Dr Weiqi Hua is an Assistant Professor in Energy Systems with the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham (U.K.) since 2023. He took postdoctoral positions at the University of Oxford (U.K.) and Cardiff University (U.K.). He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Durham (U.K.) in 2021, co-funded by Hyundai Motor Company and Durham Research Doctoral Scholarship. He was the visiting researcher to the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), Greece in 2019, and visiting researcher to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China in 2018 and 2019.

Dr Hua is the founder of Energy Digits. In 2023, Dr Hua earned a distinguished spot on the Forbes 100 Most Influential Chinese, an accolade that acknowledges his contributions to research and knowledge transfer in the fields of energy and low-carbon futures. He has edited the book ‘Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Smart Energy Systems’, and ‘Digitalisation of Local Energy Systems’. His research has contributed to the written evidence (DHH0053) of UK Parliament discussions on heat decarbonisation and Ofgem policy consultation on Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP).

His research interests include:

• Multi-Energy System Modelling and Optimisation with Renewable Integration.
• Digitalisation, Digital Twin, and Machine Learning for Energy System Analytics.
• Energy Policy, Economics, and Local Energy Markets.

Dr Hua’s research has been funded by EPSRC, the Royal Society, British Academy, UK Government, Horizon 2020, and UK Network Innovation Allowance, including:

• British Academy, Assembling Digital Solutions for Inclusive and Net-Zero Transition of Community Energy Systems (ADvaNCE), 2024, PI.
• The Royal Society, EPTituDE: Evaluating Potential of Transportation Electrification under Digitalised Energy Systems, 2024-2026, PI.
• EPSRC (through Innovation Launchpad Network+: Researchers in Residence Scheme), Digitally-Enabled Flexibility Assessment of Multi-Energy Systems Toward Net-Zero Transition, 2024-2025, PI.
• EPSRC-MRC-IAA, Sustainable Healthcare through Energy Analytics and Data-driven Efficiency (SHADE), 2024-2025, PI.
• The Royal Society Kan Tong Po International Fellowship, CANDlES: Consumer-Centric Analytics For Net-Zero Digitalised Multi-Energy Systems, 2024-2025, PI.
• Innovate UK, DIATOMIC (Digital InnovAtion TransfOrMatIve Change), 2023-2025, Co-PI.

Dr Hua is an Editorial Board Member of Applied Energy, Oxford Open Energy, and IET Smart Grid. He also served as a Guest Editor for the Special Issue in IET Smart Grid, IET Energy Conversion and Economics, Oxford Open Energy, Journal of Energy Engineering, Water, Frontiers in Energy Research.

Dr Hua has been appointed as the regional chair for the 8th and 9th International Conference on Power and Renewable Energy, sessional chair for CEN2023 Applied Energy Symposium, 2023 International Conference on Resource Sustainability, IEEE SmartGridComm 2018, and IEEE International Smart Cities Conference 2017. He was a technical program committee (TPC) member for IEEE SmartGridComm 2020, IEEE International Smart Cities Conference 2021, and IEEE SmartGridComm 2023. 

Dr Hua has served as a member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, the Athena Swan SAT working group, and Representor of the Publicity Committee at the University of Birmingham.

Dr Hua has undertaken research projects as a key researcher, collaborating with academia and industries, including:

• BEIS Heat Pump Ready, Clean Heat Streets.
• EPSRC, Analytical Middleware for Informed Distribution Networks (AMIDiNe).
• EPSRC, Maximising Flexibility through Multi-Scale Integration of Energy System (MISSION).
• EPSRC, Integrated Heating and Cooling Networks with Heat-Sharing-Enabled Smart Prosumers.
• European Commission - Horizon 2020, Virtual Power Plant for Interoperable and Smart Islands (VPP4ISLANDS).
• UK Network Innovation Allowance, Distributed Leger Technology-Enabled Distribution Network Operation (DeDSO).
• ERDF and Durham County Council, Solid Wall Insulation Innovation.
• MSCA-RISE-2016, Testing and Evaluating Sophisticated Information and Communication Technologies for Enabling a Smarter Grid (TESTBED).

• Multi-Energy System Modelling and Optimisation with Renewable Integration.
• Digitalisation, Digital Twin, and Machine Learning for Energy System Analytics.
• Energy Policy, Economics, and Local Energy Markets.

PhD in Engineering, University of Durham, 2021.

MSc in New and Renewable Energy, University of Durham, 2017.