Pathirana

The energy consumption in the Building Sector accounts for more than one-fifth of the annual energy consumption in the world.

As a developing country, Sri Lanka should concentrate on the efficient use of energy and improve on the use of renewable energy. Shakila Pathirana has recognized this need, and based her research to capture the efficiency of energy consumption via a rating system. Energy rating is a useful measure of energy efficiency. Such information could help our government make key policies about energy consumption.

She appreciates that there are many segments that use energy, but for her research, she concentrated on energy consumption in residential buildings in Sri Lanka. She notes that our domestic energy consumption far exceeds that of other segments.

Shakila says, “energy rating systems currently available consider only limited factors related to energy consumption and cannot relate to policy changes brought on by the government. My aim was to develop a rating system that considers more factors that govern sustainable energy, and would therefore give a better measure". True to her words, she has taken a comprehensive set of parameters such as building characteristics, occupancy behavior and the source of energy in her model. Proper use of this rating system could encourage energy efficient buildings, efficient energy consumption patterns and also renewable energy use. She believes that her research findings will provide information needed for reducing energy consumption and therefore the cost to the general public. Her model is able to rate energy requirements, and create awareness about the consumption of energy among the occupants.

In order to develop her model, Shakila conducted numerous energy simulations for buildings.  She also collected data on energy consumption via questionnaire surveys and statistically analyzed this data.

“The government of Sri Lanka has identified the importance of the energy performance of buildings and considers it as a strategy for sustainable energy consumption”, says Shakila. She hopes that her research contribution can be used to compile an energy rating system for residential buildings, and develop policies for energy consumption in Sri Lanka. Her research could be further extended from residential buildings to investigate industrial and commercial buildings. In addition, she suggests that new parameters be introduced to investigate how the micro-climate near the building affects the consumption of energy. Shakila has had a dream of helping Sri Lanka since she was a young girl and hopes her research contribution will help Sri Lanka reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Shakila received her secondary education from St. Paul’s Girls' School, Milagiriya and her tertiary education from UoM, obtaining a Bachelors degree in Engineering. She has served in academic and administrative positions in higher education in the private sector in Sri Lanka prior to embarking on the journey to obtain her PhD with the Department of Civil Engineering at UoM.

Shakila values her experiences at UoM. She claims, “in addition to subject knowledge, I gained many skills for life through modern engineering, writing and publishing tools”.She mentioned with gratitude her supervisors Prof. Rangika Halwatura and Dr. Asanka Rodrigo for their guidance and support throughout this work. Prof. Halwatura is a researcher with a focus on sustainable technologies. He is a product of UoM, having obtained both Bachelors and Doctoral degrees there. Dr. Asanka Rodrigo is a senior lecturer in Electrical Engineering, and an expert in energy and energy system economics. He has a PhD from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Going forward, Shakila plans to return to the academia and work as an educator and a researcher. We wish her all the best with her plans for the future.

Abstract 

An Initiative by MoraMinds                                                                                            this post on