Personal profile

Biography

All sources of energy for human activities have an impact on our environment, so it is cruical for the energy transition to be informed by the best possible data in order to minimise environmental impacts. My role is primarily to act as a 'critical friend' of decarbonisation activities in the energy sector; I acknowledge that interventions such as renewable energy developments or transmission system upgrades are not zero impact, and work to develop and improve the analytical tools to evaluate both these and any consequential benefits (such as displacement of fossil fuels). The aim of my work is to inform development in the sector to achieve rapid, affordable decarbonisation, while limiting other environmental damage. A particular focus of this is currently on evaluating marginal carbon costs and benefits; combining my background in Electrical & Mechanical Engineering with a detailed understanding of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and marginal analysis techniques adapted from economics.

Camilla is also a keen advocate for diversity in Engineering. She is the founding chair of the School's Molly Fergusson Initiative, and was named one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering - Sustainability in 2020. 

Her pronouns are she/her.

Research Interests

  • Consequential environmental impacts of changes to energy systems
  • Life Cycle Assessment of energy technologies
  • Carbon emissions offsets, displacements and reductions from energy technologies and carbon capture
  • Optimisation of energy systems for minimum cost and carbon
  • Renewable resource assessment

Research students

  • Eduardo Rosales Ortega (PhD student): Renewable energy optimal dispatch modelling incorporating energy storage systems to deliver cost-effective decarbonisation in an emerging economy such as Mexico
  • Iain Struthers (PhD student): Carbon reduction potential of wind & marine energy systems and their interactions
  • Nadezda Avanessova (EngD student): Developing a holistic operation and maintenance simulation tool for emerging offshore wind projects
  • Eve Andrews (EngD student): Circular Economy for Offshore Wind
  • Daria Cislo (EngD student): Offshore Wind - Addressing the challenges of carbon, climate resilience and cost
  • Akashdeep Dey (PhD student): Hybrid power plants to support energy security in a cost-effective net-zero energy system
  • Adam Henderson (PhD student): A holistic evaluation of the emissions benefits of interventions on the energy system to inform policy and investment decisions
  • Mohammed Alruwaili (PhD student): Multi-Vector analysis of emission impacts in energy systems

Teaching

MSc Sustainable Energy Systems - Dissertation supervision

Technologies for Sustainable Energy - Lecturer and course-organiser

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Carbon and Energy Payback of Variable Renewable Generation, University of Edinburgh

Award Date: 1 Jan 2014

Master of Engineering, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Edinburgh

Award Date: 1 Jan 2004

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Camilla Thomson is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • 1 Similar Profiles

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or