Using communities to find the answer to energy demand problems

How individuals and communities use energy, their understanding of energy use and effective, community management of energy and energy regulation will form the basis of seven new Energy and Communities initiative projects.The projects are a part of the RCUK Energy Programme which will work with communities from the outset of their research to find appropriate ways to reduce energy demand.

The £4 million investment is expected to have significant impact within the communities that they are working with and beyond, to other communities looking to address energy demand reduction in the context of increasing challenges in energy security and equity.

The UK has a target to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. This enormous task requires changes to every aspect of energy generation, supply, use and regulation. In the short term the Government has targeted a 34 per cent cut inemissions by 2030. The research agenda for these projects was developed through workshops and extensive dialogue with stakeholders, such as interest groups, social enterprises and policy makers, at a national and local level.

The successful applicants are:

• Professor G. Smith, University of Southampton, The Role of Community-Based Initiatives in Energy Saving, £945,833
• Dr R. Gupta, Oxford Brookes University, Evaluating the Impacts, Effectiveness and Success of Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)-funded Low Carbon Communities on Localised Energy Behaviours (EVALOC), £1,373,831
• Professor J. Webb, Edinburgh University, Heat and the City: Comparing the trajectory of sustainable heat and energy conservation in the municipal communities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, £998,469
• Professor K. Henwood, Cardiff University, Energy Biographies: Understanding the dynamics of energy use for energy demand reduction, £574,539
• Professor A. Dobson, Keele University, Reducing Energy Consumption Through Community Knowledge Networks, £452,928
• Dr M. Michael, Goldsmiths University of London, Sustainability Invention and Energy Demand Reduction: Co-designing communities and practice,£974,133
• Dr R. Rettie, Kingston University, Smart Communities: Shaping new low carbon communities norms and practices, £699,276