UCL’s Energy Institute is seeking applications for a fully funded Studentship in: ‘Transforming our energy system: Energy demand flexibility from smart meter data’
Do you want to make a difference tackling climate change and energy costs? Interested in how electric vehicles and heat pumps affect the energy system and its flexibility? Apply for this exciting PhD opportunity within a leading research group to perform cutting-edge research on energy demand flexibility with data science.
Supervisors: Professor Cliff Elwell, Dr Ellen Zapata-Webborn of UCL Energy Institute.
Funding: The studentship will cover UK course fees and an enhanced tax-free stipend of approx. £22,000 per year for 4 years along with a substantial budget for research, travel, and centre activities.
Fees: ERBE CDT has very limited funding for applicants requiring coverage of overseas fees. We advise all interested applicants to be familiar with the changes to EU and International Eligibility for EPSRC/UKRI funded studentships
Dates: 4 years from September 2023
Context:
The electrification of heat and transport will lead to significant changes to the energy system, requiring transformative, system-wide action on energy flexibility. Electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps (HPs) significantly increase household electricity demand, but their impact on demand and system flexibility requirements has not yet been studied at scale. Flexibility in energy demand and the potential impacts of these emerging technologies are hot topics in research, policymaking and industry. For example, the use of variable pricing (designed to incentivise demand flexibility) requires a careful balance and safeguards between achieving needed demand reductions and penalising consumers, particularly the fuel poor.
This project will explore energy use in UK homes, how this is expected to change in the future and the potential for flexibility in demand. You will analyse data from the Smart Energy Research Laboratory (SERL), building data analytics and machine learning skills, to study demand from EVs and HPs on a previously unprecedented scale. You will join a leading research team who will support your research, with additional training provided by the ERBE CDT to enable you to better understand the sector and build core skills, enabling you to transfer skills in from a different first subject background.
Studentship aims:
This high-impact research will inform policy, academia and industry, bringing a depth and range of insights into HP and EV demand on a previously unprecedented scale. SERL smart meter and contextual data from 12k homes will be analysed to investigate the difference between demand profiles of homes with and without HPs and/or EVs. Methods may be developed to identify homes with these technologies from their smart meter data and assess their impact on demand and on the network. You will also explore the flexibility to change consumption in response to a price signal (DSR), building on our flexibility rating research.
Person specification:
This PhD studentship is open to students from quantitative backgrounds, such as physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, statistics, or economics. You should have a strong interest in energy demand and achieving Net Zero, and a good knowledge of data analysis methods; however, we expect that you will build expertise over the course of study.
A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject, is essential. Exceptionally: where applicants have other suitable research or professional experience, they may be admitted without a Master’s degree; or where applicants have a lower second-class UK Honours Bachelor’s degree (2:2) (or equivalent) they must possess a relevant Master’s degree to be admitted.
Applicants must also meet the minimum language requirements of UCL
Applicants should be familiar with the changes to EU and International Eligibility for UKRI funded studentships.
How to apply
All CV’s and Cover Letters must be completely anonymised and not contain any references to protected characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity or race.
Please submit your application by email to the UCL ERBE Centre Manager (bseer.erbecdt@ucl.ac.uk) with Subject Reference: 4-year PhD studentship in ‘Transforming our energy system: energy demand flexibility from smart meter data’
The application should include each of the following:
1) An anonymised Cover Letter clearly stating why you are applying and how your interests and experience relate to this project, and your understanding of eligibility according to these guidelines: EU and International Eligibility for EPSRC/UKRI funded studentships
2) An anonymised CV
3) Complete the CDT EPSRC Eligibility Questionnaire and EDI Questionnaire via the linked Microsoft Forms.
Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview.
• For the interview shortlisted candidates will be asked to show proof of their degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) of degree(s), and proof of their fees eligibility.
• The interview panel will consist of the project’s academic supervisors at UCL and a representative of the ERBE CDT Academic management. The interview will include a short presentation from the candidate on their ideas of how to approach this PhD project.
Following the interview, the successful candidate will be invited to make a formal application to the UCL Research Degree programme for ERBE CDT.
Deadline for applications: 31st May 2023 @ 23:59 (UK time)
Interviews week commencing: TBC
For further details about the admission process, please contact: bseer.erbecdt@ucl.ac.uk
For any further details regarding the project, contact Prof Cliff Elwell, clifford.elwell@ucl.ac.uk
You will be undertaking this project:
- In UCL at the main (Bloomsbury) campus as part of the new EPSRC-SFI Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Resilience and the Built Environment (ERBE CDT). This is a collaboration between UCL, Loughborough University and Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland (MaREI). For more information please see http://erbecdt.ac.uk