Background
Philip was awarded a first class BSc in Chemistry and Polymer Science Technology in 1985 at Loughborough University of Technology and was also awarded a Diploma in Industrial Studies through his placement at the Norddeutsche Affinerie, Hamburg Germany for the development of trace element analysis in electronic grade copper using emission spectroscopy.
He continued his work at Loughborough University in the Laboratory of Professor F. Wilkinson where he studied the chemisorption of dyes on solid substrates using novel laser flash photolysis techniques. Philip's programming skills helped develop control and analysis systems for the first pico-second diffuse reflectance flash photolysis facility at the Rutherford-Appleton laboratory.
Philip spent 15 years running his own software company providing bespoke survey and monitoring solutions for a number of UK clients after which he returned to the University's Wolfson school to pursue a passion in renewable energy technologies. Here he obtained a PhD supervised by Drs Paul Rowley and Chris Goodier after which he spent an number of years as a research Associate in the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology investigating the energy system impacts of the wide-scale adoption of Solar Photovoltaics in the UK energy system.
Along with Collaborators from Solar Century, Durham University and Solar Energy UK, Philip helped developed a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) standard for the performance of domestic solar PV coupled with battery storage.
Philip's main academic and research interests are:
- Simulation and modelling of multi-scale energy systems, particularly microgrids in domestic and commercial contexts.
- Energy markets, techno-economic analysis and the facilitation of a just and sustainable transition to a zero-carbon energy system.
- Pedagogy of low-carbon transition education using energy system models and small scaled devices.
- Pedagogy of programming and software development teaching exploring self-directed learning using Jupyter notebook environments.
- Machine learning projects using Bayesian Networks and Artificial Neural Networks.
- Development of low-code solutions for business process management automation
Current teaching responsibilities:
Module Leader
- WSA024 Programming and Software Engineering
- WSP044 Energy System Economics, Markets, Policy and Risk*
- WSP502 Individual Projects MSc Post Graduate Masters Programmes
- WSP765 Individual Projects MSc in Systems Engineering
Module Tutor
- WSA650 Energy Technology and Society
- WSC804 Energy Systems Analysis
- WSC303 Renewable Energy Systems
- WSI010/020 Industrial Placement Tutee
* On campus and distance Learners
Current administrative responsibilities:
- Deputy Team Leader - Wolfson School Individual Project Team
Philip is lead developer for as number of integrated information and software systems for the management of nearly 500 individual projects including excel tools, Power Automate, Learn VLE tools, Adobe Forms.
- Power Automate
Philip a School Lead is working with IT services on exemplar projects to harness the power of power automate for digitisation of processes
Philip works closely with Emergent Energy providing consultancy support on microgrids and software systems for submission of consumer data to the energy markets balancing and settlement system.