Research

Research themes

Our research focuses on the major challenges facing energy studies today. Here are some of the research areas where we are particularly strong.

  • Energy and Society 

    Energy and Society  covers a range of questions about the relationship between energy systems and the people who use them. It touches on topics like:

    • Energy demand and behaviour; The social relations of energy; Energy access, Energy justice, Energy efficiency, and energy security; Retrofitting buildings; Fuel and transport poverty; Energy geographies

    Related projects

    • Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS)
    • CINTRAN
    • Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC)
    • Centre for Research Into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS)
    • Fuel and Transport Poverty in the UK’s Energy Transition (FAIR)
    • Green New Deal for Housing
    • Toward Just, Ethical and Sustainable Arctic Economies, Environments and Societies (JUST NORTH)
    • LAND use based MitigAtion for Resilient Climate pathways (LANDMARC)
    • Responsive Organising for Low Emission Societies (ROLES)
    • Solar-Biomass Reversible Energy System for Covering a Large Share of Energy Needs in Buildings (SolBio-Rev)
  • Just and Sustainable Transitions to Net Zero

    Much of our research geared towards understanding just and sustainable transitions to net zero. That includes research looking at:

    • The energy transition; Transitions that extend beyond energy ( like climate adaptation); The Co-benefits of the energy transition; Wellbeing and ecological economics

    Related projects

    • Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS)
    • CINTRAN
    • Centre for Research Into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS)
    • Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC)
    • Governing sustainable energy-mobility transitions: multi-level policy mixes, transformative capacities and low-carbon innovations (EMPOCI)
    • The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC)
    • Toward Just, Ethical and Sustainable Arctic Economies, Environments and Societies (JUST NORTH)
    • LAND use based MitigAtion for Resilient Climate pathways (LANDMARC)
    • Solar-Biomass Reversible Energy System for Covering a Large Share of Energy Needs in Buildings (SolBio-Rev)
  • Energy Innovation and Digitalisation

    This theme covers research related to innovative new energy technologies, with a particular focus on digitalisation.

    Related projects

    • Centre for Research Into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS)
    • Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC)
    • Responsive Organising for Low Emission Societies (ROLES)

    Solar-Biomass Reversible Energy System for Covering a Large Share of Energy Needs in Buildings (SolBio-Rev)

  • Energy Governance and Policy 

    Another of our strengths, energy governance and policy includes includes research focussing on issues like

    • The politics of energy and energy institutions; The devolution of energy governance; Local energy; Community wealth building; Energy efficiency, and energy security; Electricity markets; Political economy of energy

    Related projects

    • Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS)
    • CINTRAN
    • Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC)
    • Governing sustainable energy-mobility transitions: multi-level policy mixes, transformative capacities and low-carbon innovations (EMPOCI)
    • Green New Deal for Housing
    • The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC)
  • Energy systems and supply technology

    The group is also well-known for our expertise on questions about energy systems and energy supply technologies. We are particularly strong on

    • Renewable energy; Nuclear energy; Energy infrastructure; Microgrids; ‘Whole systems’ perspectives; Critical perspectives on fossil fuels

    Related Projects

    • Governing sustainable energy-mobility transitions: multi-level policy mixes, transformative capacities and low-carbon innovations (EMPOCI)

    • The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC)

    • Responsive Organising for Low Emission Societies (ROLES)

    • Solar-Biomass Reversible Energy System for Covering a Large Share of Energy Needs in Buildings (SolBio-Rev)