PhD in energy systems analysis

The School of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Royal Institute of Technology seeks a PhD student.

KTH is the largest technical university in Sweden. Education and research cover a broad spectrum within natural sciences and engineering, as well as architecture, industrial engineering and management, urban planning, work science and environmental engineering. KTH has 13 344 full-time equivalent students, of whom 6 955 are at Bachelor (first) level, while 5 545 are at Master (second) level. In addition, 1 314 are full-time equivalent students at doctoral studies (third) level and 3 900 employees.

Activities at School Industrial Engineering and Management cover the engineering, technological and economic knowledge necessary to be able to develop new products, material and production processes in a sustainable fashion as concerns technical management, financial profitability and the environment. One precondition for innovation and enterprise is the study and application of basic physical and chemical phenomena as well as the integration of new, often multidisciplinary technologies, methods and tools. Core knowledge areas include energy technology, industrial design and innovation, product and production development, materials development, micro and nano technology as well as industrial economics, organisation and management.

The Department of Energy Technology comprises four divisions and covers a variety of different energy related fields. The department has outstanding lab facilities and has traditionally focused on experimental research but with systems studies becoming increasingly important. We believe that the combination of technical expertise and a broad systems perspective results in a holistic view that allows us to leave a visible footprint in energy and climate research, with the ultimate aim to help creating a more sustainable society. The department is responsible for various Master programs and has a strong PhD program.

The division of Energy and Climate Studies (ECS) comprises a group of ten professionals including two professorships working on systems oriented and policy relevant research. More information on ECS can be found at

www.ecs.kth.se
Description of the research area
Energy systems analysis involves the investigation of the interdependencies of energy policy, energy technology, human development, environment and economics. At its heart is the application of techno-economic energy models to simulate the effects on human society, natural resources and the environment in general. The aim is to understand the role that energy may play in response to various stresses including issues such as geopolitical implications, climate change and environmental impacts.

The applicant's research interests should focus on contributing to the development of an integrated energy and resource planning model. This model should be applied to understand the relationships between Climate, Land, Energy and Water interactions (CLEW) in different geographical regions. The model shall serve as a tool for energy policy analysis and assist policy makers to evaluate (national and regional) energy strategies with regard to their impact on climate, environment and economic development.

The CLEW model will primarily focus on the analysis of different energy (technology) options including the use of renewable and fossil sources of energy and their impact on the other “CLEW resources” – e.g. their contribution to climate change, land use change, and water consumption.

In a first step, the research will be focused on the development of case studies for different geographical settings. These case studies shall investigate CLEW interdependencies with the aim to show the applicability of an integrated CLEW model under different pre-conditions (e.g. different economic development stages, different patterns of land-use and different climatic conditions). Potential links with a parallel research work on local energisation models shall be explored. This work will help assess how developing countries can profit from advances in power system planning and design, especially with regard to smart grids. For more information on CLEW please see the Annex 6 of this report:

http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Reports/ntr2009.pdf
Qualifications/eligibility
To be eligible for the doctor position, the candidate needs to have completed a MSc., MA., Dipl.-Ing or equivalent. The assessment criteria of candidates focus on demonstrated experience within the general knowledge area and in-depth expertise in specific fields, complemented by scientific skills.

These fields include different (renewable) energy technologies and their related resource use, environmental implications and benefits. The candidate should have a good understanding of environmental physics and resource management, with a focus on land-use change, water and climate science. International work experience on energy and climate change is an asset.

Demonstrated capacity to undertake related research and develop the subject area, as well as to publish and communicate research is required. The candidate is expected to conduct research in collaboration with the members of the division, contribute to course activities, give guidance to Master students and prepare research proposals.