RA and TA Positions (Ph.D.)
Our lab is seeking highly motivated graduate students to join our research team. Students with a background in modeling building energy systems, like HVAC systems, are highly encouraged to apply—especially those proficient in one or more of the following simulation tools: EnergyPlus, Modelica, TRNSYS, Trane TRACE, HAP, eQUEST, IES VE, etc.
If you are interested, please send your CV to yao.yu@ndsu.edu.
News - 2026
New Member - Welcome our new team member, Dr. Pratik Pandey, who is joining us as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. (May 1, 2026)
Outreach - Our group attended “Party for the Planet 2026,” hosted by the Red River Zoo in Fargo, to engage with the public on IEQ and promote our department and programs! (April 25, 2026)
Presentation - Bal gave a presentation at the CCEE seminar about "Development and Feasibility Assessment of a Multi-Source Heat Pump System Using EnergyPlus-OpenModelica Co-Simulation for Residential Digital Twin Applications." (April 22, 2026)
Presentation - Xuelei gave a presentation at the CCEE seminar about "Energy Retrofit Assessment and Decision Suport for Minnesota Safety Rest Areas and Travel Information Centers." (April 8, 2026)
Workshop Presentation - Yao delivered a workshop on “Plumbing Built Up” at the NDSU Avenues of Scientific Discovery to school students! (March 28, 2026)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from City of Carrington to support its application to the the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program administered by the North Dakota Department of Commerce. (March 2026)
Presentation - Xiaoou gave a presentation at the CCEE seminar about "Development of a thermochemical heat storage system for space heating applications in buildings." (Feb. 25, 2026)
Presentation - Abhishek gave a presentation at the CCEE seminar about "Impact of Indoor Environmental Quality on Children: A Literature Review." (Feb. 11, 2026)
Presentation - Xuelei Xiao presented our conference paper "Energy-Saving Potential of Sustainable Energy Building Upgrades at Safety Rest Areas in Minnesota" at the 2026 ASHRAE Winter Conference. Las Vegas. (Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2026)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from North Star Public School to support its application to the the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program administered by the North Dakota Department of Commerce. (Jan. 2026)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from City of Pembina to support its application to the the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program administered by the North Dakota Department of Commerce. (Jan. 2026)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received grants from Martin Mechanical Design Inc. to conduct building energy modeling for two facilities in support of the 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction. (Jan. 2026)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., renewed a one-year grant from the Southeastern ND Community Action Agency for "Work Scope Development and Cost Estimation for SENDCAA’s Home Rehabilitation Program." (Jan. 2026)
News - 2025
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota about "Needs assessment study of low-income North Dakota individuals and families." (December 2025)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from the NDSU EXPLORE undergraduate research program to support our BASE-TWIN project (December 2025)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from the North Dakota Department of Commerce about "Implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures in Minard Hall at North Dakota State University." (October 2025)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from the Southeastern ND Community Action Agency about "Work Scope Development and Cost Estimation for SENDCAA’s Home Rehabilitation Program." (September 2025)
Funding - Yao, as P.I., received a grant from the DoD STTR Phase II through the Interactive Aptitude LLC about "Building Automation Systems for Efficient Twin-computation With Interfaces and Networked-tools (BASE-TWIN)." (August 2025)
Funding - Yao, as Co-P.I., received a grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation about "Feasibility of LED Solar Street Lighting." (July 2025)
Fellowship - Yao has been awarded a Challey Institute Faculty Fellowship, which will run from August 2025 through August 2026! (July 2025)
Presentation - Bal Krishna Kharal presented our conference paper "Development of a Multi-Source Heat Pump System Using EnergyPlus/Modelica Co-Simulation Framework for Residential Buildings" at the 2025 ASHRAE Conference. Phoenix, AZ. (June 21-25, 2025)
Publication - Our paper, “Development of a High-Efficiency and Cost-Effective Ground Source Heat Pump System for Subtropical Climate Applications,” received the 2025 ASHRAE Best Paper Award. (June, 2025)
Presentation - Xuelei Xiao presented our conference paper "Comparative Analysis of Energy Storage Systems for Residential Space Heating: Thermochemical Salt vs. Water-Based Systems" at the 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference. Orlando, FL. (Feb. 8-12, 2025)
Presentation - Xiaoou Hu presented our conference paper "Novel Designs and Simulations of Integrating Thermochemical Energy Storage Systems for Residential Heating Applications" at the 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference. Orlando, FL. (Feb. 8-12, 2025)