research associate / PhD Position (m,f,x) for 3 years with 39,83 hours per week, TVL E13

The Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics pursues the goal of improving decision-making in shaping the global transformation of energy systems through a solid knowledge base. To this end, we provide robust orientation knowledge for the design of a future energy system based on sustainability by means of scientifically sound methods of energy system and decision analysis. We identify alternative options for action and evaluate these taking into account economic, technical, environmental and socio-economic impacts. In our research, we pursue the principles of technology neutrality, academic excellence and policy-relevance.

Consumers and citizens will play an important role in the transition to net zero carbon energy through technology adoption and flexible energy use. Nonetheless, technical, economic, and societal challenges currently hinder the residential energy transition. In this position, you will combine residential energy system modelling and multi-objective optimisation methods. In particular, you will develop a “Residential Energy System Pareto Navigator” that enables decision makers to explore and assess alternative residential energy system designs under consideration of economic, environmental and comfort-related preferences. By publishing the results of your work in leading international peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences, you will represent the Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics on a national and international level. The preparation of a PhD thesis is explicitly supported and desired. The position offers freedom to unfold your creativity and jointly develop and realise your own research ideas within the broader scope of the network. You are part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary team. As part of the team, you will support developing research proposals for the acquisition of third-party funding and thus help shape future research priorities. We foresee up to three secondments for this position. Subject to confirmation, these could be to University College Dublin (UCD), the German Energy Agency (dena) and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. In addition, the doctoral network aims to provide extensive training in research and transferable skills, centred around annual workshops in Dublin (IE), Dübendorf (CH), Copenhagen (DK) and Bochum (DE). Moreover, the supervision of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses that align with your research interests is explicitly supported. This position is one of 15 positions funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network on “Consumer Energy Demand Flexibility in Electricity Use” (CoDeF). More information on the CoDeF network can be found here (https://sites.google.com/view/mscadncodef/home).