Dr Isa Kolo
- Research Associate (Systems Power & Energy)
Biography
Following the award of a Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace, Honours) from the Mechanical Engineering Department of International Islamic University Malaysia, I joined Masdar Institute (now Khalifa University), Abu Dhabi, for an MSc in Mechanical Engineering. While working there as a Research Assistant, I explored robust numerical techniques and computational tools for predicting the behaviour and failure of materials and structures. This continued in Sheffield where I developed an adaptive isogeometric finite element framework for gradient elasticity and gradient plasticity resulting in a PhD from the University of Sheffield.
The computational techniques I have worked on have wide-ranging applications from the design of sustainable buildings to efficient extraction of the earth’s resources. For example, I have modelled fold-induced rock fractures and investigated advanced concepts to manage losses in conventional geothermal systems. After my PhD, I joined a carbon capture and storage joint project between Eindhoven University of Technology and Shell International BV to develop a coupled multi-physics hydraulic fracture simulator.
At the end of July 2021, I joined the University of Glasgow where I am working on two EPSRC net-zero projects: NetZeroGeoRDIE – looking at repurposing the Newcastle Helix Borehole as a deep coaxial borehole heat exchanger, and INTEGRATE – focusing on underground thermal energy storage in the UK.
Publications
2025
Desguers, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2025) Short-cycle borehole thermal energy storage: Impact of thermal cycle duration on overall performance. Applied Thermal Engineering, 258(B), 124610. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.124610)
2024
Ben, H., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Walker, S. (2024) Decarbonising well-insulated buildings in a warming climate: the case of adaptive thermal comfort with geothermal space heating. Energy and Buildings, 319, 114466. (doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114466)
Banks, D. , Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2024) Generic modelling to develop thermal yield nomograms for coaxial deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE). Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 57(3), 2023-162. (doi: 10.1144/qjegh2023-162)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Nibbs, W., Cai, W., Falcone, G. , Nagel, T. and Chen, C. (2024) A comprehensive review of deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHEs): subsurface modelling studies and applications. Geothermal Energy, (doi: 10.1186/s40517-024-00297-3)
Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Lyden, A., Franken, L., Kerr, N., Marshall-Cross, D., Watson, S., Falcone, G. , Friedrich, D. and Diamond, J. (2024) Assessing the technical potential for underground thermal energy storage in the UK. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 199, 114545. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114545)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparing the Performance of Single U-tube, Double U-tube and Coaxial Medium-to-Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 April 2024. (Accepted for Publication)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparison of the thermal and hydraulic performance of single U-tube, double U-tube and coaxial medium-to-deep borehole heat exchangers. Geothermics, 117, 102888. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102888)
2023
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Decarbonising Heating and Cooling Using Temperature Setback and Geothermal Energy. In: CISBAT 2023, Lausanne, Switzerland, 13-15 September 2023, (doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2600/2/022015)
Brown, C. S. et al. (2023) Repurposing a Geothermal Exploration Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Updates from the NetZero GeoRDIE Project. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Morrison, L., Brown, C. S. , Watson, S., Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Understanding the Impact of Paleoclimate Corrections on the Cheshire Basin with Application to Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Harrison, B. (2023) Repurposing an Offshore Oil Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: a UK case study. In: AAPG International Conference and Exhibition (ICE '23), Madrid, Spain, 6-8 Nov 2023, (Accepted for Publication)
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Geothermal Space Heating and Thermal Comfort Strategy for Low-carbon Non-domestic Buildings Under Warming Climate. 11th International Conference on Sustainable Development in the Building and Environment (SuDBE 2023), Helsinki, Finland, 14-18 Aug 2023. (Unpublished)
Doran, H. R. , Renaud, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. C.W. (2023) Radioactive Waste as an Anthropogenic Heat Source: Shallow and Deep Geothermal Applications. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Closed-loop Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Brown, C. S. , Doran, H. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Investigating the influence of groundwater flow and charge cycle duration on deep borehole heat exchangers for heat extraction and borehole thermal energy storage. Energies, 16(6), 2677. (doi: 10.3390/en16062677)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a geothermal exploration well as a deep borehole heat exchanger: understanding long-term effects of lithological layering, flow direction, and circulation flow rate. Sustainability, 15(5), 4140. (doi: 10.3390/su15054140)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a deep geothermal exploration well for borehole thermal energy storage: implications from statistical modelling and sensitivity analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 220, 119701. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119701)
