Contact Jose Luis Torero (j.torero@ucl.ac.uk) Employer University of Queensland State/Province Queensland (Australia) Title Research Engineer/ Sessional Lecturer (Part-time) Employment Dates Jan. 2013 — Aug. 2016 Duration 50% (1 year, 10 months) Tasks and Duties I worked in the School of Civil Engineering developing and delivering teaching of Environmentally Sustainable Design [CIV4180] and continuing professional development modules for professional engineers. Developed a revised curriculum each year in collaboration with Groundwater Professor David Lockington and taught my contribution on building simulation. I also developed a continuing professional development short course for senior students to become accredited raters as I had be qualified from train-the-trainer engagement with Sustainability Victoria & Nationwide Household Energy Rating Scheme (NATHERS) that integrate the CSIRO Chenath tools.
I also provided research consultancies to Australian Federal, State, and local governments. I also revised Australian Institute for Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Heating Design Standards.
My area of contract research and teaching was made redundant by Australian repeal of the price on CO2 pollution so I decided to relocate to the UK in 2016. Representative Projects Developed Sustainable Built Environment subject CIVL4180. I worked to negotiate installation in school teaching lab computers a different package of licensed building physics software each year. The first year 2013 I taught with the EnergyPlus CAD package Design Builder, the second year 2014 with CSIRO Accurate CAD FirstRate5 (Sustainability Victoria). In the last years 2015&2016 I trained as a trainer in OpenStudio at National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and revised the teaching materials to suit this interface into EnergyPlus building physics and HVAC simulation. In the first year 2013 I tasked the students to assess student accommodation on campus and to make the business case for energy efficiency and comfort initiatives. In the second year 2014 I tasked them with assessing the same standard 3-bedroom house plan in 100 locations around Australia and to recommend necessary adjustments to achieve code compliant performance with respect to the energy-efficiency provisions of the National Construction Code. In the last years 2015&2016 I focused on developing capacity to assess commercial premises and so had to update OpenStudio libraries to include typical Australian roof/ceiling assemblies and façade systems.
2014 I assessed solar panel and air-conditioner performance for Australia/NZ Governments, using TRNSYS, EnergyPlus, and CSIRO Accurate simulation simulations at 100 localities. Supported Commonwealth of Australia’s Carrier Air-conditioning Method to Estimate Loads and contributed improvements, culminating in Australian HVAC Design Data repository. I led the consortium of University of Queensland and NZ National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) in research consultancies for the Australian Commonwealth, in support of “right sizing” HVAC plant. In 2015 I developed policy zones of climate-specific energy efficiency ratings labels for a range of heating and cooling appliances that are marketed trans-Tasman. Australian/NZ Governments & industry consultation resulted in seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating system labels with local climate zone adaptations.