Dr Graeme Hawker
Strathclyde Chancellor's Fellow
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Personal statement
Personal statement
I am a Lecturer in Energy Systems, primarily working as part of the UK Energy Research Centre.
My main interest is in multi-carrier energy simulation/optimisation and Whole System Modelling, looking at how the different constraints we have in the future development of electricity, gas, hydrogen and heat networks may affect how we choose to meet our long-term carbon emissions targets.
My other interests include:
- Macro-level carbon budgeting (in particular using the TIMES modelling framework)
- Low-carbon heating technologies
- Local energy systems
- Operation and control of large wind farms in transmission networks
- Risk and reliability in power networks
- Machine learning for failure prediction
I have previously worked as an analyst and consultant in the Renewable Energy sector.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2876-4371
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Qualifications
BA (hons.) Natural Sciences - Cambridge University 2002
BSc (hons.) Physical Sciences - Open University 2013
MSc Information Technology - Glasgow University 2003
Chartered Scientist and Member - The Energy Institute 2012
PhD in Electrical Engineering - University of Strathclyde 2018: "Spatial and Temporal Disaggregation of Whole System Energy Models Through Exemplar Local Multi-Carrier Networks"
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Scottish Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan Consultation : University of Strathclyde Response Corbett Hannah, Calvillo Munoz Christian, Hannon Matthew, Anderson Pauline, Cairns Iain, Davies Kathleen, Galloway Stuart, Hawker Graeme, MacIver Callum, McGarry Connor, Turner Karen, Yarr Roddy (2023) https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00085444 The problem of resilience in multi-carrier cellular systems : responsibilities and regulation Hawker Graeme, Bell Keith 5th International Hybrid Power Systems Workshop (2021) The Pathway to Net Zero Heating in the UK Rosenow Jan, Lowes Richard, Broad Oliver, Hawker Graeme, Wu Jianzhong, Qadrdan Meysam, Gross Robert (2020) https://doi.org/10.5286/ukerc.edc.000941 Heterogeneity of UK residential heat demand and its impact on the value case for heat pumps Flower Jack, Hawker Graeme, Bell Keith Energy Policy Vol 144 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111593 A whole systems energy study - the Glasgow energy operator Hawker G S, Watson G, McMillan D, Neilson D CIGRE Session 2020 (2020) Decarbonising the UK residential sector : the dependence of national abatement on flexible and local views of the future Broad Oliver, Hawker Graeme, Dodds Paul E Energy Policy Vol 140 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111321
Publications
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Steering Group Meeting (August 2022) - Delivering a Sustainable and Equitable Heat Transition (SEHT) project Contributor 11/8/2022 Steering Group Meeting (April 2022) - Delivering a Sustainable and Equitable Heat Transition (SEHT) project Contributor 5/4/2022 Steering Group Meeting - Delivering a Sustainable and Equitable Heat Transition (SEHT) project Contributor 17/11/2021 Predictably Unpredictable: When Simulation Meets Human Nature Speaker 21/1/2021 Drivers and Challenges for Multi-Energy Systems Speaker 3/12/2020 Energy Forecasting for Market-led Multi-vector Energy Networks Contributor 12/10/2020
A resilient Scottish energy system (IAA) Bell, Keith (Principal Investigator) Hawker, Graeme (Co-investigator) 17-Jan-2019 - 17-Jan-2020 EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Power Networks and Smart Grids | Flower, Jack Bell, Keith (Principal Investigator) Hawker, Graeme (Co-investigator) Flower, Jack (Research Co-investigator) 01-Jan-2016 - 30-Jan-2022 UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) phase 3: theme 3 - Energy systems at multiple scales Bell, Keith (Principal Investigator) Xu, Lie (Co-investigator) Frame, Damien (Researcher) Hawker, Graeme (Researcher) MacIver, Callum (Researcher) 01-Jan-2014 - 30-Jan-2019 Realising Energy Storage Technologies in Low-carbon Energy Systems (RESTLESS) Bell, Keith (Principal Investigator) Bukhsh, Waqquas (Researcher) Hawker, Graeme (Researcher) 01-Jan-2015 - 31-Jan-2019 ELECTRA Burt, Graeme (Principal Investigator) Bell, Keith (Co-investigator) Catterson, Victoria (Co-investigator) McArthur, Stephen (Co-investigator) Roscoe, Andrew (Co-investigator) Hawker, Graeme (Researcher) 01-Jan-2013 - 30-Jan-2017 FITS-LCD: Fabric Integrated Thermal Storage for Low-Carbon Dwellings Kelly, Nicolas (Principal Investigator) Bell, Keith (Co-investigator) Clarke, Joseph Andrew (Co-investigator) Strachan, Paul (Co-investigator) Tuohy, Paul Gerard (Co-investigator) Hawker, Graeme (Researcher) "The domestic sector faces a range of challenges as the UK attempts to drastically cut its carbon emissions by 2050. A key issue is reducing the overall demand for heat and then decarbonising residual heat loads - which encompasses both demand for space heating and hot water provision. Two non-exclusive means to achieve these goals are: firstly, the diversification of the heat sources serving buildings and communities towards a variety of low-carbon heat sources including solar thermal energy, biomass, waste heat and ground source energy. Secondly, the electrification of space and hot water heating using heat pumps running on decarbonised electricity. Thermal storage would play a key role in facilitating both of these developments, acting as an integrating mechanism for heterogeneous heat sources and decoupling heat supply and demand to mitigate the worst impacts of the electrification of heat. However, there are challenges, one of the most significant is competition for space - as dwelling sizes reduce, the space penalty associated with conventional hot water storage acts as a barrier to uptake. Storage in the future may need to migrate away from the traditional hot water tank at seen at present, towards media such as phase-change materials and storage that makes better use of the existing space and thermal mass in and around buildings, including large scale community storage. An attractive storage option is to integrate future thermal stores into the fabric of the dwelling - fabric integrated thermal stores (FITS).
