UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC)

Recent research has shown that solar farms can be biodiversity havens. They boost pollinators, plants, and even help wildlife. However, careful planning and management are crucial. By making smart policy choices, the UK can turn solar farms into vital tools for both clean energy and nature recovery. Fabio Carvalho, Alona Armstrong, et al.

In this week’s Newsletter: New Solar Farms Can Benefit Nature – Here’s How Recent research has shown that solar farms can be biodiversity havens. They boost pollinators, plants, and even help wildlife. However, careful planning and management are crucial. By making smart policy choices, the UK can turn solar farms into vital tools for both clean energy and nature recovery. Featuring Alona Armstrong and Fabio Carvalho of Lancaster University. Call for Papers: Ocean Energy for Sustainable Transitions Marine Development is seeking papers for a special issue on ‘Ocean Energy for Sustainable Transitions’ in the Springer Nature Group journal. This special issue aims to present the latest research on the commercial and financial viability, technological innovations, material constraints, and policy developments in the field of ocean energy in its various forms. Video: UKERC at 20 - Impact Highlights UKERC recently marked its 20th anniversary with a conference exploring the evolution of energy policy and the centre's significant contributions to the field. Chaired by Joanne Wade, this session was part of a larger event featuring energy experts discussing UKERC's broader impact on the sector. Featuring William Blyth, Jane Dennett-Thorpe FEI, Imogen Rattle, Ahmed Gailani, and David Joffe. Rethinking Energy Geopolitics This recent blog from Louis Fletcher of the University of Warwick - Warwick Business School argues that existing analyses of energy geopolitics are limited and proposes a new approach that considers the interplay of politics, geography, and energy. Plus as always a selection of jobs, funding and some exciting events for your diary. Read it all here: http://bit.ly/3AySCXe

“Our planet faces a dual threat: mounting waste and shrinking access to clean water… But what if we could tackle both problems with a single, innovative solution?” Read Abayomi Adeniyi’s blog on his presentation at the RD20 Summer School.

UKERC Director Robert Gross recently visited the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado to explore potential collaborative ventures between our two institutions. Read his blog on the visit and find out about upcoming collaborations.

Only 2.7% of a person’s trips are for long distance travel (>50 miles one-way), but they account for 61.3% of the miles and 69.3% of the greenhouse gas (CO2 equivalent) emissions from passenger travel. Read this new study on long-distance travel in England and how it impacts #carbon emissions. Study by Zia Wadud, Adeel Muhammad and Jillian Anable.

In this week's newsletter: Read a new publication: Planning Understanding the Large Role of Long-Distance Travel in Carbon Emissions from Passenger Travel. Zia Wadud, Adeel Muhammad and Jillian Anable characterise England’s long-distance travel pattern and explore its importance on carbon emissions. UKERC Co-Director Christian Brand talked to The i Paper about inequalities in electric vehicle charging point access. Read about Robert Gross' trip to explore collaborations with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado. Abayomi Adeniyi's wrote about his time at the RD20 Summer School in Indonesia. And catch up with Dr Jessica Britton and Janette Webb's new report on how to make local planning more effective to accelerate the net zero transition. Explore all of this, plus events, funding opportunities, jobs in the sector: https://bit.ly/3yzVWAT

Community energy is taking a giant leap forward with the launch of the Community Energy for Energy Solidarity Toolkit. 👨👨👧👧 ⚡ The toolkit is packed with practical guidance on everything from getting started to evaluating your impact. Find out more below.

Check out UKERC and British Institute of Energy Economics’ latest video on what the introduction of a new government could mean for energy policy. Featuring BIEE’s Volker Beckers, FEI, Shell’s Mallika Ishwaran, National Grid ESO’s Mike Thompson and our own Robert Gross.

“The UK is making strides in expanding its electric vehicle infrastructure, but there is a real risk of creating a postcode lottery where access to charging points varies significantly" - UKERC Co-Director Christian Brand, speaking the The i Paper. Christian warned that access could vary dramatically, not only across regions, but also for people living in flats and terraced houses, compared with homes with driveways. Read the full story below.

New publication! How can we make local planning most effective in the face of a net zero transition? Explore the recommendations of Dr Jessica Britton and Janette Webb of University of Edingburgh in this new research report. Find out more and read the report below. #NetZero #EnergyEfficiency