Abstract: The notion at which, nowadays, buildings are being aspired to achieve to be net zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) are widely recognized. The heat loss, in cold arid countries, or cooling loss, in hot arid countries, through the windows of buildings is one of the factors contributing to high energy consumption for space heating or space cooling, respectively, ensuing in preventable carbon emissions. This keynote speech presents the journey of vacuum glazing and vacuum insulation panel and to be able to see mass manufacturing of these technologies that it once were a imagination and now it is a reality. The Vacuum Glazing typically has U value of 0.8 Wm-2K-1 but recently LandVac Vacuum glazing improved the manufacturing and evacuation process by developing innovative vacuum glazing with a U value of 0.45 Wm-2K-1 with sound insulation of 36 dB. On the other hand, decorative vacuum Insulation Panel manufactured by Jiangsu Sanyou Dior levelled up the building outside feature to the next level with its thermal conductivity of ≤ 0.007 Wm-1K-1 at the thickness of about 10 mm that reduces the overall construction cost of the cavity-walls and space heating or cooling loss from the buildings.

Biography: Professor Saim Memon has world leading multidisciplinary research expertise in Electrical, Mechanical and Renewable Energy Materials Engineering. His specific research experiences are on thermal management of electric vehicles batteries, vacuum insulation, net zero energy buildings, solar thermal collectors, renewable energy technologies, thermoelectric generators and smart-grid integration to electric-vehicles with fast charging battery mechanism.

Professor Saim is Research Specialist in Vacuum Insulation at LandVac (LandGlass) VIG Science & Technology, China and Industrial Professor of Renewable Energy Engineering at Jiangsu Sanyou Dior Energy-saving New Materials Co., Ltd, China. His current academic role is as External Examiner in School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK. Recently, Saim completed his role as Visiting Professor in the Hokkaido Summer Institute at Hokkaido University, Japan. Saim worked as Deputy Head of School of Engineering at Arden University, Coventry, UK and Visiting Academic at London South Bank University, London, UK. Prior to this, Saim was Distinguished Professor of Renewable Energy Engineering at Zhejiang Ocean University, China. At the School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield, UK, Saim formerly held the position of Associate Professor in Renewable Energy Engineering. Prior to this, Saim was the Head of Solar Thermal Vacuum Engineering Research Group, Senior lecturer in Electrical Engineering and Course Director of three MEng/BEng/HND courses at School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK.

Saim studied for: PhD in Mechanical, Electrical & Manufacturing Engineering as part of EPSRC Funded CALEBRE Project (Loughborough University, UK); PGCert in Teaching Qualification (University of Aberdeen, UK); MSc in Mechatronics (Staffordshire University, UK) and; BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering. Saim is Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of Higher Education Academy and has Qualified Teacher Status by General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

Saim published over 120+ research articles in the form of journals, book-chapters, patent-provisional, conferences, book-editor, newsletter and magazines. Saim collaborated with at least 100+ international and national scholars across 40+ countries globally. Saim raised funding of £394,853 from various national and international universities and organisations e.g., H2020, Innovate-UK, The IET/IMechE Engineering-Education-Grant-Scheme EEGS, DAIWA-Anglo-Japanese, Royal Academy of Engineering participation and Newton-Fund participation grants. Saim currently leads international collaborations as part of Solar Thermal Vacuum Engineering Research Group. Saim has been invited and keynote speaker in numerous international conferences/workshops and presented research findings and developed collaboration with researchers in the UK, Japan, China, Egypt, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, South America, Kenya, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea, South Africa, Belarus, Pakistan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Italy, Germany, France, Algeria, India, USA, UAE, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Turkey, Taiwan, Portugal and Spain.

Saim is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Solar Thermal Vacuum Engineering with international collaboration of 14 countries worldwide. Saim is the International Review Board Member of the Russian Science Foundation and Expert Contributor at Vacuum Science World. Saim is a Review Editor of Frontiers in built Environment journal, Guest Editor at Sustainability and Energies of 3 Special Issues in (a) Renewable Energy and Advanced Smart Vacuum Insulations Technologies for Zero Energy Buildings (2019-2022), (b) Applied Solar Thermal Energy (2020-2022) and, (c) Sustainable Development of Solar Photovoltaic Islands’ Decarbonization (2021-2022). Saim was also an Editor-in-Chief for the published book on Advanced Thermoelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting Applications, it attracted worldwide collaborations. Saim is a recognised reviewer of over 40 leading and world’s top journals by Elsevier, Springer, IEEE, Taylor & Francis and MDPI publishers.

Saim taught 41 BEng/MSc modules and supervised over 39 PhD/MEng/MSc & BEng projects. Saim was nominated for Best Supervisor, Outstanding Lecturer and Research in Action Awards by Staff and Students for four consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020) at LSBU. Saim demonstrated and evidenced his excellent track record in Teaching and Supervision practices throughout his career. Saim developed and led a project that engaged local London Engineering students on Solar Car Challenge as part of the IET IMechE Engineering Education Grant Scheme. Saim also organised and chaired international and national conferences. Saim was the founder of DEEE Society at LSBU for students’ academic-industrial engagement. Saim has outstanding volunteer contributions throughout his academic career as evidenced on his profile such as: he contributed to the society as elected vice-chairman of The IET Young Professionals; elected Executive Officer at Staffordshire University Students Union; elected committee member of Postgrad Taught Students at NUS UK; elected vice-chair at Loughborough University Postgraduate Association; elected honorary secretary and committee member at Vacuum Group Institute of Physics; and many more volunteer roles he held and continue to serve our global academic societies.