
Dr Nicolas Kelly
Reader
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Area of Expertise
I am a Reader in Energy Systems with over 30 years research, teaching and KE experience in energy and the built environments. My areas of research:
- Building modelling and simulation
- Simulation tool development
- Buildings and the urban environment
- Net Zero buildings and communities
- Energy efficiency in buildings
- Building-integrated photovoltaics
- Novel building integrated wind power devices
- Solar thermal technologies
- Thermal energy storage including phase change materials (PCM)
- Simulation-based control of buildings
- Monitoring of building energy performance and the performance 'gap'
- Modelling and testing of low and zero carbon energy technologies
- Probabalistic modelling of climate, building occupancy and energy use
- Hydrogen and fuel cells
- Decarbonising agricultural energy systems
I have over 100, peer-reviewed technical publications in these areas and am available to supervise related PhD projects.
Current research projects include the UKRI Green Economy Centre on High Density Buildings (CENZ-HighDB), the DESNZ-funded GreenShed project and validating the UK Home Energy Model (HEM).
I deliver classes in Energy Resources and Policy, Electrical Power Systems and Engineering Artificial Environment.
I co-ordinate the Strathclyde Energy Theme, and represent Strathclyde at board level on the International Building Performance Association (IBPSA) and East Ayrshire Council CORE project. I an the current chair of IBPSA-Scotland and sit on the Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) Heat Advisory Board.
Prize And Awards
- ICE Baker Medal
- Recipient
- 2011
- Best Paper Award - World Renewable Energy Congress X
- Recipient
- 7/2008
- RCUK Academic Fellowship
- Recipient
- 12/2003
Publications
- Zero Carbon Neighbourhoods : Creating Non-Complex Information from Complex Data
- Ekdi Fatma Pelin, Kelly Nicolas, McElroy Lori Barbara, McQuillan Jonathan, Sharpe Tim, Statt Rowena
- uSIM2024 (2024)
- Forecasting the impacts of the electrification of heat, cooling and mobility in future net zero urban areas
- Kelly Nicolas, Flett Graeme Hamilton, Rida Mohamad
- uSIM2024 (2024)
- Reducing energy consumption in urban office buildings with localised heating and heating set-point temperature reductions
- Rida Mohamad, Kelly Nicolas
- uSIM2024 (2024)
- Feasibility of electricity generation from abandoned oil wells in the Global South
- Usman Fidelis Jonah, Kelly Nicolas
- uSIM2024 (2024)
- Implementing Industry 4.0 tools for enhancing residential energy management : a case study of Kuwait
- Alajmi Abdalrahman R E, Kelly Nick
- 2024 IEEE 18th International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (AICT) The 18th IEEE International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (AICT) (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1109/AICT61888.2024.10740437
- Developing a statistical electric vehicle charging model and its application in the performance assessment of a sustainable urban charging hub
- Kelly N J, Flett G H, Hand J W
- Journal of Building Performance Simulation, pp. 1-20 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1080/19401493.2023.2258843
Professional Activities
- Strategic Themes - EPSRC (Critical Mass) - IES Workshop
- Participant
- 7/2/2025
- Strategic Themes: EPSRC Critical Mass Programmes to Drive a Sustainable Future
- Participant
- 30/1/2025
- Strategic Themes: Digital Twinning for Decarbonisation of our Cities
- Organiser
- 27/11/2024
- uSIM2024
- Organiser
- 25/11/2024
- Reaching Net Zero – why a focus on equity matters
- Speaker
- 30/10/2023
- East Ayrshire Council (External organisation)
- Advisor
- 5/10/2023
Projects
- Airlock and Cleansing Station Modelling
- Johnstone, Cameron (Principal Investigator) Kelly, Nicolas (Co-investigator)
- 14-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2024
- Energy Assessment Tool Development with PropEco and ESRU
- Kelly, Nicolas (Principal Investigator) McElroy, Lori (Co-investigator) McGhee, Raheal (Co-investigator)
- 22-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2024
- Renewable Energy Microgrid Integration for Remote, Off-grid Cabins in Nunavut (UK -Canada)
- Johnstone, Cameron (Principal Investigator) Kelly, Nicolas (Co-investigator) Ordonez Sanchez, Stephanie Eugenia (Co-investigator)
- 06-Jan-2022 - 05-Jan-2025
- Digital Dairy Value-Chain for South-West Scotland and Cumbria (Strength in Places Fund)
- Michie, Craig (Principal Investigator) Wagner, Beverly (Academic) Wilson, Juliette (Academic) Andonovic, Ivan (Co-investigator) Atkinson, Robert (Co-investigator) Bellekens, Xavier (Co-investigator) Galloway, Stuart (Co-investigator) Kelly, Nicolas (Co-investigator) Lengden, Michael (Co-investigator) Revie, Matthew (Co-investigator) Stewart, Robert (Co-investigator) Tachtatzis, Christos (Co-investigator) Ward, Andrew (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2027
- KTP - Anderson, Bell, Christie Ltd. The project will develop a toolkit to incorporate holistic net zero carbon measures into their design process, enabling creation of net zero carbon communities.
- Sharpe, Tim (Principal Investigator) Kelly, Nicolas (Co-investigator) McElroy, Lori (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2024
- Decarbonising Shipping Utilising Renewable Hydrogen - Supergen Cross Hub Funding
- Ordonez Sanchez, Stephanie Eugenia (Principal Investigator) Kelly, Nicolas (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2021 - 31-Jan-2022
Contact
Dr
Nicolas
Kelly
Reader
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Email: nicolas.kelly@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 574 5083