Professor Dennis Loveday

As a building physicist with an academic career spanning almost 40 years, I have led work on experimental design and measurement, particularly related to thermal systems, indoor environments and human thermal comfort. I have managed more than 20 funded research projects from a variety of funding bodies, as Principal or Co-investigator. Contributions to engineering have included thermal comfort design conditions for chilled ceiling / displacement ventilation environments, fundamental heat transfer data for building applications, and new clothing thermal insulation values for comfort evaluation, these data informing professional handbooks.

As Principal Investigator of the ‘CALEBRE’ Project, I led a partnership of six UK universities that delivered research findings to inform refurbishment of the UK’s solid wall housing stock in ways that appeal to householders, save energy, reduce carbon emissions and maintain thermal comfort. The project team was supported by an Industrial Panel, guidance from which was incorporated into the strategy and delivery of the project. Project ‘CALEBRE’ was awarded the Loughborough University Energy Medal in 2015 for outstanding research project.

I’ve published more than 100 articles, many as peer-reviewed journal papers, and am co-inventor of internationally-patented technology for low energy cooling of buildings. I have an extensive record of successfully supervising doctoral research students, and have examined many PhD theses over a period spanning approximately twenty years.

My current role includes monitoring and evaluation of a research project on behalf of the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Current research activity  

• ‘Low Energy Cooling and Ventilation for Indian Residences’ (LECaVIR) Project, funded by EPSRC Global Challenges Research Fund, 2017-2020 (Co-Investigator). This research aims to reduce unnecessary air conditioning  in homes by facilitating design solutions involving natural and fan-assisted ventilation for maintaining occupant thermal comfort.

• ‘Update of clothing database for existing and new Western clothing ensembles, including effects of posture, body and air movement’, project funded by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), 2018-2019 (Co-Investigator). Knowledge of the thermal insulation afforded by clothing is needed to assess human thermal comfort. New textiles and changing fashions necessitate that existing data are kept up to date.

• Research by current doctoral students includes: the effects of messaging on human thermal comfort and usage of energy-consuming equipment;  the potential for residential heat pumps in the UK evaluated at the building stock level; solar absorption cooling for residential application in Egypt.

Recently completed research projects 

Air motion for maintaining thermal comfort in homes, Global Innovation Initiative international project, funded by British Council, 2014-2016 (Principal Investigator)

• Evaluation of advanced digital control for residential energy saving (DEFACTO) Project, funded by EPSRC, 2012-2017 (Co-Investigator)

• ‘Consumer-Appealing Low Energy technologies for Building REtrofitting’ (CALEBRE) Project, funded by E.ON / RCUK, 2008-2013 (Principal Investigator)

• Lomas, K, Beizaee, A, Allinson, D, Haines, V, Beckhelling, J, Loveday, D, Porritt, S, Mallaband, B, Morton, A (2019) A domestic operational rating for UK homes: concept, formulation and application, Energy and Buildings, 201, pp.90-117, ISSN: 0378-7788. DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.07.021.
• Tink, VJ, Porritt, S, Allinson, D, Loveday, DL (2018) Measuring and mitigating overheating risk in solid wall dwellings retrofitted with internal wall insulation, Building and Environment, pp.247-261, ISSN: 0360-1323. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.05.062.
• Foldvary, V, Cook, MJ, Loveday, DL, Cropper, PC (2018) Development of the ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II, Building and Environment, pp.502-512, ISSN: 0360-1323. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.06.022.
• Jack, R (2017) First evidence for the reliability of building co-heating tests, Building Research & Information, 46(4), pp.1-19, ISSN: 0961-3218. DOI: 10.1080/09613218.2017.1299523.
• Babich, F, Cook, MJ, Loveday, DL, Rawal, R, Shukla, Y (2017) Transient three-dimensional CFD modelling of ceiling fans, Building and Environment, DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.06.039.
• Baldwin, AN, Loveday, DL, Li, B, Murray, MFES, Yu, W (2017) A research agenda for the retrofitting of residential buildings in China – A case study, Energy Policy, 113, pp.41-51, ISSN: 0301-4215. DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.056.
• Gillott, M, White, J, Wood, CJ, Vadodaria, K (2016) Improving the airtightness in an existing UK dwelling: the challenges, the measures and their effectiveness, Building and Environment, 95, pp.227-239, ISSN: 0360-1323. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.08.017.
• White, J, Gillott, M, Wood, CJ, Vadodaria, K (2016) Performance evaluation of a mechanically ventilated heat recovery (MVHR) system as part of a series of UK residential energy retrofit measures, Energy and Buildings, 110, pp.220-228, ISSN: 0378-7788. DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.09.059.
• (2015) Measuring the potential of zonal space heating controls to reduce energy use in UK homes: the case of un-furbished 1930s dwellings, Energy and Buildings, 92(C), pp.29-44, ISSN: 1872-6178. DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.01.040.
• Kuklane, K, Fan, J, Ouzzahra, Y, Lundgren, K, Au, Y (2015) A database of static clothing thermal insulation and vapor permeability values of non-western ensembles for use in ASHRAE Standard 55, ISO 7730, and ISO 9920 CH-15-018 (RP-1504), ASHRAE Transactions, 121(1), pp.1-1.
• Vadodaria, K, Loveday, DL, Haines, V (2014) Measured winter and spring-time indoor temperatures in UK homes over the period 1969-2010: A review and synthesis, Energy Policy, 64, pp.252-262, ISSN: 0301-4215. DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.062.
• Fouchal, F, Hassan, TM, Loveday, DL (2014) Design methodology for integrating multipath systems (building services), Journal of Engineering Design and Technology, 12(4), pp.491-506, ISSN: 1726-0531. DOI: 10.1108/JEDT-09-2011-0057.

