Research Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand

71ae6fa9-67b1-4b48-8a2e-c7144830bcbc

Closed

EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC

£17,696,070

May 31, 2013

Feb. 28, 2019

Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to the way societies operate. In order to address this challenge, the UK has set an ambitious target of 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Meeting this target will require not only decarbonising energy supply, but will also mean action to make the use of energy more efficient and to reduce energy demand. The proposed Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand will contribute to this challenge by developing an interdisciplinary understanding of the emergence, diffusion and impact of low-energy innovations - new technologies, organisational arrangements or modes of behaviour that are expected to improve energy efficiency and/or reduce energy demand.

The Centre will be managed within the Sussex Energy Group (SEG) at SPRU, University of Sussex. SEG has a strong international reputation for policy-relevant interdisciplinary research on transitions to sustainable energy systems, focusing on both the supply and demand sides of these systems. Oxford University's Transport Studies Unit (TSU), a leading interdisciplinary research centre on transport futures, will also contribute to the Centre.

The Centre's research and user engagement will be organised under three themes that focus on the emergence, diffusion and impact of different types of low-energy innovation. Each theme will encompass several research projects that provide a balanced coverage of research methodologies and empirical domains. The Centre will also conduct cross-cutting projects and integration activities, with the aim of synthesising the emerging findings from the three main research themes and effectively engaging stakeholders. Two cross cutting projects are proposed. The first will carry out a comparison of multiple low energy innovations to explore differences between incremental and radical innovations, and between those that are mainly technical and those that are largely social. The second will analyse synergies and trade-offs between policies to support low energy innovations and other, overlapping energy policies. A Low Energy Innovation Studio will also be established as the engagement hub of the Centre. It will oversee a number of functions including researcher placements in collaborating organisations, Centre workshops and events, visiting fellowships, summer schools and a final conference.

The proposed research programme is inter-disciplinary, combining perspectives from different traditions within economics, innovation studies, political science and sociology. The programme will be developed and conducted in collaboration with non-academic organisations who will help identify research problems, contribute resources and case studies, and assist in engagement with practitioners. Centre researchers will collaborate with academic colleagues in the UK as well as with related international institutions. The Centre will produce a range of outputs tailored to different audiences including journal articles, reports and policy briefings. It will have a simple internal management structure, comprising a Director, Centre Manager and three research theme leaders, together with Advisory Group to steer its work. Finally it will develop research capacity by recruiting and developing junior researchers and by encouraging applications from doctoral researchers who would be associated with the Centre.

Potential Impact:
The Centre's research is of significant relevance to a range of audiences, including policy makers concerned with the development of effective policy approaches to address climate change and other energy policy concerns, academics involved in research in related fields (including energy policy, energy systems, innovation systems, economics and political science) and civil society more broadly (including the general public, and the third and private sectors). Achieving a substantial share of the UK's planned 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 through energy demand reduction and energy efficiency will require actions by a variety of stakeholders including companies, policy makers, households and community groups.

The Centre will pursue a variety of avenues to maximise its impact. It will combine a number of activities to engage with both academic and non-academic stakeholders, including public sector officials, community and non-profit organisations, companies as well as the wider public.

The academic impact of the Centre will be achieved by:
- writing high quality working papers and peer reviewed publications;
- giving presentations at conferences, seminars and workshops;
- active involvement in national and international research networks;
- hosting academic visitors; and
- organising two summer schools for PhD students.

The conventional approach is for non academic 'users' of research to be presented with findings at the end of a research process with which they have had no involvement. They are then expected to understand the relevance and/or change their practice as a result. The Centre will move beyond this, and will maximise impacts on relevant user groups by engaging them through carefully tailored engagement processes before, during and after the research. These engagement processes will be managed through the Centre's Low Energy Innovation Studio. The activities of the Studio will include:
- engage a variety of stakeholders through the Centre's biannual Advisory Group;
- working with a number of partners on specific projects (incl. energy utility SSE, Brighton and Hove City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Transport for London, The Discovery Mill, Simply Connect Ltd);
- providing interested stakeholders with short-term placements of academics in their organisations and hosting non-academic visitors;
- organising workshops and events targeted at stakeholders, either during the research process or to disseminate results; and
- co-hosting specific workshops for energy management practitioners from public and private organisations with The Discovery Mill.

The Centre aims to make specific impacts on policy making processes by:
- engaging public sector officials in the Advisory Board of the Centre,
- providing policy briefings summarising research results in an accessible way;
- offering dedicated presentations to brief senior staff in relevant Departments;
- providing expert advice to Parliamentary committees, responding to public consultations, etc.

The Centre will make an impact on the general public by:
- communicating research results in an accessible way through the Centre's blog, website, Facebook, and Twitter;
- organising events open to members of the general public; and
- working with the press in order to disseminate findings to the broader public (via radio, TV, and national newspapers).