Interdisciplinary Energy Research: Insights from the UK Energy Research Centre

Transcription

1 Interdisciplinary Energy Research: Insights from the UK Energy Research Centre Dr Mark Winskel Research Co-ordinator, UKERC Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh Sparks Symposium, Oxford, 25 th April 2013

2 Presentation Outline Personal Introduction my life before UKERC! Working with UKERC Phase I ( ) Phase II ( ) Some personal reflections on interdisciplinary energy research

3 Personal Introduction Where do technologies come from, why do they change? Interests straddling natural sciences and humanities / social sciences Physics, Environmental Technology, Energy Policy, Innovation Studies Working in public and private research labs (ICI plc, ITE Merlewood)

4 The (vanished) energy world I grew up in Publicly owned corporations, public research labs Authority / Experts = politicians, civil servants, union leaders, academics Expertise = physics (esp. nuclear power), economics, engineering A relatively stable / hierarchical world of central authority and expertise, with technocrats in charge How well did this system perform? Allowed for long term planning Not very transparent / accountable / responsive Some poor strategic choices e.g. UK nuclear programme Some issues left on the margins Lifecycle / waste management Energy efficiency / conservation

5 Energy Systems: Shifting Drivers and Institutions s: corporatism security of supply driver supply-push: coal, nuclear engineers and scientists in charge 1990s: market liberalism cost reduction driver asset sweating and financial innovation bankers and financiers No need for energy policy, nor RD&D 2000s: energy & climate policy decarbonisation driver emerges gradual, long term energy transition Fragmented organisations / institutions 2010s: the energy trilemma Urgency and accelerated change Multiple, competing agendas, contested futures Source: e.on

6 Early 2000s: Re-appearance of Public Energy Research : ESRC interdisciplinary programme Bridging between different social sciences: innovation studies, sociology, psychology Marine energy as an innovation system BUT, some important disciplinary gaps: energy engineers, environmental scientists, non-academic perspectives? Not a whole systems approach Expectations of a gradual, longterm energy transition?

7 Early 2000s: UKERC Creation The research challenges are many and diverse. Nearly all cross the boundaries of physical science, engineering, environmental science, socio-economic and socio-political sciences, and life sciences A multidisciplinary approach is essential in this area as the socio-political and regulatory regime, environmental and health impacts and public acceptability must all be taken into account in the development of technological solutions to future energy supply. Energy Research Review Group, 2002

8 UKERC Phase I ( ) a new Centre with its own whole system research programme and the task of networking other UK activities. Interdisciplinary, funded by three research councils Engineering and Physical Sciences; Natural Environment; Economic and Social a distributed centre involving a collaboration between eight universities/research institutes, HQ at Imperial College Thematically organised Vertical themes: demand reduction; future sources of energy; infrastructure and supply Cross-cutting themes: systems and modelling; environmental sustainability; materials

9 UKERC Energy 2050 Project Addressed key issues for long-term energy policy: pathways to a low carbon energy system, technology acceleration energy security and resilience, lifestyle and consumption, socio-environmental sensitivities, global energy markets, de-centralised energy systems Also, a social engineering role for UKERC taking stock mid-way point in Phase I defined problems which can be addressed only by collaboration across the Centre created dependencies between different parts of the Centre

10 Energy 2050: Overall messages Achieving a resilient & low-carbon energy system in the UK is technically and economically feasible There are multiple possible pathways A key trade-off is the speed of reduction in energy demand versus the decarbonisation of energy supply. Demand reduction brings multiple benefits, insuring against: The possible failure of key technologies to deliver Public resistance to supply side technologies Price shocks and import dependence Efficiency and conservation are the least cost means of driving down demand, and are key to rapid initial progress Accelerated innovation can play a key role, in longer term

11 Energy 2050: the pluses Saw the UK energy system as complex sociotechnical whole: Changing one part of the system likely to have consequences elsewhere energy systems research must reflect these interdependencies, or it is likely to mislead Policy targets imply a fundamental remaking of the system, but no single optimal pathway to respond to the challenge scenarios illustrate possible pathways and key trade-offs, under explicit assumptions Policy is ultimately a matter of deliberation and priority-setting energy systems research can support this process by providing best available research evidence

12 Energy 2050 some weaknesses Modelling-centric Scenarios constructed as a series of modelling inputs and outputs Modelling can easily become a dominant way of engaging Some models can become dominant over others need for careful attention to the ways that disciplines engage with one another A still incomplete whole system perspective Neglect of more radical technologies and behaviours storage technologies, smart grids, decentralisation Insufficient attention to wider socio-environmental issues (consumption-based accounting, whole lifetime / lifecycle impacts) and investment risk, technology risk, homeowners decision-making, etc. etc. provided a refreshed research agenda for UKERC Phase II

13 m (2010 price) UKERC II, Late-2000s / early 2010s: Urgency and Accelerated Change From 2008: envisaged rate of energy system change accelerated UK is a dramatic case of stopstart energy research efforts Expanded RD&D programmes, bigger role for private sector legacy of institutional fragmentation and weak coordination RD&D spend - UK Other cross-cutting techs/research Other power and storage technologies Hydrogen and fuel cells Nuclear Resewable energy sources Fossil fuels 0 Energy efficiency BUT also, fiscal austerity, emphasis on cost reduction and return to growth