Brown, C. S. , Desguers, T., Lyden, A., Kolo, I. , Friedrich, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Borehole Thermal Energy Storage using Curtailed Wind Energy as a Fluctuating Source of Charge. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Thermal Power from a Notional 6 km Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in Glasgow. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Investigating scalability of deep borehole heat exchangers: numerical modelling of arrays with varied modes of operation. Renewable Energy, 202, pp. 442-452. (doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.11.100)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Doran, H. R. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Thermal Response Tests for Deep Coaxial Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Doran, H. , Renaud, T., Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. (2023) Harnessing Anthropogenic Heat from Radioactive Waste in Geological Disposal Facility settings via Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Lyden, A., Watson, S., Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2023) A Modelling Study of Seasonal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage in Scotland: Integrating Surface Demand and the Subsurface Heat Store. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Nibbs, W., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Watson, S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Repurposing Onshore Wells for Geothermal Use in the United Kingdom: Application as Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
2022
Lyden, A., Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Friedrichs, D. (2022) Seasonal thermal energy storage in smart energy systems: district-level applications and modelling approaches. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 167, 112760. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112760)
2019
Kolo, I. , Chen, L. and de Borst, R. (2019) Strain-gradient elasticity and gradient-dependent plasticity with hierarchical refinement of NURBS. Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 163, pp. 31-43. (doi: 10.1016/j.finel.2019.06.001)
2018
Kolo, I. and de Borst, R. (2018) Dispersion and isogeometric analyses of second-order and fourth-order implicit gradient-enhanced plasticity models. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 114(4), pp. 431-453. (doi: 10.1002/nme.5749)
Kolo, I. and de Borst, R. (2018) An isogeometric analysis approach to gradient-dependent plasticity. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 113(2), pp. 296-310. (doi: 10.1002/nme.5614)
2017
Kolo, I. , Askes, H. and de Borst, R. (2017) Convergence analysis of Laplacian-based gradient elasticity in an isogeometric framework. Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 135, pp. 56-67. (doi: 10.1016/j.finel.2017.07.006)
Brimmo, A. T., Sodiq, A., Sofela, S. and Kolo, I. (2017) Sustainable energy development in Nigeria: wind, hydropower, geothermal and nuclear (Vol. 1). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 74, pp. 474-490. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.162)
2016
Kolo, I. , Abu Al-Rub, R. K. and Sousa, R. L. (2016) Computational modelling of fracture propagation in rocks using a coupled elastic-plasticity-damage model. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2016, 3231092. (doi: 10.1155/2016/3231092)
2015
Kolo, I. , Al-Rub, R.K.A., Sousa, R.L., Sassi, M. and Sirat, M. (2015) Numerical Modelling of Fold-related Fractures. In: 13th ISRM International Congress of Rock Mechanics, Montréal, QC, Canada, 10-13 May 2015, pp. 1-10. ISBN 9781926872254
2014
Abid, N., Kolo, I. and Janajreh, I. (2014) Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on Wind, Solar Effect and Pollutant Dispersion in Masdar City. In: 19th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC 2014), Melbourne, Australia, 08-11 Dec 2014, ISBN 9780646596952
Kolo, I. , Sousa, R. and Zhang, T. (2014) Heat Transmission in a Geothermal Wellbore: Modelling and Application. In: 19th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC 2014), Melbourne, Australia, 08-11 Dec 2014, ISBN 9780646596952
Articles
Desguers, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2025) Short-cycle borehole thermal energy storage: Impact of thermal cycle duration on overall performance. Applied Thermal Engineering, 258(B), 124610. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.124610)
Ben, H., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Walker, S. (2024) Decarbonising well-insulated buildings in a warming climate: the case of adaptive thermal comfort with geothermal space heating. Energy and Buildings, 319, 114466. (doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114466)
Banks, D. , Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2024) Generic modelling to develop thermal yield nomograms for coaxial deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE). Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 57(3), 2023-162. (doi: 10.1144/qjegh2023-162)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Nibbs, W., Cai, W., Falcone, G. , Nagel, T. and Chen, C. (2024) A comprehensive review of deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHEs): subsurface modelling studies and applications. Geothermal Energy, (doi: 10.1186/s40517-024-00297-3)
Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Lyden, A., Franken, L., Kerr, N., Marshall-Cross, D., Watson, S., Falcone, G. , Friedrich, D. and Diamond, J. (2024) Assessing the technical potential for underground thermal energy storage in the UK. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 199, 114545. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114545)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparison of the thermal and hydraulic performance of single U-tube, double U-tube and coaxial medium-to-deep borehole heat exchangers. Geothermics, 117, 102888. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102888)
