Ulster Talks Series - Professor Jayanta Mondol

Presentation Brief:

This presentation will explore the transformative journey of solar energy technologies from traditional rooftop panels to innovative, fully integrated building solutions. Drawing on ongoing research and innovation at Ulster University, this talk will highlight how buildings are being reimagined not just as spaces we inhabit, but as active producers of clean energy. Discover how solar energy technologies are powering the path to net-zero and transforming the buildings of tomorrow.

This session is ideal for anyone shaping the future of our built environment, including architects, engineers, urban planners, developers, energy consultants, local authorities, housing associations, building owners, facility managers, educators, researchers, and policy makers. You will leave with a fresh perspective on how solar technologies can be more than just an energy solution; they can be a design revolution.

Biography:

Jayanta Mondol is Professor of Solar Energy Technologies and the Research Director at the Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment at Ulster University, a role he has held since 2019. Prior to this appointment, he served as Course Director for the BEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering and BEng (Hons) Energy and Building Services Engineering programmes at Ulster University.

He holds a BSc (Hons) and MSc in Physics from Visva-Bharati University, India, and an MTech in Energy Science and Technology from Jadavpur University, India. He was awarded a PhD in Solar Energy from Ulster University in 2004. Before taking up his academic position in 2008, he was appointed as an RCUK Academic Research Fellow.

Professor Mondol has over twenty-four years of research experience spanning solar energy technologies, energy efficiency in buildings, multifunctional building-integrated solar façades, off-grid solar systems, and energy systems modelling for net-zero carbon solutions. His work has been central to a number of major multidisciplinary research initiatives and he has developed strong collaborative networks with industry partners, academic institutions, and both national and local policy stakeholders.

His research has attracted over £18 million in competitive funding from a range of prestigious bodies, including UKRI/EPSRC, Invest Northern Ireland, the Royal Society, the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), Innovate UK, InterTradeIreland, and the European Union. He has served as Principal Investigator and Project Manager for several high-profile projects, notably SolaFin2Go and SolaNetwork, funded by EPSRC and Innovate UK, respectively. He has also held leadership roles in collaborative international projects, including serving as Working Group Leader for the EU COST Action TU1205 and as a contributing member to the Bio-Energy Action Plan for Northern Ireland.

Professor Mondol is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an active member of several professional organisations, including the Energy Institute, the Institute of Physics, and the International Solar Energy Society. He is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Renewable Energy, the Sustainable Buildings Journal, and the Journal of Solar Energy Research Updates, and has served as a Guest Editor for multiple special issues in high-impact journals. He regularly reviews for more than thirty international peer-reviewed journals and contributes to scientific and technical committees for international conferences. He also serves on the Climate Emergency Committee of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA), offering his expertise in low-carbon technologies and solar design integration.

Professor Mondol has supervised over thirteen doctoral researchers and has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. He has also authored over twenty industrial research reports. His research excellence has been recognised with several international awards, including best paper accolades at the World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC) and EUROSUN. Notably, the International Solar Energy Society honoured him with the award for Best Full-Length Paper published in the Solar Energy Journal.