Research
Place-based research for a fair, resilient and affordable energy future
Our programme is structured around five pillars that connect people, technology, markets and governance. The pillars align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7 and SDG 11) and UK Clean Power 2030 priorities.
Pillar 1 — Place-Based Energy and Community System
We co-design energy solutions with communities through neighbourhood living labs that test real-world journeys for households, SMEs and public sites. Evidence from pilots is transformed into playbooks for replication and scale.
Focus
- Place-based innovation and co-design with residents and partners
- Community energy systems and neighbourhood living labs
- Evidence generation from pilots to inform scale-up
Methods and tools
- Participatory design and inclusive trial protocols
- Open data collection with privacy-by-design
- Impact evaluation for cost, carbon and comfort
Outputs
- Replicable playbooks and open toolkits
- Pilot datasets and case reports
- Guidance for local authorities and communities
Pillar 2 — Markets and System Infrastructure
We study decentralised energy systems, hyperlocal markets and data-driven operations. Digital twins connect network constraints with market signals, while our research improves cyber-physical resilience and critical-infrastructure security.
Focus
- Decentralised systems and hyperlocal markets, fairness-by-design
- Digital twins and optimisation for assets, sites and cities
- Cyber-physical resilience and secure operations
Methods and tools
- Market-grid coupling and nodal pricing experiments
- Constraint-aware scheduling and verification
- Risk modelling and secure control architectures
Outputs
- Open-source planning and dispatch engines
- Operational playbooks for DSOs, suppliers and aggregators
- Resilience guidelines for infrastructure owners
Pillar 3 — Sustainable Mobility and e-Transport Systems
We test EV smart charging and bidirectional operation with safeguards for users and sites. Studies include participation models, enrolment pathways, and the role of depot, fleet and neighbourhood charging as system assets.
Focus
- EV and V2X integration with mobility safeguards
- Consumer participation models and enrolment pathways
- Charging assets for depots, fleets and neighbourhoods
Methods and tools
- State-of-charge and availability forecasting
- Tariff design and incentive testing with fairness metrics
- Interoperability and settlement validation
Outputs
- Pilot evidence on costs, carbon and network value
- Guidance for fleets, estates and authorities
- Reusable control logic and datasets
Pillar 4 — Industrial Transition and Sustainable Manufacturing
We help industry accelerate low-carbon transformation and circular practice through industrial symbiosis and electrification. Research supports ESG-aligned business models for lasting impact.
Focus
- Sustainable manufacturing aligned with circular economy principles
- Industrial symbiosis and low-carbon process change
- ESG strategies and sustainable business models
Methods and tools
- Process mapping and heat-integration studies
- Cross-site resource and energy exchange
- Cost, carbon and risk analysis for scale-up
Outputs
- Action plans for factories and clusters
- Symbiosis toolkits and exchange platforms
- KPIs for productivity, emissions and resilience
Pillar 5 — Governance, Culture and Policy for a Just Transition
We analyse fairness-by-design in policy, standards and regulation. This work integrates social science and humanities to build trust, enable behavioural change and translate evidence into policy.
Focus
- Fairness-by-design in policy, standards and regulation
- Sustainability citizenship and behaviour change
- Humanities-led narratives, cultural values and trust
- Policy translation from local to global scales
Methods and tools
- Stakeholder mapping and citizen juries
- Evidence synthesis and standards participation
- Impact measurement for equity and inclusion
Outputs
Open learning resources for communities
Briefings, standards input and consultation responses
Inclusive design and engagement toolkits