Your trainer for this course will be Dr. Mervyn Smyth. Mervyn obtained a 1st Class BEng Hons in Building Services Engineering and PhD for solar energy research from the University of Ulster. He has over 7 years experience in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning HVAC industry prior to taking up the position of Lecturer in Building Services Engineering at the University of Ulster. Prior to this position he was senior lecturer / teaching fellow position with the School of Architecture, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He is currently a Reader in Solar Thermal Technologies at the University of Ulster. Mervyn is the NI Regional Chairman of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. Mervyn has a particular interest in solar thermal systems and has been involved in the design, development, fabrication and evaluation of various types of solar water heating units. He has over 13 years experience in the experimental characterisation of solar energy collecting systems under real and simulated conditions and has over 4 years in the integration of passive solar systems and agri-frost protection, conducting numerous field experiments. Mervyn is currently interested in the application of active solar renewable technologies within the wine industry. He returned last year from California, where he spent 6 months working in a solar winery. This work was funded through a prestigious RAEng Global Research Award to develop material for his recently published book: Solar Energy in the Winemaking Industry, investigating the design principles of energy usage and solar augmentation in winery operation.