Dr Sahand Hosouli
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- School of Engineering
- Roehampton Vale
Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering & Course Leader for the Renewable Energy Engineering MSc
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am an award-winning researcher and engineer with a PhD in Industrial Engineering (Renewable Energy) from the University of Florence. I currently serve as the Head of Department for Mechanical Engineering and a Senior Lecturer in Renewable Energy at Kingston University London. In this leadership role, I drive departmental strategy and curriculum innovation, ensuring that our students gain the future skills needed to thrive in a digital-first, sustainable economy. As Course Leader of the Renewable Energy Engineering MSc programme, I educate and mentor students on the latest developments and best practices in renewable energy, preparing them for careers in this rapidly growing field.
My research focuses on advancing and refining renewable energy technologies, with a particular emphasis on solar thermal systems, thermochemical heat storage, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), waste heat recovery, and the application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods in renewable energy. I have extensive expertise in the design, modelling, and testing of various types of solar thermal collectors, including ST, PT, PVT, and C-PVT systems. In the field of heat storage, my research involves developing, screening, and assessing innovative materials capable of efficiently storing and releasing heat, with a particular focus on improving cyclic performance and scaling up thermochemical storage (TCS) systems from laboratory scale to real-world demonstrations. I have supervised several undergraduate and postgraduate students.
I have a strong track record of securing research and development funding from major national and international bodies, including Horizon Europe, the British Council, and the British Academy. I have successfully coordinated multi-million-euro international consortia and managed large-scale projects focused on climate, energy, and mobility. My work aligns closely with the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, particularly in supporting manufacturing innovation and the transition to clean energy.
Beyond my leadership at Kingston, I am an Expert Member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 67 and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). I have also had the opportunity to work across several leading UK institutions, including Swansea University (2021–2023) and Loughborough University (2020), where I contributed to projects related to renewable energy technologies and thermal energy storage.
Qualifications
- 2021: PhD in Industrial Engineering - Energy & Environmental Technologies (University of Florence)
- 2015: MSc, Materials Science and Engineering (Iran University of Science & Technology)
- 2013: BSc, Materials Science and Engineering
Domains
Course Leader
Renewable Energy Engineering MS
Module Leader
- ME7751: Wind Power Technology (2024/25)
- ME7752: Solar Power Technology (2024/25 & 2025/26)
- ME7753: Renewable Design & Performance Analysis (2024/25 & 2025/26)
- AE7202: Biomass and Fuel Cells Renewable Technology (2023/24 & 2024/25)
Teaching Team Member
- ME7725: Green Engineering & Energy Efficiency (2023/24 & 2024/25)
- ME7742: Research Techniques, Innovation & Sustainability (2024/25 & 2025/26)
- AE7203: Solar Power Engineering (2023/24)
Teaching grants
- Teaching Capital Funding (PI) – £27,000
- Provost Award 2025 (PI) – £3,000
- Inclusive Curriculum and Education for Sustainable Futures bursaries 2025 (PI) - £1,000
Awards and Recognition
- The Provost’s Award for Learning and Teaching Excellence 2025
Qualifications
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Course director
Courses taught
I am currently involved in various renewable energy projects, including solar energy, thermal energy storage, and energy optimisation. These projects cover topics such as solar plant location selection, energy cost optimisation, and innovative energy storage systems. I have supervised several students for their renewable energy and material/mechanical engineering projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including those from the Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centers (EUREC).
Research grants
- KU Research Capital Funding (PI) – £25,000
- SunGel - British Council International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) (co-PI) – £100,000
- KU First Grant (PI) – £10,000
- KU Research Capital Funding (co-PI) – £37,000
- Versatile Energy Systems for Adaptable Architecture – The British Academy (Horizon Europe Pump Priming Grant) (PI) – £10,000
- COST Actions - Virtual Mobility Grant (PI) – £1500
Previous research activities
- Developed a novel small-size solar PTC for medium temperature applications. Indoor and outdoor testing was conducted to obtain experimental results which were used to validate the CFD model. The design was then upscaled to the system level using TRNSYS, Polysun, and TRNBuild software for the development of energy supply models.
- Developed a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodology for screening and selection of novel materials suitable for heat storage applications using graph theory and matrix approach.
- Developed a novel stacked bed reactor for thermochemical heat storage, with a focus on the importance of reactor design in the efficient use of storage materials for background space heating.
- Developed novel PVT collector design called H-pattern.
- Conducted extensive research on the development and testing of novel salt/matrix thermochemical heat storage materials.
