SET2026

Professor Xudong Zhao is a leading authority in decarbonised heating, cooling, and power systems, with innovations like dew point air cooling and hybrid solar heat & power systems transforming engineering practices. Backed by £28m in research funding and 323 highly-cited papers, he has supervised 31 post-doctoral fellows and 41 PhD students. Recognised by the UN Climate Change Congress and BBC, his work has earned multiple international innovation awards. A fellow of several prestigious institutions, he continues to shape the future of sustainable energy technologies.

Thu 13 Aug, 09:20–10:05 · Chair: Professor Saffa Riffat

Professor AbuBakr Bahaj is a globally recognised expert in sustainable energy, leading the Energy and Climate Change Division at the University of Southampton. With over 30 years of experience and more than 300 publications, he is a pioneer in renewable energy and environmental research. As Editor-in-Chief of the International Marine Energy Journal and Chief Scientific Advisor to the City of Southampton, he blends academic and practical insights to shape energy policy and innovation. His contributions have earned him recognition as one of the UK's 100 leading practising scientists.

Thu 13 Aug, 10:05–10:50 · Chair: Professor Ir. Ts. Dr Azli Abd Razak

Professor Yanjun Dai is a Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Power and Energy Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, and Vice Director of the Engineering Research Center of Solar Energy. He has also held several international academic positions, including Visiting Professorships at the National University of Singapore (2012–2024) and North Dakota State University, and earlier research experience at the University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on solar energy conversion and utilisation, desiccant dehumidification, and sustainable energy systems for buildings, with particular contributions to solar heating and cooling technologies and green building energy systems, significantly advancing renewable heating and cooling and their application in low-carbon buildings. He has published over 210 peer-reviewed journal papers, authored several books, and holds more than 30 patents. He has led over 40 research projects as Principal Investigator, including major national and international programmes, and his work has received national-level recognition including the National Innovation Award and the National Natural Science Award. His h-index is approximately 75.

Thu 13 Aug, 13:30–14:15 · Chair: Professor Jie Ji

Professor Jie Ji, Chair Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, is a leading expert in solar energy utilisation. Known for his work in full-spectrum cascade utilisation and photoelectric technology, he has published over 380 papers with 14,000 citations, earning him recognition as an “Elsevier China Highly Cited Scholar”. A recipient of the WSSET Innovation Award, he continues to drive innovation in solar and thermal power technologies.

Fri 14 Aug, 08:30–09:15 · Chair: Professor Hongxing Yang

Mardiana Idayu Ahmad is an Associate Professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia and an internationally recognised researcher in renewable and sustainable energy technologies, environmental management, and bio-based materials for environmental applications. She holds a PhD in Sustainable Energy Technologies from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. She leads multidisciplinary research in sustainable energy systems, energy recovery technologies, and bio-based materials for environmental protection. Her work has secured over RM10 million in competitive research funding and resulted in more than 200 scholarly publications, including research books and high-impact journals. Her research bridges academia, industry, and policy, contributing practical solutions to global sustainability and energy challenges.

Fri 14 Aug, 09:15–10:00 · Chair: Professor Xudong Zhao

Professor Angui Li is the Dean of the School of Building Services Science and Engineering at Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, China, and Director of the International Joint Laboratory for Low-Carbon Built Environment (Ministry of Education). His research focuses on underground space environments and building environmental technologies. He has led over 80 major national and international projects and published more than 200 SCI-indexed papers. He is a recipient of two National Technology Invention Awards (Second Class, ranked first) and has been recognised among Elsevier's Highly Cited Chinese Researchers.

Fri 14 Aug, 13:30–14:15 · Chair: Professor Yap Pow Seng

Michele Bottarelli is a Professor of Applied Physics at the University of Ferrara, specialising in thermal sciences, energy technology and building physics. He is an award-winning researcher and frequent keynote speaker, with publications in leading low-carbon and energy journals. Founder of the RELY laboratory at the UNIFE Technopole, he leads research on renewable energy conversion, thermal storage and advanced building systems, holds multiple patents, and has coordinated major European projects under the Horizon and LIFE programmes.

Fri 14 Aug, 14:15–15:00 · Chair: Professor AbuBakr Bahaj

Professor Hongxing Yang, leader of the Renewable Energy Research Group (RERG) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, specialises in renewable energy applications and energy-saving technologies in buildings. His work spans solar photovoltaics, wind power, evaporative cooling, ground-coupled heat pumps, and hybrid renewable systems. Author of over 500 academic works, including 300+ peer-reviewed papers and seven books, he was recognised as a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Elsevier (2016–2020) and ranked 15th among most-cited Chinese scientists in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2022. An award-winning researcher, Professor Yang is Senior Editor of the International Journal of Applied Energy and serves on the editorial boards of Low Carbon Technologies and Future Cities and Environment.

Sat 15 Aug, 08:30–09:15 · Chair: Professor Yanjun Dai