Name: Dr. Hanmin Cai

Email: hanmin.cai@empa.ch

Phone: +41 58 765 40 77

Affiliation: Group leader, Urban Energy Systems Lab, Empa

Address: Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland

Group: www.empa.ch/web/energy-hub/

Cluster: /web/s313/flexibilities

Lab: www.empa.ch/web/s313

Links: Linkedin | Google Scholar | ORCID

 

Open-source projects

nestli: Neighborhood Energy System Testing towards Large-scale Integration

nestli is the virtual sister of the NEST demonstrator at Empa and the open-source code is hosted here: https://github.com/Khayatian/nestli

It is a co-simulation environment for benchmarking the performance of BACS (building automation and control systems). In its core, nestli is a calibrated EnergyPlus model of the UMAR living lab. see: /web/nest/urban-mining

The calibrated EnergyPlus model is wrapped into an FMU (fucntional mock-up unit) using the EnergyPlusToFMU tool. see: https://simulationresearch.lbl.gov/fmu/EnergyPlus/export/

The model is calibrated on measurements that are collected at 1-minute intervals, and thus runs at the same temporal resolution. The HVAC system can be controlled by overriding the setpoint temperature in each room. It is also possible to evaluate the robustness of the controller by manipulating weather conditions and building operation.

GIFTS: Grassroots Intelligence For Technological Sustainability

We explore repurposing discarded smartphones for energy management in buildings. We hope to address both environmental concerns of electronic waste and the need for building automation. You can find the public repository here: https://github.com/hacai44/GIFTS

GRIP: Grid-Responsive Interactive Prosumers

This repository is meant to accompany our paper published in Sustainable Cities and Society, the Experimental implementation of an emission-aware prosumer with online flexibility quantification and provision . You can find the public repository here: https://github.com/hacai44/GRIP

 

Professional memberships

Member of IEA EBC - Annex 82 - Energy Flexible Buildings Towards Resilient Low Carbon Energy Systems.

Guest editor of special issue "Energy flexible buildings for resilient low carbon built environment and energy systems" of Building Simulation.

 

Bio

I am a group leader with the Urban Energy System Lab at Empa. Read more here: https://www.energy-transition.ai

Prior to joining Empa, I worked as a Ph.D. student with the Center for Electric Power and Energy (CEE) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). I was mainly involved in developing and demonstrating future energy solutions within the EnergyLab Nordhavn project, using a full-scale smart city energy lab in Copenhagen. Before that, I received my Msc from EPFL.

My focus area is the intersection of multiple fields, including building energy flexibility, multi-energy system operation, and machine learning. I am interested in both theoretical research and experimental implementation/validation. Check out our state-of-the-art NEST building.

Besides my research, I am passionate about sustainable travel by bicycle, having completed long-distance journeys to international meetings across Europe.

 

Personal interests

As scientists, we like to challenge the norms and show what's feasible, such as biking to international conferences. Here are completed case studies:

  • Basel to La Rochelle, France (March/April, 1,348 km/12 days, 2023)
  • Basel to Copenhagen, Denmark (September/October, 1,634 km/12 days, 2024)

                    

 

Ongoing research projects

SWEET PATHFNDR (SFOE)

Principal Investigator

Leader of Work package 3;

Leader of WP5 P&D project nanoverbund.

MAGNIFY (SDSC)

Principal Investigator

CoDeF (EU)

 

Guest lectures

  • ICT-Automation & Control for the course "Building systems", at ETHz, Autumn 2023
  • ICT-Automation & Control for the course "Building systems", at ETHz, Autumn 2022
  • Governing Energy Transitions: Urban energy transition management, at Universität St. Gallen, 2021

 

Past research projects

EnergyLab Nordhavn

http://www.energylabnordhavn.com/index.html

From 2015 until 2019 the project EnergyLab Nordhavn – New Urban Energy Infrastructures has developed and demonstrated future energy solutions. The project has utilized and consolidated Copenhagen’s Nordhavn as a full-scale smart city energy lab and demonstrated how electricity and heating, energy-efficient buildings and electric transport can be integrated into an intelligent, flexible, and optimized energy system.

Funding body: EUDP (Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme) Denmark
 

Selected publications

  • Cai, H., and Heer, P. (2024). Experimental implementation of an emission-aware prosumer with online flexibility quantification and provision. Sustainable Cities and Society, 111, 105531.

  • Yin, M.*, Cai, H.*, Gattiglio, A., Khayatian, F., Smith, R. S., & Heer, P. (2024). Data-driven predictive control for demand side management: Theoretical and experimental results. Applied Energy, 353, 122101.

  • Le Dréau, J., Lopes, R. A., O'Connell, S., Finn, D., Hu, M., Queiroz, H., ... & Saeed, M. H. (2023). Developing energy flexibility in clusters of buildings: a critical analysis of barriers from planning to operation. Energy and Buildings, 113608.

  • Cai, Hanmin. "Circular economy meets building automation." In Journal of Physics: Conference Series, vol. 2600, no. 19, p. 192011. IOP Publishing, 2023.

