PhD scholarship in energy demand flexibility from EVs and buildings

Norwegian University of Life Sciences

NMBU has a particular responsibility for research and education that secures the basis for the life of future generations. Sustainability is rooted in everything we do and we deliver knowledge for life. NMBU has 1,800 employees of which about 250 phd scholarships and 6,000 students. The university is divided into seven faculties and has campuses in Ås and Oslo. We will be co-located in Ås from 2021.

NMBU believes that a good working environment is characterised by diversity.

We encourage qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, functional ability, cultural background or whether you have been outside the labour market for a period. If necessary, workplace adaptations will be made for persons with disabilities. More information about NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no.

About The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management

The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) works with nature and the environment, sustainable use of natural resources, biological and geological processes.

MINA’s employees undertake teaching, research and dissemination within the fields of geology, hydrology and limnology, soil science, environmental chemistry, forestry, ecology, natural resource management, renewable energy, and nature-based tourism.

Our vision is to be a key actor in knowledge production and dissemination, and our goal is to deliver research of high, international quality, and varied and excellent teaching. The faculty’s employees are significant participants within their respective fields of expertise, both nationally and internationally. The faculty is dominated by a vital research culture and high levels of scientific production.

The f
aculty has about 200 employees, 90 PhD students and 650 students.

Read more about MINA here.

Are you interested in transition to sustainable energy systems?

About the position

Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year PhD position in renewable energy within the project Grid support from multiple assets - NeX2G.

The NeX2G project will investigate the potential magnitude and economic sustainability of flexibility available to the energy system from long-term parking of electrical vehicles (EVs) and commercial building assets. We will use Oslo airport Gardermoen as a case and work with real time data as basis for detailed and aggregated analysis.

Five bidirectional EV chargers will be installed at the airport together with devices to collect real time data on operation and control of chargers and selected building assets.

The project is interdisciplinary combining systems analysis, technology knowledge, modelling and economics. Within the PhD-project, the candidate is expected to develop a model to optimize short-term flexibility use from demand-side assets, and to further develop the energy systems modelling to assess competitiveness of the identified flexibility.

Main tasks

The PhD student’s tasks will include:

• Develop a model for the combined flexibility of EVs and commercial building assets
• Calculate future energy demand and flexibility potential for a full-electric airport, including economic evaluation, using Gardermoen as case
• Analyse flexibility use within north Europe with various energy generation mix scenarios
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with other team members and data providers
• Lead the writing of research articles for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals

The successful candidate is expected to submit a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with ambition to complete a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.

Competence

The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are at master's degree level. Candidates submitting MSc thesis spring 2021 may also be considered. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background from previous studies and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.

The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.

Required academic qualifications:

• A master’s degree (MSc) in relevant fields such as engineering, economics, or interdisciplinary energy studies
• Knowledge of energy and the energy system
• Knowledge in operational analysis and ability to perform quantitative model analyses

The following experiences and skills will be considered advantageous:

• Knowledge of physics of power systems
• Ability to communicate in a Scandinavian language
• Operating computer models and using

In addition, the applicant should have the following:

• Strong motivation and scientific capacity and analytical skills
• Computer skills in using Windows Office
• Good social and collaboration skills
• Flexibility with respect to work tasks
• Creativity and ability to find solutions to practical problems

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD Fellow. PhD Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 479.600,-) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact Ass Prof. Thomas Martinsen .

E-mail: [email protected]; phone +47 67 23 16 83

Information for PhD applicants and general Information to applicants

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: 26.03.2021

Applications should include (electronically) a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, full publication list, copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified), and a list of two persons who may act as references (with phone numbers and e-mail addresses).

Publications should be included electronically within the application deadline. The relevant NMBU Faculty may require further documentation, e.g. proof of English proficiency.

Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway, within 14.03.2021. Please quote reference number 21/00860.

If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.

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