PhD Fellowship in Model Predictive Control for Smart Buildings - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Civil Engineering and Energy Technology is recruiting a candidate for a PhD fellowship connected to the research group SustainaBuilt (Sustainable Built Environment). Main supervisor will be assoc.prof. Habtamu Madessa, with co-supervisors assoc.prof. Arnab Chaudhuri and prof. Peter G. Schild. The position will be offered for a period of three years (100% position), or alternatively, four years of which 75% is research and 25% teaching-assistant duties. The successful applicant is expected to complete the PhD-program within this time frame. Read more about the research group here: https://uni.oslomet.no/sustainabuilt/.

Buildings are responsible for a large portion of the global energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The International Energy Agency describes this sector as an area of priority in relation to mitigating global warming and climate change. Advanced building automation can contribute to this goal by optimal control of building services, including heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, while ensuring occupant health and comfort. We must also secure a healthy and comfortable indoor environment. The PhD is about applying predictive automation for optimal climatization (incl. individual thermal comfort) in buildings with local renewable energy production. The PhD’s main objective is to develop Model Predictive Control (MPC) solutions for building automation. MPC is a method to achieve optimal operation by model-based estimation of future states of the building, based on sensor data and occupant requirements. Moreover, MPC enables buildings to operate optimally as distributed renewable energy resources. 

The PhD fellow will be connected to the new collaborative project Annex 87 “Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality Performance of Personalized Environmental Control Systems”, part of the International Energy Agency’s Energy in Buildings and Community Programme (IEA-EBC). Annex 87 aims to apply personalized environmental control systems (PECS) to satisfy individual needs for air quality and thermal comfort, in the best possible way with respect to energy use, GHG-emissions, operational reliability, and life cycle costs.

Your duties and responsibilities will be 

• Conduct state-of-the art review of MPC for building applications
• MPC development and validation with existing data
• Participation in joint research activities more importantly on IEA-EBC Annex 87
• Demonstration of MPC to achieve optimal building operation
• Dissemination of the findings in peer-reviewed journals, and to industry
• Compilation of thesis

Qualification requirements 

• Master's degree (120 ETCS) or equivalent, in Energy Engineering / Engineering Science / Mechanical Engineering / Controls Engineering / Architectural Engineering or related engineering discipline.
• Fluent in both written and spoken English

Admission to doctoral program at the TKD faculty within three months of employment is a condition for taking up the position. Admission to the programme requires master’s degree with grade B or higher, and a bachelor, and grade C or higher at bachelor-level. Full details on admission criteria is given here: https://www.oslomet.no/en/study/tkd/engineering-science-phd.

The final plan for research work must be approved and agreed upon no later than 3 months after joining the department. Applicants who already hold a PhD, in the same or related field, cannot apply.

The appointment committee emphasizes on the following skills and ability

• Good oral and written presentation skills in a Scandinavian language is very advantageous
• Experience with building simulation tools (such as IDA-ICE or EnergyPlus).
• Programming skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar).
•  Competence in energy use and indoor climate in buildings, HVAC-solutions, and building automation.
• Good abilities in problem-solving and learning and understanding new theory
• Ability to work independently and in a team, highly motivated and goal-oriented.

It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active efforts to further develop as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required.

We offer you

• An exciting job opportunity at Norway’s third largest and most urban university
• A stimulating interdisciplinary research environment, and participation in an active research group
• The opportunity to participate in various international research networks
• Beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• Good employee welfare arrangements
• Free Norwegian classes to employees
• Working location in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers

Expert committee and documentation requirements 

We use an electronic recruitment system. To be considered for the position by the expert assessment committee, you must upload the following documents together with your application before the deadline:

• Application letter, describing your motivations for applying, and what makes you particularly well-suited (experience, competence, personal qualities, and skills).
• CV
• Copies of diplomas and certificates listing all subjects and grades.
• Copy of MSc thesis
• Any other scientific work that you wish to be assessed by an expert committee (either publication list or attached)
• Names and contact details (telephone and e.mail) of at least 2 references.
• Applicants from countries where English is not the first language must present an official language test report. The following tests qualify as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are:
  • TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test).
  • IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test is accepted).
• The following applicants are exempt from the above mentioned language requirements:
  • Applicants from EU/EEA countries.
  • Applicants who have completed one year of university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA.
  • Applicants with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. 

If you wish to apply for this position, please use our electronic recruitment system, and all documents must be uploaded for your application to be considered. The documents must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Any translations must be authorized by government. Originals must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Other information

If you would like more information about the position, you can contact:

• Associate professor Habtamu Bayera: +47 45004121, habama@oslomet.no,
• Professor Peter G. Schild: +47 4151 1285, petsch@oslomet.no  

Salary is set in accordance with the Norwegian State Salary Scale, position code 1017 PhD Fellowship, pay grade 54, NOK 501 200. By law 2% of the salary is deducted as to the Norwegian State Pension Fund.

Deadline for applications: 11.11.2022
Reference number: 22/05783