Engineering

Dr Paul Moran is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Civil Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He graduated from NUI Galway with a B.E. in Energy Systems Engineering in 2013 and a PhD in Civil Engineering in 2020. His PhD thesis investigated the environmental, economic and social impacts of residential buildings in Ireland moving towards nearly zero energy building standards by examining the interrelationships between the operational energy demand practices in buildings, the people occupying the buildings and the materials and technology used in the construction/retrofit of the buildings. His main research areas include (i) lifecycle assessment, (ii) energy efficient buildings, (iii) sustainable construction technologies, (iv) systems modelling of the built environment, and (v) studying the interrelationships between building occupants, building systems, and building energy consumption.

He has previously worked on the EU funded BenchValue project where he evaluated multiple construction superstructures for constructing residential buildings to determine which are the more sustainable based on economic, social and environmental criteria. He is currently working on the EU funded TURNKEY RETROFIT project which aims to create a service which will transform the complex and fragmented renovation process into a simple, straightforward and attractive process for the home-owner. The service will be accessible through a user-friendly digital platform and it will address drivers of building renovation that go beyond a desire to reduce energy bills and increase asset value, such as home improvement, increased comfort, enhanced health and quality of life.