Thesis title: A life-cycle approach to optimise Higher Education building design strategies for future UK climate projections
Tell us about your work and time with the ERBE CDT
Being part of the ERBE CDT was one of the most rewarding parts of my PhD journey. Being surrounded by such diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives constantly pushed me to think in new ways and question my engineering mindset. I really valued the opportunity to explore the full socio-technical breadth of the energy transition – learning from anthropologists, architects, and physicists alike. The first year was filled with fascinating modules, taught by experts who made even the most complex topics engaging and accessible. Doing a PhD during the pandemic wasn’t easy, but working so closely with the other students brought us together and led to some great friendships. It was a supportive, stimulating environment where there was always space to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another.
What was your PhD about?
My PhD used dynamic life-cycle assessment (LCA) to support design and retrofit decisions for higher education buildings under future UK climates. Using genetic algorithms and dynamic simulation modelling, I tested thousands of design strategies to balance carbon and cost over the buildings’ lifetimes. The research demonstrated how implementing high-efficiency heating systems had a much greater impact on life-cycle carbon reductions relative to other fabric intervention measures, supporting the prioritisation of system upgrades over fabric in certain retrofit contexts. The research also showed how trade-offs between embodied and operational carbon become more nuanced when future decarbonisation and climate impacts are taken into account, and identified risks of over- or under- carbon-investing in the building envelope. The findings provide practical guidance for designers, policymakers, and estates teams to make more resilient, cost-effective, and low-carbon decisions.
What are you doing now/what’s next?
I recently joined the National Energy System Operator (NESO), the organisation responsible for planning and operating Great Britain’s energy system as it transitions to net zero and independently advising the government throughout this transition process. My current work focuses on security of gas supply, looking at how to maintain a reliable energy system while managing the challenges of decarbonisation and a rapidly changing energy mix. This role is giving me the opportunity to broaden my understanding of the whole-system picture – from supply right through to demand – and how different parts of the energy system need to work together to deliver a secure, affordable, and low-carbon future.