PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSIt has been a long but rewarding three years, which has not only enriched me as ascholar but also a person.During the course of these three years, a number of people have been influential incompleting this research task which has eventually led to this doctoral publication.Primarily, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Nick Kelly. His dedication,guidance and encouragement for me to find an answer to the various researchquestions encountered during the process of completing this thesis have been adetermining factor in its successful completion. Thanks go to Prof. Joe Clarke for thefruitful discussions we had during specific aspects of completing this thesis.Acknowledgments are also due to the academics, researchers and student colleaguesat ESRU. It has been a privilege working within such an esteemed energy systemsresearch group and the help I found from the various members of this group duringthe completion of this research, has been instrumental.Special thanks also go to members of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling ProgrammeTask 38 for providing the necessary data to calibrate the absorption chiller model andfor the help and guidance provided by members of IEA Energy Conservation inBuildings and Community Systems Annex 54 and the Supergen Highly DistributedPower Consortium.Finally, but definitely not least, I would like to thank my wife Denise for beingconstantly there to support me during the whole process leading to the completion ofthis thesis.The research work disclosed in this publication is partially funded by the StrategicEducational Pathways Scholarship (Malta). The scholarship is part-financed by theEuropean Union – European Social Fund (ESF) under Operational Programme II –Cohesion Policy 2007-2013, “Empowering People for More Jobs and a BetterQuality of Life”.i