14 UKERC II ( ) aims How can ambitious energy policy goals can be delivered? Phase I: what are the options for the energy system in 2050? Phase II: how can we manage the transition, given a deeply uncertain world which won t develop along smooth trajectories? More explicitly international in outlook Bigger contribution from social and environmental sciences Emphasis on the 2030s bridging between 2020 and 2050 Where do the lock-ins / lock-outs start appearing? A new funding model: Core + Fund research programme design

15 what we didn t foresee turbulence along the way Internationally: Global credit crunch, Euro crisis Failure to establish a post-kyoto deal Inexorable rise of fossil fuels and unconventional fuels In the UK: Banking crisis, slow economic recovery, low capital availability A rowing-back of UK international leadership ambitions? Problems deploying big tech (CCS, nuclear power) Different public policy and corporate strategy versions of the future less confidence about following a predefined pathway and greater chances of policy failure?

16 UKERC Click to II add Structure title Professor John Loughhead, Executive Director Advisory Board Supervisory Board Jim Watson, Research Director Capacity Building Research Committee Research Co-ordination Research Themes Research Atlas Meeting Place Studentships International Summer School Communications Website Energy Demand Energy Systems Energy Supply Energy & Environment Technology & Policy Assessment International Engagement Sparks National Energy Research Network Knowledge Transfer Network Energy Generation & Supply Networking Internal/external communications

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18 UKERC II Research Projects Business Models for Households Industrial energy modelling Disaggregated Demand Scenarios Transport Carbon Modelling Energy use in Transport UK Biomass Resources Low Carbon Jobs Local and Community Governance Surface Transport Energy Use in Industry Offshore Wind Global Biomass Resources Materials Availability Sociology of Demand Demand Technology & Policy Assessment Electricity Costing Methods Grassroots Action and Governance Peak Oil Energy Use in Buildings Ecosystem Service Impacts, Offshore Global Ecosystem Services and UK energy gen News Media and the Public Environment Smart Metering and DSM Ecosystem Service Impacts, Onshore Supply Global Ecosystem Services and UK transport Public Values, Attitudes and Acceptability UK Carbon & Ecological Footprint Renewable Heat Systems Market Design and Regulation Gas and Electricity Networks Modelling Oil & Gas Resources Spatial Aspects of Bioenergy Development in the UK UK Smart Grid Scenarios Thermal Storage and System Change Global System Modelling UK System Modelling Real Options and UK energy futures Intermittent Generation Carbon Capture and Storage: Uncertainties and Pathways Whole System Risk Assessment Energy Security and International Governance

19 A flexible research fund: pros and cons Research Fund: A valuable source of flexibility and responsiveness in fast-changing times introducing new skills/disciplines, especially social and environmental disciplines A trade-off between flexibility/diversity and integration/ coherence? A diverse set of projects and researchers, with new projects / researchers / disciplines introduced in each funding round Tensions as well as synergies between different disciplines Different values, approaches, methods not always easy to combine For researchers, a trade-off between disciplinary & cross-disciplinary work? Priority on disciplinary outputs in lead-up to REF deadline

20 UKERC II: Integration and Synthesis Two whole system flagship projects Energy Strategy under Uncertainties UK Energy in a Global Context Theme synthesis projects in Energy and Environment, Demand and Supply themes Looking across projects to develop an overall review of research findings, and / or drawing out links between particular projects. In the Systems theme, a project taking a reflexive look at the development and use of energy system scenarios A review of interdisciplinary research achievements in Phase II UKERC

21 Interdisciplinary Energy Research: reflections policy- and socially-relevant research should reflect the changing world around it The organisation of energy systems and energy research has been transformed in my lifetime Institutions, authority and expertise now more dispersed and diverse this is necessary and inevitable, but also challenging There is a key role for whole system interdisciplinary research, to reflect the socio-environmental-technical aspects and interactions Some of us have a personal orientation to interdisciplinarity and an disinclination to disciplinary abstraction [energy] cuts across levels and categories so that no one [research] discipline, oriented to its own methods and ideals of explanation, can capture the complexity... [disciplines] abstract those aspects of [a problem] that fit their moulds. (Rip and Kemp, 1998) disciplinary

22 Interdisciplinary Energy Research Interdisciplinarity can be treacherous for academics Reinforced recently by REF, despite Res Council support Very few of us can ever become trans-disciplinary it s important to maintain a home disciplinary outlook, and level of expertise Research disciplines are an important foundation for good research, and research / academic careers Know your home institution and what counts as good, promotable research the Research Councils and universities may see things differently It requires extra effort, time and resources if it comes easily, you re probably not doing it correctly! But there is a strong impetus to interdisciplinary (energy) research New research insights: e.g. economic-environment systems modelling, socio-technical transport modelling Old, established supply-demand and technical-social divides are crumbling, and the world needs those who can move across the barricades

23 Thank You