IBPSA-England: International Building Performance Simulation Association - England

PhD Scholarship: Modelling of Robust and Adaptable Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems

Mon, 23 Jan 12 10:07:27 -0800

Modelling of Robust and Adaptable Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems

UK/EU fees and 3.5 years maintenance bursary

A PhD research studentship within the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD), an internationally leading multi-disciplinary research institute focused on the human and technological dimensions of sustainability, is available to suitably qualified UK students. Applications are invited from well-qualified, highly motivated individuals for a PhD studentship, commencing April 2012. This CASE award is being operated in collaboration with Mimer Energy Ltd based in Falmouth, Cornwall. The student would be expected to spend a portion of their time at the company.

Concern with UK carbon emissions arising from cooling of non-domestic buildings has lead to growing interest in geothermal heating and cooling systems (Ground Source Heat Pumps). There are a number of novel systems that are innovations of established geothermal system technology that are potentially able to provide significant reductions in building carbon emissions. Such hybrid systems are able to expand the possible application of this renewable technology and also increase its robustness to changes in operation and adaptation to climate change. As satisfactory behavior of geothermal systems depends on annual and super-annual heat balances, simulation methods must be employed in the design process. Model studies must include the dynamics of ground heat transfer over large scales and the dynamic operation of the heating and cooling system. The development of suitable modeling methods and their application to the analysis of novel geothermal heating and cooling systems is the challenge to be addressed in the project.

The successful applicant will join a group of researchers at the IESD, at De Montfort University, who are conducting research in the area of geothermal heating and cooling systems. The Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD) is an internationally leading research institute focusing on energy and sustainability. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE2008), 65% of the Institute’s research was rated “world leading” or “internationally excellent”. You will be provided with excellent facilities and funding for travel, e.g. to present work at conferences and will be offered bespoke training for your project.

This NERC CASE award is being operated in collaboration with Mimer Energy Ltd (www.mimerenergy.com). The student will receive training and develop the research with the company for a portion of each of three years. You would be supervised by the senior technical staff of the company who have an extensive track record in the design and application of geothermal heating and cooling technology. This will be an excellent opportunity to gain experience in the UK Renewable Energy sector.

Applications are invited from UK students with a good first degree (First, 2:1 or equivalent) in a relevant subject (an Earth Science, Engineering or physical science subject). NERC CASE awards are open to UK citizens or students having a "relevant connection with the UK" as outlined in the NERC student handbook http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/studentships/ EU students who have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years may also be eligible for a full award. The award will provide fees and a tax free maintenance bursary of £14,590 per annum.

Closing date: 27 February 2012
Interview date: March
Starting date: April 2012

Informal enquires may be made to: Dr Simon Rees, Tel: +44 (0)116 257 7974 sjrees@dmu.ac.uk

Applicants should contact Anne Smith to receive an application pack, which requires a full CV with two supporting references. Please email amsmith@dmu.ac.uk or call +44 (0)116 2576519 for further details.

Research Fellow in Building Performance Evaluation

Mon, 23 Jan 12 10:05:08 -0800

We are pleased to announce a new and exciting full-time post of Research Fellow in Building Performance Evaluation, based in the Low Carbon Building Research Group at the School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University (Oxford, UK).

This new research post is part of our growing portfolio of cutting-edge research projects on building performance evaluation and post-occupancy feedback. These include: ‘Counting the real carbon’ project which seeks to develop bespoke and industry-focussed measurement and monitoring protocols embedded in a soft-landings framework, for both domestic and non-domestic buildings; and a range of ‘Building Performance Evaluation projects’, which aim to reduce the credibility gap between designed and actual performance by evaluating the actual energy and environmental performance of case study buildings from both technical and occupants’ perspectives.

For further information about job description and application pack, please see: https://edm.brookes.ac.uk/hr/hr/vacancies
The closing date is 7 February 2012.

