Dr Chenghong Gu

Reader

Email: C.Gu@bath.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 1225 383040

 

Dr Chenghong Gu is a Reader in smart energy systems with the University of Bath, where he was EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2017). His research designs novel models and tools for planning and operating smart energy systems, including electricity, natural gas, heating/cooling, and transportation toward net zero. He was a key researcher for two LCNF projects with WPD – LV Templates and Sola Bristol. Dr Gu has more than 90 peer-reviewed journal papers, and won three paper prizes: CEPRI Prize, 2018; ‘Outstanding PhD Paper Prize’ at the 7th EEM, 2010; and Outstanding CSEE Yearly Paper, Proceedings of the CSEE, 2009. He was a committee member of Ofgem’s Safety, Resilience and Reliability working group, and now serves as a member of IEEE Committee for power economics and market and IEEE Working Group on network charging. He co-chaires Supergen Energy Networks Hub – Markets and Regulation Working Group. Dr Gu is a Subject Editor for IET Smart Grid, editor for IEEE Access and Scientific Report.

Research:

  • Dr Gu’s primary research is concerned with planning and operating resilient smart multi-vector energy systems of electricity, natural gas, heating/cooling and transportation towards zero emissions by 2050 under the dramatic climate change. His research is primarily focused on three areas:

    1. Multi-vector energy systems: The centrepiece of his research is to develop novel data-driven and advanced optimisation models for multi-vector energy systems. His research is to develop new robust optimisation and machine learning facilitated models, algorithms and methods for multi-vector energy systems. They can help energy system operators to enhance security costly-efficiently, reduce energy bills for customers, and increase penetration of renewables and low-carbon technologies, promoting the move towards zero emissions.

    2. Energy system resilience under climate change: He is developing data-driven methods to study UK transmission system resilience under extreme weather events. It will identify system strengths and weaknesses that can hardly be obtained using traditional model-based approaches, thus informing new system planning and operation practices for network operators, and standards and regulatory frameworks for Ofgem and BEIS.

    3. Energy market design: This area is explored with Prof Li at CSPD. The research identifies the future roles of DSOs in future low carbon energy, and designs novel local energy/network markets to facilitate local balancing. This strand of research can inform the pathways of DSO transition, the architecture of future local markets, thus creating a vibrant level playing field for all parties who will reshape the UK energy landscape from now till 2050.

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Latest

News & Events

30.09.2025

ECR Travel Funding

Blog

Supported through the ECR Travel Fund, Dr Alicia Terrero Gonzalez recently attended the DINAME conference, organised biennially by the Committee of Dynamics of ABCM, the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering

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30.09.2025

ECR Travel Fund Opportunity

Blog

Supported through the ECR Travel Fund, Dr Dimitri Costa (Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen) recently attended the prestigious International Conference on Vibration Problems and International Conference of Wave Mechanics and Vibrations ICOVP/WMVC 2025.

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12.09.2025

Flexible Funding Awarded

Featured News

We are delighted to announce two recently awarded projects through our New Entrant to Energy Networks Flexible Funding.

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10.09.2025

Power networks experts call for speedier connection of renewables to deliver Net Zero and AI goals

Event Featured News Publication

World-leading energy networks experts call for renewable power generation facilities to be connected to the UK grid more quickly at a conference in Bath this week.

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28.05.2025

Energy Networks, Justice & Vulnerability

Blog

Achieving government goals will require expanding some energy networks (electricity and heat in particular), while scaling down or changing the use of others (gas).
Blog post by Sheridan Few, Richard Oduro, Peter Taylor, Lucie Middlemiss & Caitlin Robinson

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28.05.2025

DC Microgrids in Remote Communities

Blog

Blog: Off-the-shelf solar home system equipment to build resilient direct current microgrids for off-grid, remote communities in the Amazon rainforest
Dr Sam Williamson recent trip to Ilha do Pacoca in the Amazon rainforest.

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28.05.2025

Energy Network Solutions for Net Zero Whole System Futures

Blog

Supergen Energy Network Impact Hub is taking a mission approach to solving energy network challenges.
Dr Daniel Carr arranged an internal workshop to further develop research questions and work that can be completed in this area

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9.05.2025

Furong Li appointed Research Chair by the Royal Academy of Engineering

Featured News

Phil Taylor elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

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2.04.2025

Clearing the Barriers to Heat Networks and Net Zero

Featured News

Heat networks are widely recognised as vital to achieving net zero. In cities they will often be the cheapest form of low carbon heating over the long term because they are efficient and can exploit many different sources of waste and ambient heat

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