Location University College Dublin, Ireland
The Economics of the impact of demand response measures in households as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network on “Consumer Energy Demand Flexibility in Electricity Use” (CoDeF)
Consumers and citizens will play an important role in the transition to net zero carbon energy through flexible energy use and matching demand to available renewable energy supply. Nonetheless, technical, economic, and societal challenges currently hinder consumer participation in energy markets.
In this project, the PhD student will focus on the decision‑making process of householders to participate in demand response actions to increase the flexibility of electricity load in the residential sector. Consumer energy flexibility is being rapidly acknowledged as a crucial tool as Europe aims for a just and sustainable energy transition to achieve climate neutrality and energy security.
In particular, the PhD student will use economic analysis tools, such as surveys, econometric analysis, agent‑based modelling, to model the future uptake of demand response contracts and their impact on electricity demand. The aim of the research will be to understand the potential of households to develop flexible load under different incentives, demand response automation contracts, and information framing to alleviate peak demand. The student will benefit from collaboration with other researchers working on related projects across the CoDeF network.
This PhD position is one of 15 positions funded under the MSCA Doctoral Network (DN) Consumer Energy Demand Flexibility in Electricity Use (CoDeF). Your supervisors will be Prof. Lisa Ryan and Dr. Marta Talevi and you will join the PhD Programme in Economics in UCD School of Economics. You will also become part of the UCD Energy Institute, a University‑wide hub that fosters interdisciplinary links among energy‑related projects. Our University hosts a diverse community with members from different countries and disciplines, and we welcome candidates that contribute to and enjoy this diversity.
We foresee two secondments during this PhD trajectory: subject to confirmation, this would consist of an academic secondment to KU Leuven, in Belgium, or RUB, in Germany, and a non‑academic secondment at an energy supplier or government agency in Ireland. In addition, the doctoral network aims to provide extensive training in research and transferable skills, centred around annual workshops in Dublin (IE), Dübendorf (CH), Copenhagen (DK) and Bochum (DE). More information on the CoDeF training network can be found (opens in a new window) here.
Note that each partner university is recruiting separately for different positions. At UCD we are looking for candidates with a background in Economics (especially behavioural, environmental, and energy economics), who will join our flagship PhD programme in Economics and work on a thesis on the decision‑making process of householders to participate in demand response actions and the impact of those actions to increase the flexibility of electricity load in the residential sector. More detailed description and how to apply can be found at this link.
Requirements
Must have a Master’s degree in economics or related discipline (must have been awarded by the agreed‑upon starting date of the PhD).
Strong quantitative and analytical skills with experience in either surveys, agent‑based modelling, and/or advanced econometrics.
Very good written and spoken communication skills in English.
In line with Marie Slodowska‑Curie Action requirements, eligible applicants to PhD programmes in Ireland must not have lived in the Republic of Ireland for more than 12 of the last 36 months.
Training and/or experience in behavioural and energy economics.
Training and/or experience in economic data analysis using R, Stata, Python, or similar.Prior research experience, especially in behavioural economics, energy, and/or environmental economics.
Interest and enthusiasm for energy and climate policy.
Knowledge of the electricity sector and electricity markets.
Doing a PhD at UCD requires English proficiency to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English‑taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate School’s Admission Requirements.
Eligibility: In accordance with Marie Slodowska‑Curie Action guidelines, candidates must not have lived in Ireland for more than 12 months in the last three years. The successful candidacy is subject to the approval of the UCD Graduate Research Board and subsequent admittance to the PhD programme.
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