PhD student in analysis and forecasting of co-located solar and wind power generation

Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our mission is to pursue top-quality research and education and to interact constructively with society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has 44.000 students, 7.100 employees and a turnover of SEK 7 billion.

The PhD student will be employed at the Division of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, previously belonging to the Department of Engineering Sciences. From 2020-01-01 the division belongs to the newly formed Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, which is operating at the Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala and at Campus Gotland, Visby. The PhD student will also be associated to the Department of Earth Sciences, which is operating at Geocentrum, Uppsala and Campus Gotland. At Geocentrum there are researchers with long experience of wind resource mapping, including modeling and metering related to wind power.

The PhD student will work in a research environment with long experience of wind and solar resource mapping, mathematical modeling and computer simulations for studying the future resource and energy need in the built environment, which is required for the position.

Duties/Project description: In the research group Built Environment Energy Systems Group (BEESG) at the Division of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, the potential for solar energy in the built environment has been studied for many years. The deployment of both roof and ground based solar power is a complex question, which concerns integration in buildings and landscapes, connection to the grid, the variability of the solar resource over time and space, its matching to the energy needs of the built environment, and the possibility to forecast the solar irradiance on different time scales.

Previous studies have shown that there is a negative correlation between solar and wind power generation, which means that co-location of solar and wind power parks in so-called hybrid parks could increase the opportunities to even out the total production, more efficiently utilize the connection to the electricity grid and increase the reliability of production forecasts. In this project, the prerequisites for such a co-location are investigated with a focus on analysis of the combined solar and wind resource. The correlation between solar and wind energy is studied nationally with existing databases for wind speeds and solar radiation, as well as with local measurements, and forecasting methods are being developed. The project also studies how the production from a hybrid park contributes to meeting the electricity needs in the built environment in connection with the plant, and how the local electricity grid is affected.

The project is being implemented as part of the research “Increased utilisation of the grid with combined solar- and wind power parks”, which is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, and is being carried out in collaboration between the BEESG research group at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering and Wind Energy at the Department of Earth Sciences. The PhD student will be supervised by researchers from both groups with expertise in solar and wind resource mapping, forecasting methods, meteorological measurements, and energy system modeling for the built environment.

The main task of a PhD student is to undertake his or her postgraduate education, which includes both participation in research projects and postgraduate courses. The duties may also include participation in teaching and other institutional work, but a maximum of 20% of working time.

Admission requirements: A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Requirements: The candidate must hold an MSc degree in energy systems, engineering physics or other areas relevant to the PhD topic, preferably combined with a strong background in mathematics, meteorology, metrology, computer simulation and/or GIS. The candidate should also have good collaborative skills as well as independence in their work. Very good knowledge in English, verbally and in writing, is required.

Additional qualifications: Experience working with Matlab, Python or similar programming language.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines http://regler.uu.se/?languageId=1.

Uppsala University strives to be an inclusive workplace that promotes equal opportunities and attracts qualified candidates who can contribute to the University’s excellence and diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people of all backgrounds.

Salary: According to local agreement for PhD students.
 
Starting date: 01-03-2020 or as otherwise agreed. 

Type of employment: Temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7.

Scope of employment: 100 %

For further information about the position please contact: David Lingfors, +4618-471 62 15, david.lingfors@angstrom.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 17 February 2020, UFV-PA 2020/225.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.

Please do not send offers of recruitment or advertising services.

Submit your application through Uppsala University´s recruitment system.

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