Undergraduate

• Module CVA058 Building Science, where I teach human thermal comfort, air quality and design of healthy indoor environments.

Current projects 

• The Zephyr System: an industry-ready metal ceiling-based system for very low energy cooling of indoor spaces, operable in all climates. Partners are now sought for commercial deployment of this timely technology.

• ‘Smart Meter Enabled Thermal Efficiency Rating’ (SMETER) Project, funded by UK Government Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), 2019-2020. This research explores the capability for advanced smart meters to measure thermal performances of homes. I lead the monitoring and evaluation of the project’s effectiveness on behalf of BEIS.

Consultancies

• Energy Systems Catapult Ltd., member of steering committee for Retrofit Demonstration Project, 2015-2016

I graduated from Aston University in 1977 with an Honours degree in Physics, and then pursued research that led to the award of a PhD in 1983 for an investigation into the role of conventional roofs as collectors in a solar-assisted heat pump system. This was followed by a lectureship in Building Physics at Sheffield City Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University) from 1983 -1987. I moved to Loughborough University in 1988 as lecturer in Building Services Engineering, subsequently holding the positions of Senior Lecturer and Reader, with the award of a personal Chair in Building Physics in 2001. Positions held over the years have included Programme Director, leader of the Building Services Engineering Group, and Director of the Sustainability Research School from 2006-2013. Former roles have also included Deputy Director of the London-Loughborough Centre for Doctoral Research in Energy Demand, and E.ON/RAEng Research Chair in Low Carbon Energy Technology. I now work part-time with flexibly retired status, but continue to be active in my research field and professionally.

Professional affiliations

• Chartered Physicist and Member of the Institute of Physics
• Chartered Engineer and Member of the Energy Institute
• Member of the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers
• Member of the International Solar Energy Society

Awards

• Best Paper Award 2018 of the journal ‘Building & Environment’ (Foldvary et al, 2018), as one of a body of international co-authors
• CIOB Best Academic Paper Award (Jack et al, 2015), by the International Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) Conference, 2015
• CIBSE Carter Bronze Medal for academic paper (Loveday et al, 1995), by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, October 1995
• Project ‘CALEBRE’ awarded the Loughborough University Energy Medal for Outstanding Research Project, 2015
• Financial Times Climate Change Challenge 2009, low energy space cooling innovation achieves equal second place against international field of entries (co-inventors: Prof H Salt and Prof DL Loveday)
• Certificate awarded for contributing to authorship of CIBSE Guide C: Reference Data, in 2001
• Highly Commended Teaching Stars award for Small-sized Class category, Semester 1, 2017-2018

External activities

• Member of the Research Administration Committee of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), 2017-2021, evaluating research proposals submitted for funding
• Chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 2.1 ‘Physiology & Human Environment’, 2013-2016
• Memberships of advisory bodies/review committees over the years have included: International Advisory Panel for E.ON Energy Research Centre, Aachen, Germany; UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC); EPSRC College
• External examiner for taught Masters and undergraduate programmes over the years, at: University of Technology Mauritius; Heriot Watt University; Brunel University; Northumbria University

Key collaborators

My current research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including:

• CEPT University, India, and industrial partners
• ASHRAE
• UK Government Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• British University of Egypt
• Jim Atack and Janet Taylor Philanthropic Donation