Atmospheric warming has been a multi-factorial phenomenon, having aggravated in recent decades, especially following the outset of the new millennium. It is mostly a dangerous by-product of greenhouse gas emissions due to overpopulation and industrialization. One of the important ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is moving towards zero-energy buildings, as the building sector is one of the largest energy-consuming sectors. The simple definition of zero-energy building is that the total amount of energy used annually is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. To achieve this goal, we need to design efficient buildings and renewable energy systems.
Dr Hooman Mehdizadeh-Rad's expertise is in zero-energy buildings, heat mitigation and designing the third generation of solar cells. Some of his projects include designing energy-efficient buildings, heat mitigation in tropical cities and reducing the operating temperature of organic and perovskite solar cells. Hooman is a Chartered Professional Mechanical Engineer, and he has been awarded the 2022 "Sir George Julius" medal and the "Young Mechanical Engineer of the Year" award from Engineers Australia.
There are opportunities to undertake research projects in the following areas:
• Zero energy buildings
• Heat mitigation
• Designing organic solar cells
• Designing perovskite solar cells