Dr. Harjit Singh

Brunel University London, UK
Dr Singh is Reader in Sustainable Energy Technologies at Brunel University London (UK). His research focusses onto solar energy technologies, vacuum insulation panels and building/industrial retrofit for improved energy efficiency with over 90 peer reviewed publications in the area.  He has secured multi-million research funding from UKRI, Newton Fund (UK-Egypt, UK-India), Horizon2020, Innovate UK (UK-Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda), UKIERI-DST (UK-India) and several industrial funders based in USA, Germany and the UK. He was consultant to a project for developing Vaccine Storage Devices funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He was the Chair of the International Vacuum Insulation Symposium (IVIS2021) and is the current President of the IVIS Advisory Board (2022-2024).  

Talk title: Green Vacuum Insulated Elements for Radical Enhancement in Energy Efficiency
If the international promises for zero carbon economies are to be delivered, all sectors of economy must be decarbonised demanding a leap improvement in the efficiency of energy use of the systems and processes. Vacuum Insulated Elements are a strong candidate for use in a variety of applications. These are known to have a low thermal conductivity (≥2 mW/m.K) and are increasingly being researched globally by several research groups including us in Brunel. Despite several successes recorded, there are numerous scientific and engineering challenges facing vacuum insulation systems. This paper will present progress achieved in Brunel Labs to produce a realistic vacuum insulated elements, challenges faced and the resolutions developed/adopted/adapted. Thermo-physical characteristics of example elements developed at Brunel will be shared and discussed.