Specialisms
- Design and Optimization of Solar Thermal Systems and Building Energy Performance
- Development and Evaluation of Novel Materials for Efficient Thermal Energy Storage
- Advancing Life Cycle Assessment methodologies to evaluate and reduce environmental impacts across products, processes, and systems
- Study of Key Design Parameters of Solar Collectors with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
- Simulation and Modelling of Renewable Energy Systems
- Developing and Applying Mathematical Models for Decision-Making Problems
Industry links
- Oru Space Ltd (https://oruspace.co/)
- Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (https://www.kingston.gov.uk/)
- Academic Liaison Officer (ALO) of the IMechE Greater London Region Committee (GLRC)
Qualifications and expertise
- Expert Member, International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 67
- Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action) - CA21127 Techno-economic analysis of carbon mitigation technologies (TrANsMIT)
Previous project manager of EU funded projects:
- Res4Live
- PowerUp MyHouse
Publications
Predicting outdoor performance of solar parabolic trough collector (PTC) from indoor test data using machine learning
Hosouli, Sahand, Jackson-French, Luc, Pierucci, Giacomo and De Lucia, Maurizio, 2026, Applied Thermal Engineering (290), 1, Published
Importance of reactor design on efficient utilisation of thermochemical heat storage materials for background space heating
Hosouli, S., Sutton, R. J., Searle, J., Jewell, E. and Elvins, J., 2026, Journal of Energy Storage (142), Published
Comparative LCA of feather treatment processes (Steam Explosion, Microbial Fermentation, Mechanical Grinding) for sustainable bioplastic feedstock production
Hosouli, Sahand, Gajdarenko, Damian, Ingstorp, Klas, Almqvist, Jonna, Bartocci, Pietro, Gomes, João, Farrelly, Philip B., McGillicuddy, Karen and Traas, Daniel, 2025, Cleaner Environmental Systems (19), Published
Retrofitting a gas-powered residential development with a communal heat pump system: a case study in the UK using an MCDM-based approach
Farley-Hills, Toby, Raeisi, Forough and Hosouli, Sahand, 2025, Journal of Building Engineering (114), Published
Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) solar collector and system overview
Hosouli, Sahand, Aliakbari, Mansoureh, Raeisi, Forough, Jahangir, Muhammad Talha, Gomes, João, Murali, Damu and Acosta Pazmiño, Iván P., 2025, Energies (18), 21, Published
Modelling, simulation and performance analysis of floating photovoltaic systems - a systematic review and meta-analysis
Lawale, Oreoluwa, Philbin, Simon P. and Hosouli, Sahand, 2025, Energies (18)pp 5273, Published
Application of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model for solar plant location selection
Hosouli, Sahand and Hassani, Rania Asma, 2024, Results in Engineering, Published
Thermal performance of three concentrating collectors with bifacial PV cells. Part II - parametrical study
Lança, Miguel, Gomes, João, Cabral, Diogo and Hosouli, Sahand, 2024, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy (238), 4pp 723-730, Published
Optimizing photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector selection: a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach for renewable energy systems
Hosouli, Sahand, Gaikwad, Nachiket, Qamar, Shabahat Hasnain and Gomes, Joao, 2024, Heliyon (10), 6, Published
Mitigating PV cell cracking in solar photovoltaic thermal collectors with a novel H-pattern absorber design
Hosouli, Sahand, Bagde, Siddhi, Talha Jahangir, Muhammad, Hasnain Qamar, Shabahat, Formosa, Nathan and Gomes, Joao, 2024, Applied Thermal Engineering (242), E-pub ahead of print
Alternative work arrangements: individual, organizational and environmental outcomes
Yildizhan, Hasan, Hosouli, Sahand, Yılmaz, Sıdıka Ece, Gomes, João, Pandey, Chandan and Alkharusi, Tarik, 2023, Heliyon (9), 11, Published
Performance evaluation of novel concentrating photovoltaic thermal solar collector under quasi-dynamic conditions
Hosouli, Sahand, Gomes, João, Talha Jahangir, Muhammad and Pius, George, 2023, Solar (3), 2pp 195-212, Published
A multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methodology for high temperature thermochemical storage material selection using graph theory and matrix approach
Hosouli, Sahand, Elvins, Jonathon, Searle, Justin, Boudjabeur, Samir, Bowyer, Jordan and Jewell, Eifion, 2023, Materials and Design (227), Published
Evaluation of a solar photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system in a dairy farm in Germany
Hosouli, Sahand, Gomes, João, Loris, Alexander, Pazmiño, Ivan Acosta, Naidoo, Adeel, Lennermo, Gunnar and Mohammadi, Hadi, 2023, Solar Energy Advances (3), Published
Indoor thermal loss test on small-size solar receiver (UF-RT01) for process heat application
