Projects per year
Personal profile
Particulars
I am a Professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Editor in Chief of Elsevier’s Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, a member of the Editorial Board of Elsevier’s Renewable Energy and an Editorial Panel member of the Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings in Transport. I have a BE(Hons) (1996) in Civil Engineering and a PhD (2011) in Energy Engineering from University College Cork and an MScEng (1999) in Environmental & Transportation Engineering from Trinity College Dublin. I have a h-index of 31 (Scopus), 25 (Web of Science) and 36 (Google Scholar). I have published over 100 international peer reviewed journal articles and numerous conference papers.
I returned to academia in 2009 after 12 years in industry. Prior to joining the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in Queen’s University Belfast in 2011, I worked in the School of Engineering in University College Cork as a Lecturer and an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Research Fellow. While in industry I worked for ESB International, Siemens, PM Group and SWS Energy primarily in projects in the energy, waste, pharmaceutical and telecommunications.
My research income includes competitive national and international awards (e.g. EPSRC, US-Ireland SFI NSF DfE & EC H2020), government (e.g. Department for the Economy) and industry funding (e.g. Carbon Trading Ltd., SSE) totalling £2.6M.
Research Interests
I am interested in the global sustainable energy transition, smart cities and transport systems. Another interest is the food energy water (FEW) nexus considering extreme weather events, global warming and the environment. A theme in my research interests, greenhouse gas emissions, energy economic and energy policy regulatory aspects in developed and developing countries.
Research Statement
I have three research areas under the ‘Clean Energies’ theme in my School; wind power integration, power and gas systems and transport electrification. Specific topics includes turbine performance, life cycle analysis, wind power forecasting, unit commitment modelling, power from biogas, levelised cost of energy, demand response using intelligent ICT, energy storage, microgrids and electric vehicles, battery modelling and drive cycle analysis.
My research objective is efficiency and robustness for a sustainable energy future. As a result my work is interdisciplinary and I collaborate closely with the ‘Energy, Power and Intelligent Control (EPIC)’ research cluster in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS) and the Bryden Centre for Advance Marine & Bio-energy Research in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering led by Professor David Rooney.
Finally, I have been External Examiner to 6 PhD thesis and on 1 Habilitation Commission for Docent Assoc. Prof. in Cardiff University, Dublin City University and the University of the West of Scotland and the Brno University of Technology.
Teaching
I am Stage 3 Advisor of Studies (2015 to date). I am the School elected member of the School Management Board (2017 to date). I am also a panel member of the University Central Student Appeals Committee (2016 to date). Typically I supervise up to 6 undergraduate projects annually.
I have supervised over 40 undergraduate dissertations to completion. I am External Examiner for the Energy Systems Engineering degrees in NUI Galway. I Chaired Engineers Ireland Accreditation Panel for the Mechanical Engineering degrees in Dublin City University (2016). I was a Member of Engineers Ireland Accreditation Panel for the Energy Systems Engineering degrees for NUI Galway (2015).
Current module/role:
- MEE7029 Sustainable Energy Systems – Module coordinator and primary instructor
- MEE3064 Transportation Power and Systems 3 – Secondary instructor
- MEE4040 Project 4 – Supervise my final year MEng individual projects
- MEE3030 Project 3B – Supervise my final year BEng individual projects
- MEE1011 Laboratory Programme 1 – Assess and advise my Stage 1 tutees in completing their Laboratory reports
Previous module/role:
- MEE3057 Renewable Energy Technologies – Module coordinator and primary instructor
- MEE3063 Sustainable Transportation Systems 3 – Module coordinator and primary instructor
- MEE4038/MEE7013 Sustainable Transportation Systems – Module coordinator and primary instructor
Achievements
MembershipsProfessional qualifications:
- Chartered Engineer (2001)
- Fellow, Engineers Ireland (2012)
- Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (2009)
- Fellow, Higher Education Authority (HEA) in the United Kingdom (2013)
- Diploma Applied Project Management, Inst. of Project Management (2002)
Other achievements and distinctions include:
- Editor in Chief, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (2018 to date)
- Co-Editor in Chief, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews (2017)
- Editor (Wind), Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews (2014 to 2016)
- Most Cited Paper Award, Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences and Elsevier (2017)
- Best Paper Nomination, IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meet, Denver, Colorado, USA (2015)
- Best Paper Award, Elsevier’s Renewable Energy, Recognition as first author on a top cited paper contributing to Renewable Energy’s 2014 Impact Factor (2014)
- A review article ranked in Science Direct’s Top 25, Hottest Articles in 2013 to date, also a Scopus highly cited paper (>500 citations)
- 3 original research articles awarded Scopus highly cited paper with 135 citations, 135 citations and 104 citations respectively
- Early Career Researcher Travel Award, EU COST Action (2011)
- Leonardo da Vinci programme Masters Scholarship, Trinity College Dublin (1996)
Other
- Member of the Board of Directors of Sustain NI (2017)
- Member of Engineers Ireland Northern Region Committee (2012 to date)
- Full College Member, Peer Review Panel, Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (2017 to date)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
R3641CCE: Zero Carbon Cooperative Innovation and Developing Entrepreneurship for a New Tomorrow (0CCIDENT)
Rooney, D., Foley, A. & Robertson, P.
