Sector coupling within the energy system on a city district level, Master Thesis

Company Description

We have been electrifying industries, powering homes, and transforming life through innovation and collaboration for more than 100 years. Empowered by our goal, we are determined to enable fossil free living within one generation. To succeed we, as one of Europe's leading energy companies, must be fossil-free ourselves.

But that’s not enough. That’s why we are looking beyond our own industry, to see where we can really make a difference.

Join us on our journey towards a fossil-free life within one generation.

Want to learn more about what we do? Visit https://group.vattenfall.com/

Since Vattenfall is a part of the Swedish critical infrastructure, many of our services are security classed. If this position is security classed the final candidates might be subjected to a security vetting process, according to the Swedish legislation.

Job Description

About the thesis

Sector coupling is getting more and more relevant as the energy transition is gaining momentum. Integrated energy solutions which enable control over electricity production, charging infrastructure, energy storage, heating, cooling etc. are in demand for developing the new urban environment. There are both enablers and barriers to this development, as regulation and markets are trying to adapt to new solutions such as “flexumers”, V2X and utilising low-temperature heat sources. As energy price and energy security volatility has increased, system integration and sector coupling are seen as potential solutions for increased energy security, and an opportunity for new business models.

The literature regarding sector coupling is concentrated to three areas:

• Application of sector coupling technologies, from energy generation to end-users.
• Model-based techno-economic analysis of various alternatives, as well as their associated costs, advantages and disadvantages.
• The role of sector coupling in strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This Master Thesis aim to identify how various technical solutions can be integrated and provide system benefits through controlling, flexibility and optimisation of power/energy usage. At Vattenfall R&D, we want to learn more about sector coupling from an energy perspective and possible ways to establish it profitably within current/future regulatory and market conditions. Also, the impact on overall system efficiency for nearby grid infrastructure (heating, cooling, electricity) is of interest.

Scope

• Identifying current solutions on the market, their function, and what services they provide.
• Design and analyse an energy system with integrated solutions to suggest possible design alternatives.
• Provide an overview of the realistic, conceptual energy system design.
• Evaluate the technical, economic, and regulatory enablers and barriers of sector coupling and controlling of selected system components in both existing and new city areas (PV production, EV charging, building/area batteries, heat pump integration, district heating and cooling networks, etc.).
• Identifying additionality values (e.g. social, environmental) of integrating components in a management and control system.
• Develop potential business cases which makes sector coupling and system integration profitable.

The thesis is suitable for (but not limited to) two students working together

Qualifications

We are looking for students to join our journey towards a fossil free future. You are soon to be graduated from your academic studies. You also identify yourself with our principles: active, open, positive and safe.

• Education – The applicant has a technical background at a master’s level such as mechanical engineering, sustainable energy engineering, industrial engineering and management, electric power engineering or equivalent
• Scope – 30 credits
• Required language skill is English

Additional Information

• Start of assignment: 2023-02-06 or by agreement
• Location: Solna, Stockholm

• Application – a combined file with your CV and cover letter, as well as a copy of your grades
• Deadline for application is 2023-01-23
• Contact person: Fredrik Starfelt, 076-142 61 50 and Dado Hadziomerovic, 073 067 89 64.

Diversity & inclusion - in everything we do

At Vattenfall we build on the fact that diverse teams can outperform homogeneous teams. But we can only unleash and leverage the power of diversity, if we make everybody feel included. Read more about our important work on diversity & inclusion https://careers.vattenfall.com/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion/