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Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG)

27 August 2024

With optimization models, we develop and inform decarbonization energy strategies and policies for countries and companies.

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Our research

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 (SERG) is dedicated to develop energy models for sustainable energy transitions. The team includes over 10 postgraduate researchers focusing on:

  • Renewable energy integration
  • Power-to-X systems (including multi-energy and green hydrogen)
  • Energy transitions modelling 
  • System resilience
  • Solar engineering
  • Energy storage
  • Carbon-negative systems

Explore our research initiatives and get to know our team members. Looking to do a PhD or a research project with us? Get in touch and let's shape the future of sustainable energy together!

Our team

Leads: Rebecca Peer and Jannik Haas

Associate academics:

  • Grant Read, Power Economics, Adjunct Professor, Electrical Engineering, UC
  • David Dempsey, Carbon Systems, Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, UC
  • Allan Scott, Green Cement, Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, UC

Researchers:

  • Francisco Astorga (PhD researcher): social and environmental impacts of energy futures
  • Sameen Bushra (PhD researcher): co-optimization of water-energy infrastructures
  • Rafaella Canessa (PhD researcher): energy transitions for New Zealand including green hydrogen applications
  • Akash Handique (PhD researcher): energy transitions for the Pacific Islands
  • Stella Steidl (PhD researcher): urban energy hubs with green hydrogen
  • Karan Titus (PhD researcher): carbon-negative geothermal energy
  • Hadi Vatankhah (PhD researcher): sustainable energy hubs 
  • Madison Zegeer (PhD researcher): robust decision-making for energy futures
  • TBA (PhD researcher): long-term storage with hydrogen
  • TBA (PhD researcher): resilience of future energy systems 
  • TBA (PhD researcher): optimization of CO2 capture and storage systems
  • Francisco Flores (international PhD researcher from Uni. Catolica Valparaiso): energy transitions for South America including international trade
  • Patrick Martin (international PhD researcher from Uni. Stuttgart): smart water-energy systems
  • Matias Paredes (international PhD researcher from Uni. Chile): deep uncertainty decision-making for energy transitions

Collaborating academics:

  • Mehdi Ekbatani, Transportation Systems, Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, UC
  • Markus Pahlow, Water Systems, Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, UC
  • Fabian Dunker, Inverse Problems,  Mathematics and Statistics, UC
  • Alaa Alhamwi, Energy Systems Analysis, German Aerospace Centre, Germany
  • Christian Breyer, Solar Economy, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, Finland
  • Felipe Feijoo, Electrical Power Systems, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Chile
  • Hans Christian Gils, Energy Systems Analysis, German Aerospace Centre, Germany
  • Pierluigi Mancarella, Chair Of Electrical Power Systems, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Wided Medjroubi, Energy Systems Analysis, German Aerospace Centre, Germany
  • Rodrigo Moreno, Institute of Complex Engineering Systems, University of Chile, Chile
  • Wolfgang Nowak, Stochastic Simulation and Safety Research for Hydrosystems, University of Stuttgart, Germany
  • Rodrigo Palma, Energy Center, University of Chile, Chile
  • Rachel Wagner, Saint Francis University, U.S.
  • Manuel Wetzel, Energy Systems Analysis, German Aerospace Centre, Germany

Visiting researchers (sorted by date):

  • Sven Teske (incoming visiting professor from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia): future energy vectors.
  • Pierluigi Mancarella (incoming visiting professor from the University of Melbourne, 2025): future power systems.
  • Rodrigo Palma (incoming visiting professor from the University of Chile, 2025): solar energy systems.
  • Alice Bennett (incoming visiting researcher from Cambridge, 2025): hydrogen technologies modelling.
  • Andre Cabrera (incoming visiting professor from Cambridge, 2025): energy systems.
  • Alicia Pilsl, Michael Kasenbacher, Simon Stuber (visiting interns from the University of Regensburg, Germany, 2024): energy futures.
  • Juan Carlos Osorio-Aravena (visiting senior researcher from the Solar Energy Research Center, Chile, 2024): future energy sector demands for New Zealand.
  • Leon Schumm (visiting researcher from the University of Regensburg, Germany, 2024): PyPSA for New Zealand
  • Ali Torkayesh (visiting researcher from the RWTH Aachen University, Germany, 2024): social preferences on future energy systems
  • Manuel Wetzel (visiting researcher from the German Aerospace Centre, Germany, 2024): hydrogen infrastructure planning for NZ and Germany
  • Patrick Martin (visiting researcher from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, 2024): smart water-energy systems
  • Neven Duić (visiting professor from the University of Zagreb): how to build 100% RES energy systems
  • Melissa Ale (visiting researcher from the University of Chile, Chile, 2023): resilient planning for NZ's energy system 
  • Ashish Gulagi (visiting senior researcher from the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, Finland, 2023): multi-sector planning for NZ
  • Will McNeil (visiting researcher from University of California Berkeley, U.S., 2023): sustainable heavy-truck transport
  • Rachel Wagner (visiting professor from Saint Francis University, U.S., 2023): co-impacts of energy transitions
  • Christina Benighaus (visiting senior researcher from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, 2023): social risk communications of energy transitions 
  • Carlos Alvear (visiting researcher from the University of Chile, Chile, 2022): strategic hydrogen reserves for NZ and Chile

Our projects

  • 2025-2029 Derisking Carbon Dioxide Removal at Megatonne Scale in Aotearoa. Dempsey D, Peer R, Haas J et al. NZ MBIE Endeavour.
  • 2024-2027 Comprehensive zero-carbon strategy for South America: Advancing energy equity and green hydrogen. Haas J, Peer R. UC’s SDG projects.
  • 2023-2026 Adaptive decision-making tool for multi-source water and energy infrastructure optimisation. Pahlow M, Haas J. UC’s SDG projects.
  • 2022-2025 New Zealand-German platform for green hydrogen integration (HINT). Haas J, Peer R et al. German BMBF and NZ MBIE.
  • 2022-2025 Methods for the coordinated optimization of water supply systems with evolving energy systems under deep climatic uncertainty. Nowak W, Haas J [international collaboration with the University of Stuttgart]. German DFG.
  • 2022-2027 Pūhiko Nukutū: a green hydrogen geostorage battery in Taranaki. Nicol A, Dempsey D, Adams M et al. (with Peer R). MBIE Endeavour.
  • 2022-2025 Enhancing risk assessment by understanding cascading failures. Logan T, Peer R, Zorn C. Te Hiranga Rū QuakeCoRE.
  • 2022-2025 Pathways to net-zero carbon buildings and communities. Bellamy L, Peer R, McNabb S. BRANZ.
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