PhD position in technical and non-technical aspects of energy efficiency, Lausanne, Switzerland

Dr Vincent Moreau invites applications for a PhD position in economic analysis of energy efficiency. The successful candidate will be hosted at the Energy Center of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland (http://energycenter.epfl.ch/). The position is part of a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) project to estimate threshold effects in energy consumption and how to achieve absolute reductions:

PhD position in technical and non-technical aspects of energy efficiency

The research takes place in the context of the energy transition in Europe, with the broad objectives of energy efficiency and decarbonization. It consists in evaluating the main factors influencing energy efficiency at the level of economic activities, in particular contrasting technical improvements in energy usen and non-technical aspects as a result of structural changes in the economy. The research project will quantify direct and indirect energy use, including embodied energy in products (goods and services) to estimate consumption based energy balances.
Specific tasks include: (1) Decomposition of energy efficiency over time at a relatively detailed level. (2) Identification and quantification of possible thresholds in energy consumption per activity. (3) Participation in teaching activities, in particular material and energy flow analysis. (4) Interaction and collaboration with research groups at EPFL, within the Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research (SCCER) and other groups involved in related EU research projects.
The Energy Center provides an excellent collaborative research environment in a world class engineering school with a dynamic and international community. Located along Lake Geneva, the city of Lausanne offers plenty of cultural opportunities and outdoor activities.
We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a master level degree in industrial ecology, ecological economics, or related environmental sciences, and a strong interest in energy. Data processing skills and proficiency in Excel and Matlab are necessary, basic knowledge of Input Output Analysis is particularly welcome. The official language at the PhD level is English and good command of French and/or German is an asset. This is a 4-year position starting in January 2018 (or as soon as possible thereafter).
Please send your application, including: (a) a curriculum vita, (b) academic transcript with undergraduate and graduate courses, (c) contact information of 2-3 potential referees and (d) a short description of your research interests and motivations to recruiting [dot] cen [at] epfl [dot] ch. Name all documents as LASTNAME_filename.pdf
Important: candidates must be admitted to the doctoral program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (EDCE) to which they have to apply simultaneously: http://phd.epfl.ch/ Deadline is September 15, 2017.
Questions (no applications) should be sent to Dr. Vincent Moreau by email: https://people.epfl.ch/vincent.moreau