Over the next few decades making better use of energy resources will be just
as important as finding alternative sources of supply.
For example, in industry this could mean developing more energy-efficient processes
while in our homes it could involve better insulation or smart systems for saving
energy from domestic lighting and appliances. In this area it is especially important
to address the social and economic issues that influence how we use technology and
how much we are prepared to pay for energy-saving products.
Our current funding for research in these areas is £26.4 million for industrial
energy efficiency and £37.9 million for improving the energy efficiency of buildings
(domestic, public and commercial). The energy efficiency of transport systems is
also important and £35.9 million has been invested in this.
We have a number of collaborations with both public sector and industrial partners
to ensure exploitation of energy efficiency research. For example, the £14 million
partnership with the Carbon Trust for
the ‘Carbon Vision’ programme funded research into both domestic and industrial
demand reduction. Likewise, a ‘Grand Research Challenge’ is currently under development
in collaboration with the Research
Councils UK Digital Economy Programme and the
Department for Transport. This activity will
tackle major research challenges on decarbonisation of transport fuels, promoting
low carbon transport choices, and shifts to new technologies.
We have also established a number of doctoral training centres within the UK
to create highly skilled workers for universities, industry and commerce. For demand
reduction in buildings a £6 million doctoral training centre, which is a collaboration
between the UCL Energy Institute
and
Loughborough University, has been funded. An Industrial Doctorate Centre at
University of Reading
has also been established in this area, while transport energy efficiency is covered
by a Industrial Doctorate Centre at
Southampton University.
By continuing our work in this area we aim to both better understand influences
on energy demand and provide mechanisms by which it can be reduced. As a result
the UK demand for energy can then be reduced through the development of both policy
and new technologies.
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