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Dr Maria Vahdati

Email:
m.m.vahdati@reading.ac.uk

Responsibilities:

Programme Director, MSc Renewable Energy: Technology & Sustainability
School Positive Minds Facilitator
School Athena Swan Team Co-Chair.
Module Convenor for: Energy & the Environment (CEM241), Energy Research Skills (CEM19A), Energy Research Dissertation (CEM19B) and Renewable Energy Systems (CEM160).

Areas of interest

Wind, hydro, solar and biomass energy systems design and modelling
Earth Architecture
Ground source heat pumps and PV system hybrids
Energy in buildings.

Postgraduate supervision

Recent PhD supervision (completed):

2017

Enhancing strength and durability of adobe bricks by introducing bio inspired stabilisers.
Innovative, integrated greywater and green wall systems for improving water security; treatment and recycling to provide alternative water resources.
Energy use and reduction in UK commercial kitchens.

2016

The recovery of cassava waste for heat generation in cassava-based bioethanol plants in Thailand: social practices and environmental impact.

2015

The development of an assessment criteria framework for sustainable non-residential buildings in Saudi Arabia.

2014

Analysis of historical solar irradiance data and development of a virtual pyranometer method for real-time PV monitoring.
A computational fluid dynamics investigation of a vertical axis augmented wind turbine design for the built environment.

2013

Classification methods for an ill-posed reconstruction with an application to fuel cell monitoring.

2011

Analysis tools for urban wind turbines.

Research centres and groups

University of Reading Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Group

Academic qualifications

BSc
PhD
Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy.

Professional bodies/affiliations

Chartered Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers

Publications

Elgamal, A. , Vahdati, M. , Shahrestani, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-8741-0912 (2022) Assessing the economic and energy efficiency for multi-energy virtual power plants in regulated markets: a case study in Egypt. Sustainable Cities and Society , 83 ISSN: 2210-6707

Haji Ismail, F. , Shahrestani, M. , Vahdati, M. , Boyd, P. , Donyavi, S. (2021) Climate change and the energy performance of buildings in the future – a case study for prefabricated buildings in the UK. Journal of Building Engineering , 39 ISSN: 2352-7102 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102285

Khan, M. , Shahrestani, M. , Hayat, T. , Shakoor, A. , Vahdati, M. (2019) Life cycle (well-to-wheel) energy and environmental assessment of natural gas as transportation fuel in Pakistan. Applied Energy , 242 pp. 1738-1752. ISSN: 0306-2619 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.03.196

Prakobboon, N. , Vahdati, M. , Shahrestani, M. (2018) An environmental impact assessment of the management of cassava waste: a case study in Thailand. International Journal of Biomass & Renewables , 7 (2). pp. 18-29. ISSN: 2289-1692

Mudie, S. and Vahdati, M. (2017) Low energy catering strategy: insights from a novel carbon-energy calculator. Energy Procedia , 123 pp. 212-219. ISSN: 1876-6102 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.07.244
Mudie, S. and Vahdati, M. (2017) Fat, oil and grease reduction in commercial kitchen ductwork: a novel biological approach. Waste Management , 61 (March). pp. 28-39. ISSN: 0956-053X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.01.041

Burgess, P. , Vahdati, M. , Essah, E. (2015) Investigation of the accuracy of historical irradiance products and interannual variability of solar irradiance using Met Office ground data. IET Renewable Power Generation , 9 (5). pp. 405-411. ISSN: 1752-1416 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1049/iet-rpg.2014.0386

Banani, R. , Vahdati, M. , Elmualim, A. (2013) Demonstrating the importance of criteria and sub-criteria in building assessment methods. pp. 443-454.
Balila, A. and Vahdati, M. (2013) Wall materials and techniques available for low cost housing in Khartoum from a sustainability point of view.
Lowery, N. , Vahdati, M. , Potthast, R. , Holderbaum, W. (2013) Classification and fault detection methods for fuel cell monitoring and quality control. Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology , 10 (2). ISSN: 1550-624X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4023565
Varney, K. and Vahdati, M. (2013) Photovoltaic and solar-assisted ground-source heat pump systems . Proceedings of the ICE - Engineering Sustainability , 166 (1). pp. 32-45. ISSN: 1751-7680 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1680/ensu.11.00006

Saker, D. , Millward, M. , Vahdati, M. , Essah, E. (2012) Uncovering the potential of domestic demand side management to maximise the diffuions of renewable energy.
Burgess, P. , Vahdati, M. , Essah, E. , Davies, D. , Phillip, S. (2012) Progress toward a virtual pyranometer for low cost performance monitoring of PV systems.
Burgess, P. , Vahdati, M. , Essah, E. , Philip, S. , Davies, D. (2012) Development of a virtual pyranometer for performance monitoring of PV systems.

Burgess, P. , Vahdati, M. , Davies, D. , Philip, S. (2011) Preliminary performance monitoring of a 40kWp PV system on a commercial building. pp. 45-48.
Burgess, P. , Vahdati, M. , Davies, D. (2011) An investigation of the impact of time of generation on carbon savings from PV systems in Great Britain. pp. 2730-2737.
Vahdati, M. , Nobile, R. , Barlow, J. , Mewburn-Crook, A. (2011) Dynamic stall for a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine in a two-dimensional study. (Volume 15 (Wind Energy Applications) )

Vahdati, M. and O'Nions, P. (2000) Design and development of a low NOx Coanda ejector burner . Journal of the Institute of Energy , 73 (494). pp. 12-17. ISSN: 0144-2600

Vahdati, M. (1999) Advances in module design for membrane distillation.
Vahdati, M. (1999) Permeate flux modeling of membrane distillation. Filtration and Separation , 36 (1). pp. 49-53. ISSN: 0015-1882 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0015-1882(99)80017-2

Burgoyne, A. , Vahdati, M. , Priestman, G. (1995) Investigation of flux in flat-plate modules for membrane distillation. Developments in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing , 3 (3-4). pp. 161-175. | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/apj.5500030305