Staffordshire Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Engineering

Themes

Summary

Our vision is to carry out world-leading theoretical and applied research and knowledge exchange to address complex real-world engineering challenges to improve peoples’ lives and the environment they live in, improving life satisfaction, productivity, and sustainability.

Our aim

Our research addresses aspects of renewable and sustainable engineering that are key to enhancing peoples’ lives, economic growth and improving our global environment. We aim to achieve this through a strong focus on interdisciplinary collaborations motivated by a range of stakeholders including extensive engagement with industry and government agencies to ensure our research achieves maximum impact.

  • Renewable and Low Carbon Energy – we design, optimise and validate novel approaches for renewable and low carbon energy with a particular focus on small scale, local energy generation and storage including: solar photovoltaic; solar heating/cooling; thermal energy storage; organic/polymeric solar cells; biogas; micro combined heat and power; liquid air energy storage; and smart grid systems.
  • Sustainable Manufacturing – we develop approaches to improve productivity, reduce waste and improve the reliability of manufactured goods with a particular focus on: advanced reconfigurable and flexible automation; the application of machine learning and advanced robotics; development, optimisation and use of novel materials for manufacturing; and novel design practices.
  • Sustainable Transport – we research novel approaches to transport and improvement of existing modes to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact through: industrial design; novel materials; autonomy; control, optimisation and condition monitoring of engine performance.

Group leader

Professor Hamidreza Gohari Darabkhani

Professor-Low Carbon & Renew Energy Sys

Prof Gohari Darabkhani has focused his research and industry collaborations on technologies and projects that directly contribute to resolving current major issues in the energy industry to achieving net-zero emission targets by 2050.

Hamidreza's profile

Researchers within Staffordshire Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Engineering

Torfeh Sadat-Shafai

Emeritus Professor

Torfeh's expertise lies in plastic electronics, Photovoltaics, Experimental Physics, Electronic Material; Thin Films Technology and Optoelectronics. Torfeh is also course leader for Advanced Technology MSc

Torfeh's profile

Dr Mohammad Moghimi Ardekani

Associate Professor

I joined Staffordshire University in 2019 with years of academic & industrial experiences. My main field of interest is CFD simulation of applied thermo-fluid problems for renewable energy technologies, Solar Energy & Thermal Energy Storage.

Mohammad's profile

Dr Alison Griffiths

Associate Professor

Alison's expertise includes smart grids and their protection and renewable integration, smart homes, wireless sensor network design, implementation and optimisation.

Alison's profile

Chris Wayman

Senior Lecturer

Chris worked as a Design Engineer in the automotive sector and in secondary Education specialising in creativity and Product Design Technology. His interests include historical product design, new manufacturing methods & materials and creati…

Chris's profile

Dan Lewis

Course Director

Dan is the Design Course Director and Course Leader for Automotive & Transport Design. Dan is also the Co-Course Leader for Product, Furniture, Ceramics. His Background in Product and Furniture Design feeds into his Emotional Design PhD and research.

Dan's profile

Nigel Turner

Senior Lecturer

Senior Lecturer for Automotive & Transport Design, and Product, Furniture, Ceramics, with 20 years’ experience as a luxury designer for Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Viners, Aspreys, and 10 years as a product development manager at Michelin Lifestyle.

Nigel's profile

Timothy Forrester

Senior Lecturer

Tim Forrester is one of Britain's most innovative designers. He achieved great success whilst working in Milan before returning to the UK to design and manufacture his high quality, inspirational and versatile furniture ranges.

Timothy's profile

Dr Abdul Waheed Awan

Senior Lecturer

Currently I am Senior Lecturer in Mechanical & Automotive Engineering and Award Leader for MSc Automotive Engineering within School of Creative Arts and Engineering.

Abdul Waheed's profile

Andrew Cash

Senior Lecturer

Andy's research interests include Automotive Propulsion and Vehicle Dynamics (mostly Engine related areas) branching out into Autonomous and Future Automotive.

Andrew's profile

Debi Roberts

Interim Head Of Department

Debi has a keen interest in Automotive and Aeronautical Aerodynamics, Engine Design and Engineering History (Automotive and Aeronautical).

Debi's profile

Dr Islam Abohela

Senior Lecturer

Islam is the Architecture Course Leader. He is an Architect with extensive experience in the design and construction of the built environment. Islam’s research focuses on the intersections between Architecture, Film and Sustainability.

Islam's profile

Dr Muhammad Naveed Iqbal

Senior Lecturer

Dr Naveed is the Course Leader for the MSc in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems. His expertise lies in electrical power systems, with a primary research focus on power quality issues within both current and prospective power grids.

in the UK for Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal 4, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021