PhD student (scholarship): New Energy Modelling Framework: Combination of Energy and Environmental Models

27.04.2025, Wissenschaftliches Personal

The Chair of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems (ENS) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) deals with the modeling and optimization of energy systems on different temporal and spatial scales. For our Research Group Applied Optimization we are looking for a PhD student (scholarship): New Energy Modelling Framework: Combination of Energy and Environmental Models starting immediately, in full-time.

The doctoral position is part of the International Project Team OptiEnv, which is funded by the International Graduate School of Science and Engineering (IGSSE) at TUM: link.

Research topic:
Energy system models play a crucial role when it comes to designing future sustainable and resilient energy systems. Climate change and geopolitical issues require a rapid transformation of the system, but many uncertainties remain. Reducing uncertainties is imperative as the scale of investment required is very high and the phase-in time of new infrastructure is years, if not decades. The combination of conventional linear optimization energy models, which cover for the major part of the system, and the inclusion of partial differential equations (PDE) in the model to describe either environmental influences or a more detailed component behavior offers a possible solution to this challenge. The goal of the project is to develop first steps towards a new framework for energy modeling and optimization that combines the open-source energy model generator urbs with environmental models described by PDEs. The project will initially focus on one main application: urban energy models and the urban heat island effect.

Tasks:

• Work in a team on an international collaborative research project, which deals with the development of the new energy modelling framework.
• You will be responsible for developing solutions in terms of methodology (theory) and implementation (application) of the new approach.
• Coordination of the cooperation with the project partners
• Publication of results in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at international conferences.

Requirements:

• Above average Master’s degree in engineering, applied mathematics, physics or computational science
• Good knowledge of energy system modelling or climate modelling
• Good knowledge of PDEs or mathematical/numerical optimization methods
• Enthusiasm for challenging problems and interdisciplinary collaboration
• Relevant experience with programming languages (preferably Python)
• You work independently, in a structured and reliable manner.
• You are communicative, flexible and able to work under pressure.
• Fluency in English language (writing/speaking)
• Applicants who are already pursuing or hold a doctorate will be automatically disqualified  

We offer:

• An interesting and challenging job in an international and dynamic team at TUM's Garching site
• Flexible working hours
• Individual opportunities for further training
• You will receive a scholarship from TUM IGGSE (2000 € per month stipend) + mobility funding 
• Enrollment as a doctoral candidate in TUM IGGSE, with extensive training program

Interested?

Then we look forward to receiving your application; please send them by e-mail to jobs.ens@ed.tum.de with “PhD application – City climate” in the subject. Please include the following documents as a single PDF file titled
“PhD_IGSSE_YourFirstName_FamilyName”: detailed CV, cover letter, full academic transcript (Bachelor and Master). Please do not include any other documents in the PDF file. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Smajil Halilović (smajil.halilovic@tum.de). The position remains open until filled.

Kontakt: smajil.halilovic@tum.de

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