Neil Burnside

Dr. Neil Burnside serves as a Senior Lecturer and Chancellor's Fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Strathclyde. His academic role integrates teaching with leadership in subsurface energy research, focusing on sustainable decarbonization through geothermal systems and carbon management. He actively contributes to institutional strategic themes in energy transition and environmental sustainability.

Burnside's research spans geothermal energy systems, carbon capture and storage, and legacy mine infrastructure repurposing. He investigates climate resilience of minewater resources, thermal energy storage in flooded shafts, and GIS-based site optimization for geothermal applications. His work bridges earth sciences, engineering, and environmental policy to address technical and systemic barriers in renewable energy deployment, with strong alignment to UN Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action).

Recent publications (2023-2026) reveal concentrated expertise in mine water geothermal systems, evidenced by projects like the International Hot Sedimentary Aquifer Database and Scottish coalfield shaft assessments. Key trends include de-risking geothermal development through success/failure analysis, modeling thermal storage for grid balancing, and evaluating climate change impacts on resource viability. This body of work demonstrates consistent interdisciplinary methodology integrating field data, computational modeling, and policy frameworks.

Awards and Honors:

• GeoNetZero PhD Studentship Recipient (2021)

Burnside mentors PhD students including Clodagh Gillen and leads significant research initiatives:

• Principal Investigator for STORMIN (2025 Knowledge Exchange project on mine shaft thermal storage)
• Principal Investigator for climate change impact study on minewater geothermal (2022-2026)
• Co-investigator on GigaWattHour STEaM project (2022-2026) and EPSRC thermal characterization equipment grant

He collaborates extensively through Strathclyde's Institute for Energy and Environment, participating in EPSRC Critical Mass workshops (2025) and international consortia. His work drives practical engineering solutions for decarbonizing heating/cooling systems while addressing geological and climate uncertainties in subsurface energy applications.