Background/ History
The laboratory addresses the local and regional energy challenges for which the energy technology solutions are investigated in the realm of sustainability, climate science and inclusivity. Through teaching and research, the lab disseminates and creates knowledge in the fields of energy technology design and selection; hybrid energy systems design; hydroelectric energy storage; wind turbines design and manufacture; life cycle management and assessment of wind farms; and energy-water-food nexus. Additional priority themes include biomass valorisation to sustainable fuels; shallow geothermal systems; and high performance computational science applications in multi-sectoral flow metrology and biomedical applications.
Expertise
The laboratory hosts thermal, structural and flow metering instrumentation, and owns specialist computer aided design software. The laboratory has access to a data centre, a manufacturing workshop and wireless sensing systems. The wind energy engineering centre is a thematic activity of the laboratory focused on the multiscale design and condition monitoring of wind turbine components. Currently, the lab has ten full and part-time research students working on a variety of topics such as energy system design/optimisation; biomass valorisation; smart energy in buildings; renewables integration and life cycle assessment; and low carbon agriculture.
