Thesis Work – Local Energy Resilience Hubs During Crises

Are you a student looking to apply your knowledge to real-world solutions that support the energy transition? With us, you will have the opportunity to complete your thesis project close to the business, working alongside experienced specialists and tackling challenges where your ideas and perspectives can make a real difference.
About the thesis project
At Digital Energy Solutions, we develop Vattenfall’s digital solutions that enable more efficient, flexible, and secure energy systems. This thesis project, conducted in collaboration with the Church of Sweden and Uppsala University, explores how selected church properties can function as local energy and resilience hubs during power outages and other disruptions.
The project will investigate how churches can provide essential services such as heating, lighting, communication, charging, and safe gathering spaces, while identifying the technical, organizational, and financial conditions needed to make such solutions feasible.
The thesis may include
Mapping the needs and incentives of key stakeholders, such as parishes, municipalities, energy companies, grid operators, and local communities.
Evaluating business and collaboration models for resilience hubs.
Conducting interviews, surveys, and workshops.
Assessing critical electricity loads and the potential role of batteries and bidirectional electric vehicle charging.
Research question
How can selected church properties function as local energy and resilience hubs during electricity outages and other disruptions, and what technical, business, and collaboration arrangements are needed to enable and operate such solutions?
Expected outcome
The thesis aims to identify practical business and collaboration models and provide recommendations for implementing and scaling church-based resilience hubs.
Scope
Master's thesis (30 ECTS credits)
One master’s student
We are looking for student(s) who are about to complete their academic studies and are eager to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting through a thesis project at Vattenfall. You are someone who shares our values and identifies with our principles: Active, Open, Positive and Safety.
Master’s student in Energy Systems, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
Interest in energy resilience, flexibility, distributed energy resources, and local energy systems.
Interest in business models, stakeholder collaboration, and sustainable energy solutions.
Ability to combine qualitative analysis with quantitative assessments.
Experience with interviews, surveys, workshops, or case study research is meritorious.
Knowledge of batteries, electric vehicles, bidirectional charging, flexibility services, or energy communities is meritorious.
Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to work across disciplines.
Master's thesis (30 ECTS credits).
Fluent in Swedish and English, both written and spoken.

Employment type
Contract

Work arrangement
No