Our current research projects are grouped under three themes. Details of completed research projects, including outputs, can be found in our project archive.
1. Transitions to sustainable energy systems. Research under this theme looks principally at the dynamics of both established and new energy systems at various scales: locally, nationally, and internationally. It also analyses the processes that are helping and hindering transitions to more sustainable, low carbon energy systems. Insights from these projects inform many of our engagements with and recommendations to policy-makers, businesses and civil society organisations.
- Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (Jan 2011 - Dec 2015)
- Challenging Lock-in Through Urban Energy Systems - CLUES (Oct 2010 - Oct 2012)
- The Politics of Low Carbon Innovation: Towards a Theory of Niche Protection (Oct 2010 - Sep 2013)
- The Sustainable Lifestyles Research Group
- Carbon Capture and Storage: Realising the potential? (Apr 2010 - Mar 2012)
- Low carbon growth and innovation in developing countries, including:
-UK-China project on low carbon technology transfer (Mar 2010 - Jan 2011)
-Pro-poor, low carbon development: Improving low carbon energy access and development benefits in Least Developed Countries (Apr 2012 – Mar 2014) - Sustainability and innovation in liquid transport biofuels (May 2007 -)
- Climate Technology and Development Project (2006 - )
2. Governance of sustainable energy systems. Under this theme, we analyse the formulation and implementation of energy policies locally, nationally and internationally. This includes studying the way industry, government and civil society identify and promote particular energy challenges and options. We focus on how governments intervene with policies and other measures to guide the development of energy systems - and the often complex process of balancing policy objectives including emissions reduction, enhanced energy security and socially just access to energy.
- Community Innovation in Sustainable Energy (Oct 2010 - Sep 2013)
- Energy Security in a Multipolar World, an ESRC/EPSRC research cluster (Jan 2009 - Dec 2012)
- Political paradigms - UK energy policy at the crossroads?
- Governance of "nuclear revival" in Finland, France and the UK
- Evaluating energy policy: learning and accountability in a comparative context
3. Strategic appraisal for sustainable energy systems. Our work under this theme develops and applies tools to help others understand energy systems and their constituent technologies, and to evaluate energy policies. The emphasis within the theme is not just on evaluating individual technology or policy options, but to analyse these options as part of the energy systems in which they are being applied. We try to balance instrumental approaches to appraisal with more critical perspectives which explore different views on energy options and futures.
- Technology and Policy Assessment projects within the UK Energy Research Centre, including:
- Low carbon jobs (Jun 10 - )
- Global oil depletion (Nov 07 - Oct 09)