Optimisation under Uncertainty of Integrated PV, Battery, Heat-Pump and Electric-Vehicle Systems for Cost-Effective Decarbonisation of a UK Commercial Delivery Depot

Christoforos Nicolaou

This project identifies the optimal configuration and operation of on-site renewable energy technologies for a Royal Mail delivery office, motivated by their growing role in the UK's net-zero transition. It co-optimises the sizing and half-hourly dispatch of an integrated PV, battery, heat-pump and EV-charging system using a mixed-integer linear program that minimises the 15-year net present cost. A Monte-Carlo formulation then delivers a robust design under price, weather and demand uncertainty, supporting cost-effective, low-carbon decarbonisation of commercial delivery depots.

Supervisor 1: Dr. Salvador Acha, Department of Chemical Engineering
Supervisor 2: Professor Nilay Shah, Department of Chemical Engineering

Optimising Power-to-heat and Thermal Energy Storage in District Heating Networks under price and demand uncertainty

John Newbery

Space and water heating accounts for 40% of Europe's final energy consumption, mostly provided by fossil fuels. District heating networks are an effective decarbonisation pathway: switching to electric power-to-heat technologies can decarbonise the entire network in one step. Pit thermal energy storage adds daily and seasonal flexibility, decoupling production from demand. However, dispatch decisions face inherent uncertainty in future power prices and heat demand. This thesis extends a deterministic optimisation model for a heat pump, electric boiler, and pit thermal storage to incorporate uncertainty, quantifying cost and reliability benefits relative to a perfect-foresight baseline.

Supervisor 1: Dr. Koen Van Dam, Department of Chemical Engineering
Supervisor 2: Johann Kraft, Green Hedge
Supervisor 3: Adrien Lebrun, Green Hedge

A systematic review and categorisation of energy efficiency initiatives in water supply systems

Mariana Gallardo Ávila

Water distribution networks are energy-intensive systems, with pumping representing a major share of utilities' electricity consumption and operating costs. Despite growing research interest, evidence on energy efficiency in the sector remains fragmented. This project first conducts a review of academic literature from the past decade to classify and categorise energy efficiency measures in water distribution networks. Building on this framework, this research then investigates the extent to which these measures have been implemented by water utility companies, identifies the main drivers behind their adoption, and explores how efficiency is part of utilities' long-term strategies. The findings aim to bridge the gap between academic research and industry practice, supporting the water sector's contribution to decarbonisation.

Supervisor 1: Dr. Aly-Joy Ulusoy, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Supervisor 2: Dr. Aidan Rhodes, Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment
Supervisor 3: Dr. Alessandra Neri, Politecnico di Milano

Flood Resilience Prioritisation Framework for Substations under Present and 2050 Climate Conditions

Mifzal Salihin

This project develops a risk-based framework to prioritise flood-resilience interventions for primary electrical substations under present-day and 2050 climate scenarios. Using Carlisle as a case study, it integrates flood hazard, the likelihood of substation inoperability, asset vulnerability and the consequences of failure for communities and the wider electricity network. The framework identifies priority sites, supports decision-making through a risk matrix, and evaluates adaptation pathways to determine where interventions and investment can deliver the greatest resilience benefit.

Supervisor 1: Dr. Salvador Acha, Department of Chemical Engineering
Supervisor 2: Dr. Koen Van Dam, Department of Chemical Engineering
Supervisor 3: Dr. Qiao Yan Soh, Department of Chemical Engineering

Low-Carbon Technologies Impact on Household Energy Demand Profiles in the UK

Serban Nedelcu

My thesis aims to model how low-carbon technologies: rooftop PV, battery storage, heat pumps and their combination reshape UK domestic half-hourly electricity and gas demand. The new physics-based Home Energy Model (HEM) was used to produce baseline and LCT scenario demand profiles for a variety of UK household types. Scenarios are compared across seasons and weather extremes to assess demand reshaping, and optimise battery sizing and dispatch, and heat pump pre-heating against time-of-use tariffs. The final goal was to estimate consumer bills and emissions savings of LCT implementation for different household archetypes.

Supervisor 1: Christabel Ofori-Atta, Energy Systems Catapult
Supervisor 2: Dr. Ariane Millot, Department of Chemical Engineering

Multi-Objective Optimisation of Electricity and Heating Systems to Inform Design and Operation Strategies for UK Non-Domestic Buildings 

Tanya Tan

Non-domestic buildings account for a significant share of UK energy use. However, current local energy modelling of non-domestic buildings often overlooks building-level dynamics between generation and demand, as well as focuses on optimal dispatch techniques rather than design strategies. This project develops evidence-based design and operational recommendations at the activity class level, by modelling co-located generation and storage and assessing business case metrics to identify priority activity classes, UK locations, and design and dispatch strategies.

Supervisor 1: Christabel Ofori-Atta, Energy Systems Catapult
Supervisor 2: Dr. Salvador Acha, Department of Chemical Engineering