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UK ENERGY: THE ROLE OF RESEARCH. National Home Energy Conference 2005 Marriott Hotel, Bournemouth, 10-11 May 2005 Prof Jim Skea Research Director UK Energy Research Centre. UK ENERGY POLICY GOALS. put ourselves on a path to cutting CO 2 emissions by 60% by 2050
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UK ENERGY: THE ROLE OF RESEARCH National Home Energy Conference 2005 Marriott Hotel, Bournemouth, 10-11 May 2005 Prof Jim Skea Research Director UK Energy Research Centre UK Energy Research Centre
UK ENERGY POLICY GOALS • put ourselves on a path to cutting CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 • maintain reliability of energy supplies • ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated • raise the rate of sustainable economic growth and improve our productivity, through competitive markets UK Energy Research Centre
UK CARBON EMISSIONS BY SECTOR UK Energy Research Centre
UK GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND TARGETS UK Energy Research Centre
GDP, ENERGY AND CARBON – ANNUAL CHANGES UK Energy Research Centre
THE ENERGY OPTIONS efficiency nuclear + Long-term: fusion; the hydrogen economy fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage renewables UK Energy Research Centre
WHY A UK ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE? • energy (re-)emerging as a strategic policy arena • innovation needed to support long-term goals • decline in volume of energy research (public and private) in the UK in the 1990s • privatisation of the utilities • national research facilities (BRE, AEA Technology etc) required to operate in commercial mode • no focused Research Council programmes • fragmentation of energy research effort UK Energy Research Centre
KING REVIEW OF ENERGY RESEARCH2002 • a UK Energy Research Centre should: • be a “networking” centre to co-ordinate UK research, facilitate collaboration with industry and UK participation in international projects • bring together stakeholders from government, industry and academia • Research Priorities • energy efficiency • wave and tidal power • solar PV • carbon capture and storage • hydrogen production and storage • nuclear fission and fusion UK Energy Research Centre
UK ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE: OVERVIEW • established late 2004 • ramping up of activity almost complete • a “distributed” Centre • thematic areas managed at universities and institutes where there are significant clusters of expertise • HQ at Imperial College London • networking hub at Oxford • ˜45 staff in the various locations UK Energy Research Centre
THREE “VERTICAL” RESEARCH THEMES • Demand Reduction • Environmental Change Institute, Oxford • Future Sources of Energy • Edinburgh • Infrastructure and Supply • Manchester UK Energy Research Centre
UKERC DEMAND REDUCTION TOPICS • data and models • market transformation and product policy • distributional issues and personal carbon allowances • transport and aviation • energy use in industry UK Energy Research Centre
THREE X-CUTTING THEMES • Energy Systems and Modelling • Policy Studies Institute • Environmental Sustainability • Lancaster Environment Centre • Materials for advanced energy systems • Imperial College UK Energy Research Centre
BEYOND RESEARCH: OTHER UKERC ACTIVITIES • Website and communications • Networking and collaborative working – the Meeting Place • “Research Atlas” • Understanding and mapping current activities • Planning and prioritising research – “roadmapping” • Feeding into policy - Technology and Policy Assessment, e.g. • The cost of intermittent renewable generation • Energy efficiency – the “rebound effect” • Training– interdisciplinary studentships and summer school UK Energy Research Centre
THE WIDER RESEARCH CONTEXT • UKERC within the Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy Programme • Managing uncertainties • Keeping the nuclear option open • Renewables • Carbon management • sits alongside: • SUPERGEN (Sustainable Power Generation and Supply), EPSRC • Carbon Vision Partnership (buildings, industry) • EPSRC fusion programme • Tyndall Centre on Climate Change (de-carbonisation theme) • annual Research Council energy spend to rise from £40m now, to £70m in 2007/08 – how much for energy demand? UK Energy Research Centre
ENERGY EFFICIENCY INNOVATION REVIEW • joint DEFRA and HM Treasury • how can innovation best contribute to a longer-term step-change in energy efficiency? • innovation in many forms: • technological • policy • financial • organisational • many players • Government • business • consumers UK Energy Research Centre
THE RESEARCH LANDSCAPE: KEY MESSAGES FOR ENERGY DEMAND • energy demand research is particularly fragmented – funding agencies and providers • strong policy focus reflecting low cost demand reduction opportunities. • little targeted research on energy demand technologies needed for deep CO2 cuts in the long-term • “problem-solving” research (combustion etc) being picked up through responsive mode funding UK Energy Research Centre
UK Energy Research Centre www.ukerc.ac.uk UK Energy Research Centre