The Low Carbon Building Group (LCBG) at Oxford Brookes University has a strong international reputation in the field of carbon counting (RIBA award-winning DECoRuM model), building performance evaluation, climate change adaptation of buildings and neighbourhoods, and low carbon communities. The current portfolio (close to £3.5 million) of LCBG’s research is funded by ESRC, EPSRC, TSB, HEFCE, and industry (http://oisd.brookes.ac.uk/lowcarbonbuilding/)

Research Associate: Simulation-based Evolutionary Optimum Design of Buildings

Mon, 23 Jan 12 10:04:07 -0800

A Research Associate is required to work on a joint TSB, EPSRC funded project to develop an innovative simulation-based optimization tool for use in the minimization of building carbon emissions and costs. The research will be conducted in collaboration with leading building design and cost consultants and a building performance simulation software vendor. You will be responsible for developing a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm together with numerical procedures that aid decision making. You will have an outstanding first degree (or equivalent qualification) and a research background in computer science (particularly evolutionary algorithms), or in a building energy discipline. A PhD in evolutionary optimization or building performance modeling would be desirable.

Further information can be found at: jobs.lboro.ac.uk

Three new full-time Research posts in the Low Carbon Building Group at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

Sun, 13 Nov 11 09:18:11 -0800

We are pleased to announce three new and exciting full-time research posts based in the Low Carbon Building Group at the School of Architecture in Oxford Brookes University (Oxford, UK).

The Low Carbon Building Group (LCBG) at Oxford Brookes University has a strong international reputation in the field of carbon counting (RIBA award-winning DECoRuM model), building performance evaluation, climate change adaptation of buildings and neighbourhoods, and low carbon communities. The current portfolio (close to £3.5 million) of LCBG’s research is funded by ESRC, EPSRC, TSB, HEFCE, and industry
(http://oisd.brookes.ac.uk/lowcarbonbuilding/)

The three new posts are as follows:

1. Research Fellow in Low Carbon Communities
This exciting new post is part of our RCUK-funded EVALOC project on low-carbon communities and behaviours. The project is about evaluating the impacts, effectiveness and success of Government-funded low carbon communities on localised energy behaviours. For further information about the EVALOC project, please visit: www.evaloc.org.uk For further information about the job description and application pack, please see: https://edm.brookes.ac.uk/hr/hr/vacancies.do?id=14020174
The closing date is 25 November 2011.

2. Research Fellow in Building Performance Evaluation
This new research post is part of our growing portfolio of cutting-edge research projects on building performance evaluation and post-occupancy feedback. These include: ‘Counting the real carbon’ project which seeks to develop bespoke and industry-focussed measurement and monitoring protocols embedded in a soft-landings framework, for both domestic and non-domestic buildings; and a range of ‘Building Performance Evaluation projects’, which aim to reduce the credibility gap between designed and actual performance by evaluating the actual energy and environmental performance of case study buildings from both technical and occupants’ perspectives.
For further information about the job description and application pack, please see: https://edm.brookes.ac.uk/hr/hr/vacancies.do?id=14018182
The closing date is 21 November 2011.

3. Research Associate in Architecture and Climate Change
This exciting research post is part of our portfolio of innovative research and live architectural projects on climate change adaptation of buildings and neighbourhoods.
For further information about the job description and application pack, please see: https://edm.brookes.ac.uk/hr/hr/vacancies.do?id=14018185
The closing date is 21 November 2011.

Thanks and best wishes
Rajat

--
Professor Rajat Gupta
Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change.
Director, OISD: Low Carbon Building Group.

School of Architecture,
Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 OBP
Tel: + 44 (0) 1865 484049 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting + 44 (0) 1865 484049 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fax: + 44 (0) 1865 483298
Email: rgupta@brookes.ac.uk

BSO12 CONFERENCE

Fri, 04 Nov 11 13:41:59 -0700

Dear IBPSA-England member

IBPSA-England are pleased to announce their first conference on Building Simulation and Optimization (BSO12) to be held 10th-11th September 2012. The conference is organised in association with CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) and hosted by Loughborough University. Full details can be found on the attached flyer and on the BSO12 website www.bso12.org

Covering topics such as: new simulation methods; procedures for optimizing building design; and real world case studies, this promises to be a popular event which we are sure will appeal to many of you, both academic and practising engineers.

We invite you to submit abstracts via the website by 5th December.

Kind Regards
Malcolm Cook and Monjur Mourshed
Conference Co-Chairs