The aim of this multi-discipline research is to investigate how thermal stores could be integrated into the fabric of future dwellings and communities (both new build and retrofit) and how they would be operated within the local context of accommodating multiple low-carbon thermal energy sources and within the wider context of the decarbonisation of the UK's energy supply. Specific activities include: establishing the operating criteria for fabric-integrated thermal stores (FITS) operating in a future low-carbon energy system; generating prototype FITS concepts, controllers, energy services and heat sensing solutions; performance evaluation of FITS concepts using modelling and simulation leading to selection of best performers for further investigation; construction of scaled FITS prototypes for testing of in-situ performance; gauging user reaction to the concept of using thermal storage for energy services to third parties including demand management; and finally testing of prototype interfaces to FITS with end-users.
The research will generate new knowledge in a number of areas: the architectural integration of thermal storage materials (eliminating the space penalty associated with water tanks); interfacing of thermal stores with heterogeneous heat sources; and information on the acceptability of the participation of domestic heat storage in energy networks. Tangible outputs will include: a range of FITS concept designs - the performance of which will be evaluated using modelling and simulation; two prototypes of promising concepts will be constructed as demonstrators (to test performance in the field); new thermal storage controllers; and energy services will be developed and tested, predicated on the active participation of thermal storage in energy network management.
The work will benefit the construction industry, particularly Architects and Structural Engineers, offering new ideas on the space-efficient integration of thermal storage into buildings. The work will also benefit the building services community and technology developers, providing information on the combination of multiple low-carbon heat sources and the measurement, management and control of stored heat over different timescales. Finally, the work will be of value to utilities and energy service providers, offering insight into the potential of thermal storage to facilitate network support services." 01-Jan-2016 - 31-Jan-2019
Research Interests
Energy systems analysis, wind power, solar power, electricity and gas distribution, power system economics.
Professional Activities
Projects
The aim of this multi-discipline research is to investigate how thermal stores could be integrated into the fabric of future dwellings and communities (both new build and retrofit) and how they would be operated within the local context of accommodating multiple low-carbon thermal energy sources and within the wider context of the decarbonisation of the UK's energy supply. Specific activities include: establishing the operating criteria for fabric-integrated thermal stores (FITS) operating in a future low-carbon energy system; generating prototype FITS concepts, controllers, energy services and heat sensing solutions; performance evaluation of FITS concepts using modelling and simulation leading to selection of best performers for further investigation; construction of scaled FITS prototypes for testing of in-situ performance; gauging user reaction to the concept of using thermal storage for energy services to third parties including demand management; and finally testing of prototype interfaces to FITS with end-users.
The research will generate new knowledge in a number of areas: the architectural integration of thermal storage materials (eliminating the space penalty associated with water tanks); interfacing of thermal stores with heterogeneous heat sources; and information on the acceptability of the participation of domestic heat storage in energy networks. Tangible outputs will include: a range of FITS concept designs - the performance of which will be evaluated using modelling and simulation; two prototypes of promising concepts will be constructed as demonstrators (to test performance in the field); new thermal storage controllers; and energy services will be developed and tested, predicated on the active participation of thermal storage in energy network management.
The work will benefit the construction industry, particularly Architects and Structural Engineers, offering new ideas on the space-efficient integration of thermal storage into buildings. The work will also benefit the building services community and technology developers, providing information on the combination of multiple low-carbon heat sources and the measurement, management and control of stored heat over different timescales. Finally, the work will be of value to utilities and energy service providers, offering insight into the potential of thermal storage to facilitate network support services."
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Contact
Dr
Graeme
Hawker
Strathclyde Chancellor's Fellow
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Email: graeme.hawker@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 7232