Job offer

University of Haute Alsace, France; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A prestigious research institution in France is offering a PhD position focused on agrivoltaics as part of the European Agri-PV project. The successful candidate will design digital twins, implement explainable AI techniques, and validate strategies using real-time simulators. The role involves fieldwork and interdisciplinary collaboration with experts in energy, agriculture, and climatology. Candidates should have a strong background in system modeling and AI, as well as enjoy teamwork. This is a full-time, temporary position starting in March 2026.

Qualifications

• PhD thesis focusing on agrivoltaics and energy management.
• Required knowledge of system modeling and simulation.
• Proficiency in AI and machine learning techniques essential.

Responsabilités

• Participate in measurement campaigns on pilot Agri-PV sites.
• Handle preprocessing and structuring of the experimental database.
• Develop digital twins and integrate them into simulation platforms.
• Implement XAI algorithms and validate models using real-time simulators.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to produce scientific output.

Connaissances

System modeling and simulation

AI and machine learning techniques

Strong analytical skills

Teamwork in interdisciplinary settings

Formation

Relevant degree in Engineering Technology or related field

Outils

Matlab

Simulink

Description du poste

Organisation/Company University of Haute Alsace, France Research Field Engineering Technology » Energy technology Computer science » Informatics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Leading Researcher (R4) First Stage Researcher (R1) Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 19 Feb 2026 - 22:00 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 2 Mar 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Context

This PhD thesis is part of the European Agri-PV project (Interreg Upper Rhine, 2025–2028): https://www.interreg-rhin-sup.eu/projet/agri-pv , which explores agrivoltaics in viticulture as a solution to climate and energy challenges. This cross-border initiative brings together French, German, and Swiss academic and industrial partners who test different photovoltaic systems and study their impacts on viticulture, electricity yield, and landscape.

Three pilot sites (in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and Switzerland) are equipped with Agri-PV systems and gather data (PV production, microclimate, vine development, etc.) to design monitoring tools and practical guides for winegrowers and local authorities.

By promoting dual land use, Agri-PV aims to diversify winegrowers’ income, enhance the resilience of local electricity grids, and support the regional energy transition. The key challenge is to leverage these interdisciplinary datasets and systems (PV, agriculture, energy grids) to optimize self‑consumption and renewable energy management in Upper Rhine vineyards.

Thesis Objectives

Multi-physics Digital Twin: Design a high‑fidelity virtual model of vineyard-based Agri-PV installations, capturing the behavior of the PV/electric system. The digital twin will simulate various control scenarios and optimize PV configuration and operations.

Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI): Develop and adapt explainable machine learning algorithms to analyze the experimental datasets (weather, PV, soil, vine, etc.). XAI techniques will enhance model transparency and user confidence, especially for winegrower‑facing applications.

Real‑Time Modeling and Simulation: Build an integrated energy model (PV production, storage, local consumption) for the pilot sites and validate it using the OPAL‑RT real‑time simulator at IRIMAS Institute. Predictive simulations will support optimal strategy design (e.g., storage charge/discharge, inverter control).

Energy Coupling Analysis: Investigate the interaction between PV production, energy storage, and local consumption across transnational vineyard sites. The goal is to propose robust and reproducible energy management scenarios tailored to viticulture.

PhD Missions

Participate in measurement campaigns on the pilot Agri-PV sites (France, Germany, Switzerland).

Handle preprocessing, annotation, and structuring of the transboundary experimental database in collaboration with research partners and wine institutes.

Develop the digital twin jointly with technical partners and integrate it into simulation platforms (e.g., Matlab/Simulink).

Implement XAI algorithms on the collected datasets to extract interpretable rules (feature extraction, impact visualization), ensuring reproducibility and robustness of the machine learning models.

Validate models and control strategies using laboratory infrastructure: test scenarios on the OPAL‑RT real‑time simulator, and conduct physical tests on IRIMAS’ smart microgrid platform.

Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team (agronomists, energy experts, climatologists) and contribute to the scientific output of the project (publications, reports, Agri‑PV practical guides).

Knowledge of system modeling and simulation.
Proficiency in AI and machine learning techniques.
Strong analytical skills, scientific rigor, and autonomy. Enjoyment of field work and teamwork in interdisciplinary settings.