Professor Ian Knight
BSc (Hons), PhD
Professor
- knight@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5496
- T.13, Bute Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
Responsibilities
I am active in research into the operational performance of buildings and their building services components since 1981. My current research interests are:
- Using sub-hourly operational data on utility use and internal conditions in buildings and building services (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) components to inform Benchmarking and Legislation.
- The holistic design of buildings and services.
- Energy consumption of activities in buildings
I have undertaken most admin and teaching roles in the School. I am currently module leader for first year Technology Teaching and contribute to other modules across the School, including at Masters level. I also supervise PhD students.
External activities
Ian is a Member of the CIBSE Technology Committee. This committee provides CIBSE’s official response to consultations on specific issues such as energy efficiency, as well as helping set the future direction for professional guidance in the Institution.
He is also a Core Member of the Federation of European Heating and Air-Conditioning Associations (REHVA) Technology and Research Committee (TRC). This committee’s remit is to assist in developing and disseminating technical information as well as enhancing and developing standards and research at a European level.
He is also a Director of K2n Ltd. This company assists organizations implement good energy monitoring and targeting practices via an online M&T application, and from this produces energy consumption profiles and benchmarks of use within academic studies, benchmarking, legislation and professional practice.
Publications
Teaching
Teaching profile
Ian supervises PhD students in his research areas and in adjoining research areas. All his students to date have gained their PhD after completion of their studies.
He also provides technical lectures at undergraduate and postgraduate level, along with technical design assessments in the Design modules across the School curriculum. His full list of teaching activities at present is:
- Director of the Postgraduate Taught Programme at the WSA
- Teaching on the BSc Architectural Technology modules, which span all 3 undergraduate years.
- Tutor for the MSc in Architecture: Environmental Design of Buildings, Efficient Building Services module
- Tutor for 1.0 FTE PhD students
- Tutor for MSc dissertation students
- Tutor for 4th year Special Subject dissertation students
- External Examiner at University of Central Lancashire - MSc level
Research interests
Ian’s funded research activities and outputs during his academic career have ranged from the production of Best Practice Guidance for the UK Govt, through experimental determination of the performance of services components, such as Solar Thermal Air Conditioning systems, and into work which influences the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
This latter work has spanned from 2005 to 2014, during which he proposed and co-ordinated the two largest Intelligent Energy Europe projects funded by the European Commission at that time - HARMONAC and iSERVcmb. The results and outputs of these projects can be found at www.harmonac.info and www.iservcmb.info respectively.
He is also involved in the collection and use of operational data from buildings via K2n Ltd - www.k2nenergy.com - which are used in benchmarking, legislation and professional body work, as well as in providing feedback to the building operators to help reduce operational energy consumption.
Research projects
Supervision
Main expertise
Buildings, services, renewables, energy, legislation.
Supervision experience
6 PhDs to completion, currently supervising 2 PhDs.