Pierucci, Giacomo, Hosouli, Sahand, Salvestroni, Michele, Messeri, Matteo, Fagioli, Federico and De Lucia, Maurizio, 2021, Solar Energy Advances (1), Published
Experimental methodology and thermal loss tests on small size absorber tubes for solar applications
Pierucci, Giacomo, Hosouli, Sahand, Salvestroni, Michele, Messeri, Matteo, Fagioli, Federico, Taddei, Francesco and De Lucia, Maurizio, 2018, Energies (11), 10, Published
Pulse and direct electrodeposition of Ni-Co/micro and nanosized SiO2 particles
Imanian Ghazanlou, Siavash, Farhood, Amir Hassan Shafie, Hosouli, Sahand, Ahmadiyeh, Somayeh and Rasooli, Ali, 2018, Materials and Manufacturing Processes (33), 10pp 1067-1079, Published
Pulse frequency and duty cycle effects on the electrodeposited Ni-Co reinforced with micro and nano-sized ZnO
Ghazanlou, Siavash Imanian, Farhood, A. H.S., Hosouli, Sahand, Ahmadiyeh, Somayeh and Rasooli, Ali, 2017, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics (28), 20pp 15537-15551, Published
Best practices for PVT technology
Furbo, Simon, Perers, Bengt, Dragsted, Janne, Gomes, João, Gomes, Mário, Coelho, Paulo, Yıldızhan, Hasan, Yilmaz, İbrahim Halil, Aksay, Bilge, Bozkurt, Alper, Cabral, Diogo, Hosouli, Sahand, Hayati, Abolfazl, Kaziukonytė, Jovita, Sapeliauskas, Evaldas and Kaliasas, Remigijus (2021). pp 1-10 [Published]
Performance assessment of concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector at different locations
Hosouli, Sahand, Cabral, Diogo, Gomes, João, Kosmadakis, George, Mathioulakis, Emmanouil, Mohammadi, Hadi, Loris, Alexander and Naidoo, Adeel (2021). pp 1-12 [Published]
Evaluation of the use of Concentrated Solar Photovoltaic Thermal Collectors (CPVT) in a dairy and swine farm in Europe
Loris, Alexander, Hosouli, Sahand, Lennermo, Gunnar, Kulkarni, Manali, Poursanidis, Ioannis and Gomes, João (2021). pp 1-12 [Published]
Realization of a test rig for small solar collectors and preliminary test
Pierucci, Giacomo, Hosouli, Sahand, Messeri, Matteo, Salvestroni, Michele, Fagioli, Federico, Taddei, Francesco, Pourreza, Atabak, Rashidi, Hamid and De Lucia, Maurizio (2018). [Published]
Design of a small size PTC: computational model for the receiver tube and validation with heat loss test
Salvestroni, M., Pierucci, G., Fagioli, F., Pourreza, A., Messeri, M., Taddei, F., Hosouli, S., Rashidi, H. and Lucia, M. De (2018). pp 012025 [Published]
Design of a seasonal storage for a solar district heating in Florence
Salvestroni, M., Pierucci, G., Fagioli, F., Pourreza, A., Messeri, M., Taddei, F., Hosouli, S., Rashidi, H. and Lucia, M. De (2018). pp 012026 [Published]
Best practices for PVT technology
Furbo, Simon, Perers, Bengt, Dragsted, Janne, Gomes, João, Gomes, Mário, Coelho, Paulo, Yıldızhan, Hasan, Halil Yilmaz, İbrahim, Aksay, Bilge, Bozkurt, Alper, Cabral, Diogo, Hosouli, Sahand, Hayati, Abolfazl, Kaziukonytė, Jovita, Sapeliauskas, Evaldas and Kaliasas, Remigijus(2021). [Published]
Performance assessment of concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector at different locations
Hosouli, Sahand, Cabral, Diogo, Gomes, João, Kosmadakis, George, Mathioulakis, Emmanouil, Mohammadi, Hadi, Loris, Alexander and Naidoo, Adeel(2021). [Published]
Evaluation of the use of Concentrated Solar Photovoltaic Thermal Collectors (CPVT) in a dairy and swine farm in Europe
Loris, Alexander, Hosouli, Sahand, Lennermo, Gunnar, Kulkarni, Manali, Poursanidis, Yannis and Gomes, João(2021). [Published]
Realization of a test rig for small solar collectors and preliminary test
Pierucci, G., Hosouli, Sahand, Messeri, M., Salvestroni, M., Fagioli, F., Taddei, F., Pourreza, A., Rashidi, H. and De Lucia, M.(2018). [Published]
Design of a small size PTC: computational model for the receiver tube and validation with heat loss test
Salvestroni, M., Pierucci, G., Fagioli, F., Pourreza, A., Messeri, M., Taddei, F., Hosouli, S., Rashidi, H. and Lucia, M. De(2018). [Published]
Design of a seasonal storage for a solar district heating in Florence
Salvestroni, M., Pierucci, G., Fagioli, F., Pourreza, A., Messeri, M., Taddei, F., Hosouli, S., Rashidi, H. and Lucia, M. De(2018). [Published]
Gallery of my work
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Kingston University People Awards 2025 - Ambitious Value Award (Individual Winner)
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The Provost's Award for Learning and Teaching Excellence 2025
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Simulation with Polysun - Part 2 - Solar Thermal Systems & Profitability - Intermediate
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LCA with GaBi Software - Intermediate Level Case Study
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LCA with GaBi Software - Advance Level Case Study
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Simulation with Polysun - Part 1 - Introduction to Polysun & PV Systems - Intermediate