Annex 2
Memorandum by the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
BACKGROUND
1. EPSRC support for energy efficiency-related
research is part of a broad energy research portfolio. The annual
spend on energy research was over £12 million in 2003-04.
This research includes renewable and low carbon energy generation
and related technologies that are also essential to help meet
carbon emission reduction targets. In addition to this, EPSRC
also funds the UK Fusion programme through a four year £48
million research grant awarded in April 2004.
COMMENTS
2. EPSRC supports a wide range of activities
underpinning the spectrum of technical solutions to achieve carbon
emission reduction targets, including energy efficiency. Research
covers the development of technology to improve energy use through
more efficient processes, products and energy management. The
introduction of potential energy efficiency measures is relevant
to many research areas such as the built environment, industrial
processes and products, and power generation. Examples include
research in energy efficient ventilation, refrigeration, batteries,
turbines, lighting and photovoltaic cells.
The funding and coordination of research into
energy efficiency measures in the domestic and industrial sectors,
and how well research is transferred into applications
3. EPSRC recognises that energy efficiency
issues encompass a breadth of scientific, technology and engineering
disciplines. Research towards a low carbon economy requires multidisciplinary
collaboration within and beyond the engineering and physical science
boundaries, to include social and economic aspects. The understanding
of markets, consumer demand and public acceptability issues cannot
be dissociated from the technology challenges.
4. To be able to develop such a whole systems
approach, EPSRC strongly believes in the value of cross-Council
initiatives and in an early and effective engagement with stakeholders
(see paragraph 7 of the main submission):
— EPSRC is a partner in the cross-Research
Councils' "Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy" (TSEC)
programme. TSEC supports the establishment of the UK Energy Research
Centre (UKERC).
— EPSRC contributes 35 per cent of
the total budget of £10 million for the Tyndall Centre for
Climate Change Research.
— EPSRC is also working in partnership
with the Carbon Trust on "Carbon Vision".
5. EPSRC supports its own research portfolio
of activities related to energy efficiency. Since 1999-2000, EPSRC's
expenditure on energy efficiency research totals more than £9
million. EPSRC's annual support for the relevant activities is
summarised in the Table in paragraph 8 of the main submission.
6. EPSRC support for research to develop
energy efficiency measures is directed in particular towards buildings,
industrial processes and products. Examples of research include:
— work at the University of Sheffield
on measures to improve the energy efficiency of existing housing
in England and Wales;
— improvements of energy efficiency
of industrial processes such as research on a low energy route
for nitrogen removal in biological wastewater treatment at Cranfield
University;
— planned work at Surrey University
on developing a methodology and decision-support tools to help
understand and evaluate environmental and economic consequences
of the changes required for "decarbonisation" of the
economy.
7. Sixty five per cent of EPSRC's energy
efficiency related research grants have one or more collaborators.
The collaborators include, for example, local government and supermarkets,
in addition to companies in the construction and power sector.
8. DTI and EPSRC sponsor The Integration
of New and Renewable Energy in the Buildings Faraday Partnership.
This provides a national focus for research, training and technology
transfer in building-integrated new and renewable energy technologies,
relevant to research into energy efficiency. It includes research
on options beyond the basic energy efficiency packages of measures
in the domestic and non-domestic building sector, with over 225
companies, Universities and other organisations involved. The
core funding consists of a grant from the DTI of £1.2 million
for three years, and a grant of £1 million from the EPSRC.
In addition, ESPRC provided funding for fourteen postgraduate
studentships in collaboration with industry sponsors. The Faraday
Partnerships have been established to strengthen the way technology
is developed and exploited within the UK by stimulating closer
communication and cooperation between researchers and new product
developers.
9. EPSRC sponsors five research secondments
from De Montfort University to a UK semiconductor business. These
secondments aim to build and sustain a skilled workforce and to
facilitate the commercialisation of energy efficient and cost
effective power semiconductor devices.
10. EPSRC supports the establishment of
networks in new interdisciplinary research areas to develop and
stimulate interactions between the appropriate science, technology
research community and industrial groups. Of particular relevance
to energy efficiency is the Network for Comfort and Energy Use
in Buildings led by London Metropolitan University, which aims
to identify and existing outputs and gaps in the ability of building
scientists to predict the energy use of buildings and the risks
of discomfort posed by low-energy buildings.
The behavioural aspects of energy efficiency schemes—the
quantity and quality of information available on energy efficiency,
and whether the public is sufficiently knowledgeable and motivated
to achieve energy savings
11. EPSRC believes that technology based
research in energy efficiency has the potential to inform and
to lead the development of policies in areas including market
forces, consumer demand and public acceptability.
12. Research supported through the Carbon
Vision programme is described in the main text paragraph 15.
13. EPSRC support also covered research
at Bath University on the extent to which various kinds of feedback
on energy use affect attitudes and behaviour of buildings occupants
with respect to energy consumption.
The potential for technological improvements to
the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, and how these
should be implemented
14. Both domestic and non-domestic uses
of energy in buildings are responsible for about half of the nation's
energy consumption and about half the release of carbon into the
atmosphere. The building stock is therefore a prime target for
cuts in emissions; from 1999 to today, EPSRC has invested over
£1 million in the development of technological improvements
to the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings. The technological
challenges include thermal comfort, integration with renewable
energy sources, land use, design solutions, development of new
materials and associated manufacturing methods and public engagement
activities.
15. The Carbon Vision investment in technological
improvements to the energy efficiency of new and existing building
is described in the main text of the submission paragraph 15.
16. EPSRC supported research at the University
of Sheffield into quantifying the amount of daylight that will
enter through windows taking into account the likelihood of dirt
building up on the glass, obscuring some of the light. This is
an important factor in designing more efficient buildings and
the information obtained has been used to compile guidelines on
the effect of urban air pollution on the availability of daylight
in buildings. This output replaces old guidelines, dating from
before the Clean Air Act, when there was much more industrial
pollution in the atmosphere.
The development and promotion of energy-efficient
consumer goods
17. Research related to improvements in
energy efficient consumer goods supported by EPSRC includes development
of novel materials, new design techniques, generic methodology
and power management, applied for example to battery powered products.
An example is the work at Brunel University to develop techniques
for the design of new and highly efficient refrigerated display
and storage cabinets to achieve energy savings in excess of 50
per cent compared to current state of the art technology. This
research combines the benefits obtained by energy savings and
reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to social benefits such
as improvement of the environment in retail food premises, the
improvement in product quality and shelf life.
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