Energy Modelling Methods to Support Digital Twins of National Scale Building Stocks University of Limerick in Ireland

The University of Limerick invites applications for a funded PhD position focused on 'Energy Modelling Methods to Support Digital Twins of National Scale Building Stocks.' This project is part of a larger initiative to decarbonise Ireland's energy system, addressing technical and societal challenges in climate change mitigation. The university is developing a national-scale digital twin of its built environment, enabling data-driven decision-making in energy efficiency, climate resilience, urban planning, and policy making.

The PhD research will contribute to the energy modelling layer underpinning this digital twin, with a primary focus on bottom-up demand modelling, electrification scenario analysis, and validation of building-stock energy models at national scale. The project involves integrating multiple datasets and evaluating various renovation approaches, including fabric-first, cost optimal, district heating, renewable integration, demand-flexibility, and peer-to-peer energy trading. The research will quantify the impact of electrification technologies such as heat pumps, EVs, and rooftop PV on national demand and the low-voltage distribution network, supporting the evaluation of renovation, technology adoption, and policy scenarios.

Grounded in real-world Irish datasets (BER, GeoDirectory, ESB Networks LV data, ERA5), the project aims to deliver a robust, validated energy modelling layer for Ireland’s building stock. To enhance accessibility for stakeholders (DSOs, regulators, policymakers, researchers), the candidate will extend a prototype building-stock knowledge graph and develop a Large Language Model (LLM) based natural-language query interface, exposed through a web-based tool. The energy modelling remains the primary research focus, with the knowledge graph and LLM interface serving as the delivery layer for model outputs.

Throughout the PhD, the successful candidate will gain advanced research expertise, critical problem-solving skills, and access to academic and industry internships, preparing them for a career at the forefront of innovation. The project is interdisciplinary, involving collaboration with teams across the NexSys project and the Building Energy Informatics Group at UCD.

Applicants should have a First Class or upper Second Class (2.1 or higher) Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Energy Systems, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, or a related quantitative discipline. Required skills include strong programming (Python, NumPy, pandas, scipy), experience with heterogeneous datasets, and excellent English communication. Desirable skills include energy modelling, building physics simulation tools (EnergyPlus, IDA-ICE, Modelica, TRNSYS), stochastic modelling, geospatial data (GIS, geopandas, QGIS), national-scale energy datasets, machine learning, LLMs, knowledge graph technologies, web-based tool development, and a record of research publications.

Funding is available for up to 4 years, covering a stipend of €25,000 per annum, travel/consumables/materials budget, and tuition fees. The application process requires submission of a cover letter and CV via the provided link. For queries, contact Prof James O'Donnell at [email protected]. The deadline for applications is June 7, 2026.