Richard Kotter | Northumbria University (original) (raw)
Papers by Richard Kotter
Energies, 2024
In 2020, the transportation sector was the second largest source of carbon emissions in the UK an... more In 2020, the transportation sector was the second largest source of carbon emissions in the UK and in Newcastle upon Tyne, responsible for about 33% of total emissions. To support the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, electric vehicles (EVs) are pivotal in advancing carbon-neutral road transportation. Optimal EV charging requires a better understanding of the unpredictable output from on-site renewable energy sources (ORES). This paper proposes an integrated EV fleet charging schedule with a proximal policy optimization method based on a framework for deep reinforcement learning. For the design of the reinforcement learning environment, mathematical models of wind and solar power generation are created. In addition, the multivariate Gaussian distributions derived from historical weather and EV fleet charging data are utilized to simulate weather and charging demand uncertainty in order to create large datasets for training the model. The optimization problem is expressed as a Markov decision process (MDP) with operational constraints. For training artificial neural networks (ANNs) through successive transition simulations, a proximal policy optimization (PPO) approach is devised. The optimization approach is deployed and evaluated on a real-world scenario comprised of council EV fleet charging data from Leicester, UK. The results show that due to the design of the rewards function and system limitations, the charging action is biased towards the time of day when renewable energy output is maximum (midday). The charging decision by reinforcement learning improves the utilization of renewable energy by 2–4% compared to the random charging policy and the priority charging policy. This study contributes to the reduction in battery charging and discharging, as well as the volume of electricity sold to the grid in order to create benefits and a reduction in carbon emissions.
A Place to Charge Your Wheels: Re-imagining the urban landscape for electric-wheelchair users through Design Fiction, 2024
While public charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the form of cars or vans attr... more While public charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the form of cars or vans attracts significant investment, charging infrastructure for electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters has been neglected. With the expansion of EV charging points over the past decade, local governments and mobility providers have only recently started to take note. Concurrently, municipal governments in the US and researchers in the EU have begun working with developers to envision an electric wheelchair (or equivalent mobility scooters) public charging infrastructure, while acknowledging the absence of current facilities. This is especially the case in the UK, where, at this time, there are no known public charging points for mobility vehicle users. As part of an international (student) research exchange event, we worked with community partners to capture the lived experience of electric wheelchair use in the urban environment, identifying key priorities and current barriers with them. Using a Design Fiction approach, we explored how speculative futures about public charging provision can help with awareness-raising and impact public policy in relation to this important issue.
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Feb 22, 2023
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Oct 18, 2022
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Oct 17, 2022
International journal of research in geography, 2018
Despite, or perhaps even because of, President Trump coming into office and announcing his intent... more Despite, or perhaps even because of, President Trump coming into office and announcing his intention to withdraw the United States from many international environmental agreements, such as the Paris Climate Accord, something which many US federal states and major US cities will work to counteract in practice at their scale, governments are still at the centre of attention of global environmental issues. But so also are major corporations or businesses, and internationally active and connected civil society groups. These have various connections to businesses themselves to advance some campaigns and to demonstrate proposed solutions, processes and products. Around us, as Kate O’Neill argues (p. vii), Today’s students were born into a world with serious and widespread environmental challenges, with literally thousands of international agreements, organizations, partnerships, networks, and initiatives attempting to meet those challenges. They also know that many global environmental trends are going in the wrong direction, and serious structural and institutional changes are likely to be needed in order to address them. There are no optimal solutions to global environmental degradation, and many will be grappling with these problems for decades to come.
![Research paper thumbnail of Ecology of climate change: the importance of biotic interactions [book review]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/112216925/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Energies, 2024
In 2020, the transportation sector was the second largest source of carbon emissions in the UK an... more In 2020, the transportation sector was the second largest source of carbon emissions in the UK and in Newcastle upon Tyne, responsible for about 33% of total emissions. To support the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, electric vehicles (EVs) are pivotal in advancing carbon-neutral road transportation. Optimal EV charging requires a better understanding of the unpredictable output from on-site renewable energy sources (ORES). This paper proposes an integrated EV fleet charging schedule with a proximal policy optimization method based on a framework for deep reinforcement learning. For the design of the reinforcement learning environment, mathematical models of wind and solar power generation are created. In addition, the multivariate Gaussian distributions derived from historical weather and EV fleet charging data are utilized to simulate weather and charging demand uncertainty in order to create large datasets for training the model. The optimization problem is expressed as a Markov decision process (MDP) with operational constraints. For training artificial neural networks (ANNs) through successive transition simulations, a proximal policy optimization (PPO) approach is devised. The optimization approach is deployed and evaluated on a real-world scenario comprised of council EV fleet charging data from Leicester, UK. The results show that due to the design of the rewards function and system limitations, the charging action is biased towards the time of day when renewable energy output is maximum (midday). The charging decision by reinforcement learning improves the utilization of renewable energy by 2–4% compared to the random charging policy and the priority charging policy. This study contributes to the reduction in battery charging and discharging, as well as the volume of electricity sold to the grid in order to create benefits and a reduction in carbon emissions.
A Place to Charge Your Wheels: Re-imagining the urban landscape for electric-wheelchair users through Design Fiction, 2024
While public charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the form of cars or vans attr... more While public charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the form of cars or vans attracts significant investment, charging infrastructure for electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters has been neglected. With the expansion of EV charging points over the past decade, local governments and mobility providers have only recently started to take note. Concurrently, municipal governments in the US and researchers in the EU have begun working with developers to envision an electric wheelchair (or equivalent mobility scooters) public charging infrastructure, while acknowledging the absence of current facilities. This is especially the case in the UK, where, at this time, there are no known public charging points for mobility vehicle users. As part of an international (student) research exchange event, we worked with community partners to capture the lived experience of electric wheelchair use in the urban environment, identifying key priorities and current barriers with them. Using a Design Fiction approach, we explored how speculative futures about public charging provision can help with awareness-raising and impact public policy in relation to this important issue.
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Feb 22, 2023
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Oct 18, 2022
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Oct 17, 2022
International journal of research in geography, 2018
Despite, or perhaps even because of, President Trump coming into office and announcing his intent... more Despite, or perhaps even because of, President Trump coming into office and announcing his intention to withdraw the United States from many international environmental agreements, such as the Paris Climate Accord, something which many US federal states and major US cities will work to counteract in practice at their scale, governments are still at the centre of attention of global environmental issues. But so also are major corporations or businesses, and internationally active and connected civil society groups. These have various connections to businesses themselves to advance some campaigns and to demonstrate proposed solutions, processes and products. Around us, as Kate O’Neill argues (p. vii), Today’s students were born into a world with serious and widespread environmental challenges, with literally thousands of international agreements, organizations, partnerships, networks, and initiatives attempting to meet those challenges. They also know that many global environmental trends are going in the wrong direction, and serious structural and institutional changes are likely to be needed in order to address them. There are no optimal solutions to global environmental degradation, and many will be grappling with these problems for decades to come.