Project Description

PhD Subject: Building Science

In the transition to low-energy buildings and the 5th generation district heating, data-driven methods will play an important role in integrating and optimally controlling decentralized renewable energy sources.

You will be part of an exciting research group and interdisciplinary Swedish and EU projects, aiming to develop and apply innovative methods for machine learning and optimal control to integrate decentralized renewable energy sources with the 4th and 5th generation district heating and building heating systems. You will perform dynamic energy simulations (both heat and electricity) and test the developed machine learning methods in several live-in labs across Europe. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with a large number of industry partners and other researchers to achieve the project goals.

Supervision: Dr. Qian Wang and Dr. Annika Gram are proposed to supervise the PhD candidate. Decisions will be made upon admission.

We Offer

The opportunity to pursue a PhD (https://www.kth.se/en/studies/phd/why-1.521017).
A workplace with many benefits (https://www.kth.se/om/work-at-kth/en-arbetsplats-med-manga-formaner-1.467932) and a monthly salary according to PhD salary scales (https://intra.kth.se/anstallning/anstallningsvillkor/lon/doktorandstegen-1.572915).
PhD training at an institution that is active and supportive in issues such as working conditions, gender equality, diversity, and study environment.

Eligibility for Admission

To be admitted to PhD studies (Chapter 7, Section 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility:

completed a Master's degree, or
completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at the Master's level, or
acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way, within or outside the country.

In addition, the following is required:

A Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field, such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, energy technology, control engineering.
Good knowledge of energy system control and particularly applications for heating networks and/or building heating.
Ability to use modern frameworks for machine learning, such as Python, Tensorflow, scikit-learn, etc., for the development and application of machine learning.

In addition to the above, there are also admission requirements (https://www.kth.se/en/studies/phd/admission-requirements-1.520175).

Selection

To succeed in your PhD studies at KTH, you need to be goal-oriented and persistent in your work. In the selection of applicants, the ability to:

independently drive your work forward and manage projects,
collaborate with others,
maintain a professional approach, and
work analytically and curiously with complex issues, absorb new knowledge, and apply it in research.
Knowledge of programming and modeling of building energy systems is required.
Experience working in energy simulation environments, e.g., Trnsys, Dymola, Modelica, etc., is meritorious.

In addition, good communication skills in English, both spoken and written, are necessary for daily work. Good Swedish in speech and writing is also desirable for the same reason.

After the eligibility requirements, great importance will be placed on personal qualities.

Target Degree: Licentiate Degree

Information on Admission and Employment

Only those who have been admitted to PhD studies may be employed as PhD candidates. The total employment period may not exceed what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. An employed PhD candidate may, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks in education and administration. A new employment as a PhD candidate is valid for a maximum of one year, after which the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. For studies that will conclude with a licentiate degree, the total employment period may not exceed what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

Union Representatives

Contact information for union representatives (https://intra.kth.se/administration/rekrytering/annonsering/fackrepresentanter-1.500898).

Doctoral Section (Student Union of the Royal Institute of Technology) Contact information for Doctoral Section (https://www.dr.kth.se/).

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you have the primary responsibility to ensure that your application is complete when submitted.

The application must be received by KTH no later than the last application day at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

The application should include the following content:

CV with relevant professional experiences and skills.
Cover letter with a brief account of why you want to pursue doctoral studies, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Max 2 pages)
Copies of diplomas and transcripts from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled admission requirements (https://www.kth.se/en/studies/phd/admission-requirements-1.520175). Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents are not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be verified (https://www.kth.se/student/studier/examen/vidimering-av-handlingar-1.55190).
Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please attach a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other

The pursuit of gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities is both a quality issue and an obvious part of KTH's core values.

For processing of personal data (https://www.kth.se/om/work-at-kth/processing-of-personal-data-in-the-recruitment-process-1.823440) in connection with recruitment.

If the position is classified in a security class, an approved security examination in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) is required to be eligible. Information about the position being classified in a security class will be provided during the recruitment process.

We kindly ask for no direct contact with staffing and recruitment companies or sellers of job advertisements.

About KTH

KTH is one of Europe's leading technical universities and an important arena for knowledge development. As Sweden's largest university for technical research and education, we gather students, researchers, and faculty from all over the world. Our research and education encompass both natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial economics, urban planning, history, and philosophy. Learn more about KTH (https://www.kth.se/om/om-kth-1.885102).