Brown, C. S. , Doran, H. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Investigating the influence of groundwater flow and charge cycle duration on deep borehole heat exchangers for heat extraction and borehole thermal energy storage. Energies, 16(6), 2677. (doi: 10.3390/en16062677)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a geothermal exploration well as a deep borehole heat exchanger: understanding long-term effects of lithological layering, flow direction, and circulation flow rate. Sustainability, 15(5), 4140. (doi: 10.3390/su15054140)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a deep geothermal exploration well for borehole thermal energy storage: implications from statistical modelling and sensitivity analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 220, 119701. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119701)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Investigating scalability of deep borehole heat exchangers: numerical modelling of arrays with varied modes of operation. Renewable Energy, 202, pp. 442-452. (doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.11.100)
Lyden, A., Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Friedrichs, D. (2022) Seasonal thermal energy storage in smart energy systems: district-level applications and modelling approaches. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 167, 112760. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112760)
Kolo, I. , Chen, L. and de Borst, R. (2019) Strain-gradient elasticity and gradient-dependent plasticity with hierarchical refinement of NURBS. Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 163, pp. 31-43. (doi: 10.1016/j.finel.2019.06.001)
Kolo, I. and de Borst, R. (2018) Dispersion and isogeometric analyses of second-order and fourth-order implicit gradient-enhanced plasticity models. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 114(4), pp. 431-453. (doi: 10.1002/nme.5749)
Kolo, I. and de Borst, R. (2018) An isogeometric analysis approach to gradient-dependent plasticity. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 113(2), pp. 296-310. (doi: 10.1002/nme.5614)
Kolo, I. , Askes, H. and de Borst, R. (2017) Convergence analysis of Laplacian-based gradient elasticity in an isogeometric framework. Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 135, pp. 56-67. (doi: 10.1016/j.finel.2017.07.006)
Brimmo, A. T., Sodiq, A., Sofela, S. and Kolo, I. (2017) Sustainable energy development in Nigeria: wind, hydropower, geothermal and nuclear (Vol. 1). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 74, pp. 474-490. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.162)
Kolo, I. , Abu Al-Rub, R. K. and Sousa, R. L. (2016) Computational modelling of fracture propagation in rocks using a coupled elastic-plasticity-damage model. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2016, 3231092. (doi: 10.1155/2016/3231092)
Conference or Workshop Item
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparing the Performance of Single U-tube, Double U-tube and Coaxial Medium-to-Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 April 2024. (Accepted for Publication)
Brown, C. S. et al. (2023) Repurposing a Geothermal Exploration Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Updates from the NetZero GeoRDIE Project. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Morrison, L., Brown, C. S. , Watson, S., Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Understanding the Impact of Paleoclimate Corrections on the Cheshire Basin with Application to Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Geothermal Space Heating and Thermal Comfort Strategy for Low-carbon Non-domestic Buildings Under Warming Climate. 11th International Conference on Sustainable Development in the Building and Environment (SuDBE 2023), Helsinki, Finland, 14-18 Aug 2023. (Unpublished)
Conference Proceedings
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Decarbonising Heating and Cooling Using Temperature Setback and Geothermal Energy. In: CISBAT 2023, Lausanne, Switzerland, 13-15 September 2023, (doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2600/2/022015)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Harrison, B. (2023) Repurposing an Offshore Oil Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: a UK case study. In: AAPG International Conference and Exhibition (ICE '23), Madrid, Spain, 6-8 Nov 2023, (Accepted for Publication)
Doran, H. R. , Renaud, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. C.W. (2023) Radioactive Waste as an Anthropogenic Heat Source: Shallow and Deep Geothermal Applications. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Closed-loop Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Brown, C. S. , Desguers, T., Lyden, A., Kolo, I. , Friedrich, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Borehole Thermal Energy Storage using Curtailed Wind Energy as a Fluctuating Source of Charge. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Thermal Power from a Notional 6 km Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in Glasgow. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Doran, H. R. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Thermal Response Tests for Deep Coaxial Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Doran, H. , Renaud, T., Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. (2023) Harnessing Anthropogenic Heat from Radioactive Waste in Geological Disposal Facility settings via Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Lyden, A., Watson, S., Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2023) A Modelling Study of Seasonal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage in Scotland: Integrating Surface Demand and the Subsurface Heat Store. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Nibbs, W., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Watson, S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Repurposing Onshore Wells for Geothermal Use in the United Kingdom: Application as Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Kolo, I. , Al-Rub, R.K.A., Sousa, R.L., Sassi, M. and Sirat, M. (2015) Numerical Modelling of Fold-related Fractures. In: 13th ISRM International Congress of Rock Mechanics, Montréal, QC, Canada, 10-13 May 2015, pp. 1-10. ISBN 9781926872254
Abid, N., Kolo, I. and Janajreh, I. (2014) Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on Wind, Solar Effect and Pollutant Dispersion in Masdar City. In: 19th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC 2014), Melbourne, Australia, 08-11 Dec 2014, ISBN 9780646596952
Kolo, I. , Sousa, R. and Zhang, T. (2014) Heat Transmission in a Geothermal Wellbore: Modelling and Application. In: 19th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC 2014), Melbourne, Australia, 08-11 Dec 2014, ISBN 9780646596952