15/02/2022 → …
Project: Research
-
-
R3300MEE: Support Scheme options to incentivise renewables investment in Northern Ireland
05/08/2021 → …
Project: Research
-
Impact of offshore wind power forecast error in a carbon constraint electricity market
Higgins, P., Foley, A. M., Douglas, R. & Li, K., 01 Nov 2014, In: Energy. 76, p. 187-197Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
26 Citations (Scopus) -
The evolution of offshore wind power in the United Kingdom
Higgins, P. & Foley, A., Sep 2014, In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 37, p. 599-612 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
99 Citations (Scopus) -
A long-term analysis of pumped hydro storage to firm wind power
Foley, A. M., Leahy, P. G., Li, K., McKeogh, E. J. & Morrison, A. P., 01 Jan 2015, In: Applied Energy. 137, p. 638-648Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
74 Citations (Scopus) -
Climate change response in Europe: What's the reality? Analysis of adaptation and mitigation plans from 200 urban areas in 11 countries
Reckien, D., Flacke, J., Dawson, R. J., Heidrich, O., Olazabal, M., Foley, A., Hamann, JJ-P., Orru, H., Salvia, M., de Gregorio Hurtado, S., Geneletti, D. & Pietrapertosa, F., Jan 2014, In: Climatic Change. 122, 1-2, p. 331-340 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
195 Citations (Scopus) -
Impacts of compressed air energy storage plant on an electricity market with a large renewable energy portfolio
Foley, A. & Díaz Lobera, I., 01 Aug 2013, In: Energy. 57, p. 85-94 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
77 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
-
Best Paper Award
Ahmed, Faraedoon (Recipient), Foley, Aoife (Recipient), McLoone, Seán (Recipient), Best, Robert (Recipient), Cameron, Che (Recipient) & Al Kez, Dlzar (Recipient), 07 Nov 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
File -
Best Paper Award, Recognition as first author on a top cited paper contributing to Renewable Energy’s 2014 Impact Factor, Renewable Energy (Elsevier)
Foley, Aoife (Recipient), 2014
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Best Paper Nomination, IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meet, Denver, Colorado, USA
Yan, Juan (Recipient), Li, Kang (Recipient), Bai, Erwei (Recipient) & Foley, Aoife (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Other distinction
-
Best PhD Thesis Competition Award
Al Kez, Dlzar (Recipient), Foley, Aoife (Recipient), Laverty, David (Recipient) & Morrow, D John (Recipient), Sep 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Bill Curtin Medal – Best paper on research innovation in civil engineering that leads to real-world impact
Foley, Aoife (Recipient), 05 Jun 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
-
Convenor for PhD viva for Dr Wasif Naeem 'Model-Based Design of an Energy Management Strategy for a Hybrid Electric Bus' by Dan Smith
Aoife Foley (Examiner)
01 Dec 2022Activity: Examination types › Other examination
-
DFE Network (External organisation)
Aoife Foley (Advisor)
14 Mar 2022Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
-
E-cubed Sandpit Event to develop new PG Certificate
Aoife Foley (Participant)
07 Mar 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
-
Invited speaker, International Conference on Innovations in Energy Management and Renewable Resources (IEMRE 2022), co-sponsored by IEEE Kolkata Section, Smart Society, USA and Solar Energy Society of India (SESI)
Aoife Foley (Advisor)
26 Feb 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
-
Energy and Climate Transformations: 3rd International Conference on Energy Research & Social Science
Aoife Foley (Participant)
2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media
-
Featured article in IET Smart grid
Andres Moreno Jaramillo, Javier Lopez-Lorente, David Laverty, Jesus Martinez-del-Rincon, D John Morrow & Aoife Foley
02/04/2022
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
-
Ep 7: Datacenters, energy and emissions on Hot Mess RTE 1 by Philip Boucher-Hayes
30/03/2022
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
-
Article in Irish Times Irish electrical vehicle supports benefit the wealthy, study finds by Kevin O'Sullivan
04/03/2022
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
-
-
Interview by the Open Innovation Team part of HM Government for a report for North East England Local Enterprise Partnership
05/11/2021
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Impact
-
House of Lords’ EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee publishes its report on Brexit: energy security
Aoife Foley (Participant)
Impact: Societial Impact, Economic Impact, Public Policy Impact