization of the cities. Energy systems require a cost-effective and sustainable approach based on optimal design to achieve our socioenvironmental targets, hence the need for investment tools to advise the best way to deploy low-carbon technologies. The aim of this thesis is to develop a techno-economic model to select and size solar PV, battery, and heat pump systems by minimizing the investment costs and GHG emissions providing the techno-economic performance for selected case studies.

Supervisors:

  • Dr Salvador Acha, Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Max Bird, Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Professor Nilay Shah, Department of Chemical Engineering

 

Charging Deserts: an assessment of EV charging infrastructure's accessibility in the UK

Nazir Hadaya

The UK government’s plan to ban the sale of non-zero emissions vehicles by 2035 has resulted in rapid growth and significant private and public investments being made in the EV charging network. As rapid expansion of the network does not guarantee adequate coverage, this project looks at defining a set of criteria that can be used to identify dead zones (or ‘charging deserts’) in the UK’s EV charging network. Moreover, the project compares the network’s accessibility against certain metrics (such as indices of deprivation and power network headroom reports) in order to build an understanding of why ‘charging deserts’ exist and inform any strategies being developed to address them.

Supervisors:

  • Dr. Gonzalo Bustos Turu, Chemical Engineering
  • Dr. Koen van Dam, Chemical Engineering
  • Dr. Salvador Acha, Chemical Engineering

 

Energy Saving Potential of Large-Scale Building Stock Regeneration: OPDC as a Case Study

Sayed Hashim Fadhul

With building-related activities accounting for around 40% of the total energy demand in the UK, great attention has to be paid to the building stock in order to meet climate targets. Cities will require the decarbonisation of their building stock through a combination of building retrofits for existing buildings as well as nearly net-zero-energy new buildings. The study takes the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) as a case study and examines the energy saving potential of large-scale building stock regeneration.

Supervisor:

  • Dr Koen H. van Dam, Department of Chemical Engineering

 

Future Energy Use in Supermarkets: Modelling Supermarket Operation using EnergyPlus

George Naismith

With the impact of climate change already being felt around the world, it will be vitally important to invest in not only energy efficiency measures, but in impact mitigation. In this context, this project focuses on the creation of an accurate thermal model of a Sainsburys' supermarket using EnergyPlus and subjecting it to different climate change scenario weather patterns. The building’s ability to withstand extreme weather will be tested by assessing the simulated energy consumption and internal temperature. I aim to provide advice based on this simulated performance and establish influential passive measures that will be effective against the impact of climate change.

Supervisors:

  • Dr Salvador Acha, Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Dr Emilio Jose Sarabia Escriva, Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Max Bird, Department of Chemical Engineering

 

Net Zero Solutions for the HGV Sector

Zixian Wang

This project covers a comprehensive review of battery electric (BEV) and fuel cell electric (FCEV) heavy duty vehicle (HGV) solutions and how they could be deployed in Sainsbury’s future HGV fleet. Analysis includes researching the current capabilities and costs of each option, as well as how they are predicted to develop over the next 10 years. A review of charging and fuelling infrastructure requirements are to be included in line with current government plans. The expected outcome will consist of evaluating the potential for BEVs or FCEVs to replace Sainsbury’s current HGV fleet, while also indicating the tipping points each solution must overcome to gain market access to the HGV sector.

Supervisors:

  • Dr Salvador Acha, Chemical Engineering
  • Max Bird, Chemical Engineering
  • Dr Billy Wu, Dyson School of Design Engineering
  • Dr Marc Stettler, Civil and Environmental Engineering

 

Health co-benefits of modal shifts in sustainable urban transport systems

Tanguy Wasson

While a transition of the means of transport in urban areas is necessary to limit GHG emissions, not all solutions have the same consequences. Due to the complexity of cities, the transport policies are accompanied by several challenges and co-benefits from other sectors (economy, social, health). These co-benefits, if made explicit and quantified, can help decision-makers choose the most appropriate transition for the area considered. This thesis aims to identify the predominant health co-benefits and quantify them through scenarios of urban transitions towards car-free cities, in comparison to the electrification of the vehicle fleet.

Supervisors:

  • Dr Koen van Dam, Urban Energy System
  • Dr Audrey de Nazelle, Centre for Environmental Policy