EPSRC CREDS PhD Studentship - Equity assessment of demand-side flexibility technologies in grid-integrated transportation electrification London, England
Job description
About us
We are pleased to offer a fully funded PhD at the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA), UCL, in collaboration with Columbia University and Arup via the supervisory team. This studentship is funded by The EPSRC Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solution (CREDS) for 3.5 years. Supervisory team: The project will be supervised by: Prof. Adam Dennett (CASA), Dr. Esra Suel (CASA), Dr. Nicolò Daina (Columbia University), and Dr. Gerry Casey (Arup and CASA) The student will be based at the UCL CASA. There may also be opportunities for short secondments at Columbia University. The PhD student will benefit from the recently established partnership CASA Arup City Modelling Lab and opportunities to interact with other PhD students in the group. There will also be opportunities to participate to interact closely with the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solution (CREDS) and its follow up, meetings with industrial partners.
About the role
Proposed start date: September/October 2023 Summary of the Project: The overall goal of the project is to identify socio-demographic groups who will be most impacted by demand side flexibility solutions as we rapidly transition to transport electrification by developing quantitative multi-dimensional time-varying metrics from travel surveys and agent-based models. The focus will be on smart charging and V2G technologies that enables EV owners to benefit from lower energy prices in exchange for their flexibility. Our hypothesis is that benefits from these technologies will be unequally distributed. First, EV ownership and access to charging infrastructure is already (and will continue to be) greater for high-income groups, certain dwelling types, suburban and rural communities. If the supply system allows for these groups to benefit more from lower energy pricing and selling unused power back to the grid at peak times, non-owners in urban communities and low-income groups will bear the higher cost burden both for travelling and other uses of energy. Second, flexibility in activity patterns and access to alternative modes is not equally distributed in society and influenced by income levels, occupational arrangements, gender roles, and spatial differentiation. The goal will be to better understand if certain socio-demographic groups will be unreasonably affected by demand side flexibility solutions, whether existing inequalities are reinforced, and where policy interventions would need be needed to ensure equitable distribution of benefits from electrification. Specific research questions are: 1. Under the assumption that current mobility and parking patterns remain unchanged, and all conventional cars are replaced with EVs, how will cost benefits from smart charging and V2G distributed in society? Will existing patterns of transport and fuel poverty be reinforced or reversed, will new inequalities emerge? How will changes in energy prices and cost-of-living crises affect energy and transport justice outcomes in a fully electrified transport future? 2. Relaxing the assumption of maintaining status-quo, how will distribution of benefits change over time through the planned phased penetration of EVs and charging infrastructure? Specifically, will higher-income early adopters bear the initial transition costs to then benefit more from lower pricing incentives suggesting a fairer transition? Or will initial policy and financial incentives mean subsidies for high-income early adopters, suggesting reinforcement of existing disparities? Will late adopters face fuel and travel poverty as conventional fuel prices peak? How can we account for lock-in mechanisms and path dependencies? How would additional policies for decarbonisation of mobility including promotion of low carbon methods of travel modes play out?
About you
Person specification Applicants would normally be expected to hold (or nearing completion) an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (such as Transport, Energy, Geography, Planning, Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics) at 2:1 or above. Having a Master's degree or any other relevant experience would be favourable. A solid background in statistical modelling, econometrics or data science and a strong interest in energy systems, human geography and transport studies would be an advantage. Eligibility The award is subject to the UKRI rules, and the studentship will be restricted to those eligible for home studentships. How to apply Please send an e-mail to [email protected] with your CV, academic transcripts, and a personal statement (up to 500 words) describing your related skills, interests and why you wish to apply for this project. Please include ‘CREDS PhD Studentship’ in the subject. The deadline for applications is 23:59 on the 30th May 2023. Early application is highly recommended as position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found, which might be before closing date. Interviews are expected to be held in the first two weeks of June. For any informal enquiries about the studentship, please contact Dr. Esra Suel in CASA – [email protected] Please do not click the 'Apply Now' button below.
What we offer
Funding Notes Stipend: £19,668 per year + UK fees for 3.5 years.