  • Rousseau, J., Cai, H., Heer, P., Orehounig, K., & Hug, G. (2023, October). Uncertainty-Aware Energy Flexibility Quantification of a Residential Building. In 2023 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT EUROPE) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

  • Hekmat, N., Cai, H., Zufferey, T., Hug, G., & Heer, P. (2023, June). Data-driven demand-side flexibility quantification: Prediction and approximation of flexibility envelopes. In 2023 IEEE Belgrade PowerTech (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

  • Khayatian, F., Cai, H., Bojarski, A., Heer, P., & Bollinger, A. (2022). Benchmarking hvac controller performance with a digital twin. Applied Energy Symposium 2022: Clean Energy towards Carbon Neutrality (CEN2022).

  • Gasser, J., Cai, H., Karagiannopoulos, S., Heer, P., and Hug, G. (2021). Predictive energy management of residential buildings while self-reporting flexibility envelope. Applied Energy, 288, 116653.

  • Cai, H., Thingvad, A., You, S. and Marinelli, M., 2020. Experimental evaluation of an integrated demand response program using electric heat boosters to provide multi-system services. Energy, 193, p.116729. 

  • Cai, H., You, S. and Wu, J., 2020. Agent-based distributed demand response in district heating systems. Applied Energy, 262, p.114403. 

  • Wang, J., You, S., Zong, Y., Cai, H., Træholt, C. and Dong, Z.Y., 2019. Investigation of real-time flexibility of combined heat and power plants in district heating applications. Applied Energy, 237, pp.196-209.

  • Klyapovskiy, S., You, S., Cai, H. and Bindner, H.W., 2019. Incorporate flexibility in distribution grid planning through a framework solution. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 111, pp.66-78. 

  • Klyapovskiy, S., You, S., Cai, H. and Bindner, H.W., 2018. Integrated planning of a large-scale heat pump in view of heat and power networks. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 55(1), pp.5-15.

  • Cai, H., Ziras, C., You, S., Li, R., Honoré, K. and Bindner, H.W., 2018. Demand side management in urban district heating networks. Applied energy, 230, pp.506-518.

  • Cai, H., You, S., Wang, J., Bindner, H.W. and Klyapovskiy, S., 2018. Technical assessment of electric heat boosters in low-temperature district heating based on combined heat and power analysis. Energy, 150, pp.938-949.

 

Student supervision

2024, Fall semester

  • Semester thesis student, Luca Krebs, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Mattia Bianchi.
  • Master thesis student, Andres Decormis, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Binod Koirala, Dr. Gabriele Humbert and Dr. Leonard Göke.

2024, Spring semester

  • Semester thesis student, Clovis Schmitt, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Matthias Brandes.
  • Master thesis student, Heidi Bonde Nielsen, Msc Aarhus University. Co-supervision with Dr. Massimo Fiorentini.
  • Semester thesis student, Daniele Ginforte, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Federica Bellizio.
  • Semester thesis student, Albéric de Tessières de Blanzac, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Matthias Brandes and Arvind Srinivasan.
  • Bachelor thesis student, Marvin Schwander, Bsc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Ana Bendiek and Dr. Didier Beloin-Saint-Pierre.

2023, Fall semester

  • Master thesis student, Pedro Pena Zorzano, Msc DTU. Co-supervision with Julie Rousseau and Dr. Charalampos Ziras.
  • Semester thesis student, Jan Brädle, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Julie Rousseau.
  • Semester thesis student, Bernadino Bernad, Msc ETH Zurich.
  • Semester thesis student, Ehrhardt Eric, Msc ETH Zurich.
  • Master thesis student, Roxanne Vandenberghe, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Gabriele Humbert.
  • Semester thesis student, Charlotte Jacquet, Msc ETH Zurich.

2023, Spring semester

  • Master thesis student, Michael Lustenberger, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Federica Bellizio and Dr. Charalampos Ziras.
  • Master thesis student, Andrei Zotov, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Federica Bellizio and Dr. Charalampos Ziras.
  • Semester thesis student, Frederik Mohr, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Julie Rousseau.

2022, Fall semester

  • Master thesis student, Qiuxian Li, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Natasa Vulic.
  • Master thesis student, Josien de Koning, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Binod Koirala and Prof. John Lygeros (IfA ETH Zurich).

2022, Spring semester

  • Master thesis student, Andrea Gattiglio, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Mingzhou Yin and Prof. Roy Smith (IfA ETH Zurich).
  • Master thesis student, Matthias Brandes, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Jacopo Vivian and Prof. Roy Smith (IfA ETH Zurich).

2021, Spring semester

  • Master thesis student, Nami Hekmat, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Thierry Zufferey and Prof. Gabriela Hug (PSL ETH Zurich).

2020, Fall semester

  • Semester project student, Timmy Frischknecht, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Thierry Zufferey and Prof. Gabriella Hug (PSL ETH Zurich).
  • Master thesis student, Muriel Beaud, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Dr. Dasun Perera and Prof. Roy Smith (IfA ETH Zurich).

2020, Spring semester

  • Master thesis student, Jan Gasser, Msc ETH Zurich. Co-supervision with Philipp Heer, Dr. Stavros Karagiannopoulos and Prof. Gabriella Hug (PSL ETH Zurich).