Phil Vardon

This postdoctoral project at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) focuses on the integrated modelling of heating systems that combine subsurface energy extraction and storage with the buildings they serve. The research centres on how heating and cooling demand interacts with the performance of sustainable supply systems, with particular attention to accurate simulation of production temperature and subsurface processes that shape system behaviour. You will work on two externally funded projects: one on energy extraction from inland waterways via energy geostructures, and another on the performance of ATES energy storage systems . Across both projects, the aim is to understand how the system components work together under varying load conditions and control schemes, and how their performance can be optimised over the lifetime of the supplied buildings. The work is strongly model-based and data-driven. You will help organise and support activities at experimental sites on the Delft campus, contribute to monitoring and data collection for model validation, and compare simulations with field data. A major part of the project involves integrating existing component models into broader energy system models and developing modelling strategies and interfaces that reduce computational cost while preserving accuracy. The project is hosted by the Geo-Engineering and Water Resources sections within TU Delft’s Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences . You will join an interdisciplinary team and work in close collaboration with researchers and companies across Europe and the Netherlands, including industry partners. The position also includes teaching support in the MSc Sustainable Energy Technology programme, with opportunities to give lectures, support tutorials, and guide thesis projects. The supervision team comprises Professor Phil Vardon and Associate Professor Martin Bloemendal .