Petra Sieber

I am a doctoral student at the Department of Energy and Technology. My main research interests are climate modelling and environmental assessment of bioenergy systems, with a focus on land use change.

I am involved in Master courses related to Life Cycle Assessment and Bioenergy.

My research aims to improve the understanding of how land use change affects the climate via surface albedo, and how this effect compares to other climate impacts in renewable energy systems. Besides greenhouse gas radiative forcing, changing reflectance is the only other mechanism through which humans directly impact the Earth's radiation balance. Nevertheless, albedo receives little attention in project evaluation and decision making.

One important source of renewable energy is biomass, and increasing the use of bioenergy would allow to abate more fossil carbon dioxide emissions in the future. However, an expansion of biomass production gives rise to new environmental impacts related to land use and conversion. As a scenario of growing bioenergy supply, my current study focuses on the introduction of short rotation coppice on fallow land in Sweden. To determine changes in local energy fluxes, I work with field measurements, satellite imaginary, GIS and computer modelling.

In terms of methodology, my work combines a life cycle approach with temporal dynamics of a bioenergy system. I am interested in experimenting with different metrics to better display the timing and spatial scope of climate relevant processes.

My PhD project is is part of STandUP for Energy, a collaboration initiative between Uppsala University (UU), The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Luleå University of Technology (LTU). 

MSc in Engineering, Environment and Bio-Resources Management, specialisation in Waste Management (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 2016)

BSc in Engineering, Environment and Bio-Resources Management, specialisation in Resource Economics (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 2013)

My OrcidID: 0000-0003-2626-9502