PhD scholarships in robust and holistic cooling solutions of buildings in megacities.

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At the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of the Build Environment, in Energy research group, a PhD scholarship focusing on providing evidence and support in the system design, installation and efficient operation of affordable cooling solutions of buildings in hot and humid climates. The stipend is within the general study programme "Civil Engineering" is open from 15th February 2026.

Description

The global demand for cooling buildings is already significant and is expected to rise sharply as the climate warms and the number of buildings increases, particularly in countries with hot climates. As a result, the energy demand for cooling is growing faster than any other energy use in the building sector, having more than tripled between 1990 and 2016. The rapid spread of mechanical cooling systems, primarily electrical vapor-compression units, places significant strain on electricity grids, particularly regarding peak demand. By 2040, indoor space cooling is expected to become the second-largest contributor to global electricity growth.

The holistic research investigating the optimal transmission configurations, sizing, control, and scheduling of cooling that is tailored to building typologies for hot and humid climate is scarce. This issue arises from the complexity of modeling these factors, which requires a co-simulation approach and validation of these.

PhD position will focus on the following:

• Combining passive and active cooling strategies.
• To optimize sensor types, the number of sensors, and locations withing cooling system and building to facilitate efficient monitoring and fault detection and diagnosis.
• Delivering a co-simulation-based environment that covers energy use (cooling) and indoor climate, of typical and affordable cooling configurations in various typical building typologies in hot and humid climates.
• Validation of models with real operational buildings and systems.
• Establishing benchmark operational and boundary condition.
• Identification and evaluation of various non-optimal operational conditions and extreme boundary conditions to investigate systems robustness and consequences.

The PhD student will have a place of work at AAU Campus in Aalborg.

The PhD project will be carried out within a project Sustainable Water-based Cooling in Megacities (SWiM) financed by Grundfos Foundation.

Candidate for this position is expected to have a relevant engineering education e.g. within energy in buildings and/or built environment. Preferably documented qualifications within working with data, data analysis, modelling energy and indoor environment, building control as well as qualitative research methods.

Qualification requirements

PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Please visit the website of the doctoral school for further information on admission requirements. website of the doctoral school

How to apply

Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Project description
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information

We recommend that you save a copy of the job posting, as it will be removed once the application deadline has passed.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.

Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).