Dr Salvador Acha

Summary

“I model and analyse how new technologies perform in buildings or in urban areas and then provide recommendations on how to maximise their impact or improve their performance, which is a very exciting line of work”.

Dr Salvador Acha is an academic focused on facilitating the transition towards Net Zero in the built environment by developing decision-making frameworks that support stakeholders in understanding the implications derived from transforming how we source and consume energy. In particular, his evidenced based research and techno-economic modelling of new technologies in existing environments is contributing to understand the tradeoffs low carbon integrated solutions bring to organisations and society.

Currently, he is a Senior Research Fellow and Project Manager of the Imperial College – Sainsbury’s Partnership; the partnership has three goals: analysis of energy systems, evaluating low carbon technologies, and long-term sustainability strategies. To achieve these goals Imperial is actively contributing with Sainsbury's in devising a comprehensive approach to transition and decarbonise their estate & operations by 2035.

Salvador's research expertise is multi-disciplinary with a focus on smart energy systems through optimal design and operation of technologies as well as advanced control strategies of such systems by employing big data and internet of things concepts. This know-how is complimented with know-how on the energy markets, energy policies, business criteria, and the practical implementation surrounding decarbonisation strategies.

In 2022 for his extensive and impactful work with Sainsbury's, Imperial College awarded Dr Acha the President's Medal for Excellence in External Collaboration and Partnerships.

In addition, Salvador also investigates sustainability strategies for organizations via qualitative and quantitative frameworks covering electricity, heat, cooling, transport, and water systems. Due to his expertise, he is currently leading the sustainability strategy of the Chemical Engineering Department and is a member of the Faculty of Engineering Sustainability Committee; supporting the decarbonisation of the college by sharing his insights into the Sustainable Imperial strategy.

In parallel to his industry funded research, Salvador has been a collaborator on multiple EPSRC, Innovative UK, and EU projects focusing on improving and sustaining energy performance of the built environment and energy systems through the latest technology advancements.

Salvador also has experience working as an energy consultant for energy & sustainability technology companies cementing his expertise on current industry needs. He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and member of many renowned engineering societies such as IEEE, IET, CIBSE, and ASHRAE.

Over the years Salvador has been a frequent lecturer in various MSc courses at Imperial while also supervising over 75 projects with talented post-graduate students and under-graduate students. This collaborative approach has yielded many interesting findings and he is the author or co-author of over 85 publications in top tier academic journals, conference proceedings and book chapters.

Salvador obtained a BEng in Electronics and Communications from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Tec). He then joined the Urban Energy Systems Project at Imperial College London which allowed him to undertake a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering. His thesis titled: “Impacts of Embedded Technologies on Optimal Operation of Energy Service Networks” focused on optimally integrating distributed energy sources into existing energy infrastructures; these modelling concepts were summarised in the book: "Modelling Distributed Energy Resources in Energy Service Networks" - published by the IET and translated in Mandarin for the Chinese market.

ORCID ID Profile

Membership

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) registered with the Engineering Council.
• Senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE).
• Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).
• Member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Selected Publications

Conference

More Publications