• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close
• 2016 close
• 2020 close

Understanding and controlling the growth of mesocrystalline for novel photoactive materials. This project aims to design new functional materials by directing the assembly of light harvesting quantum dots and n-type oxide materials to produce novel photoactive materials. Surface spectroscopic techniques will be used to investigate the interaction of bifunctional ligands with oxide and sulphide/selenide materials. Molecules which are found to bind strongly between these two types of materials will then be used as linkers to build up materials composed of regular arrays of nanocrystal materials. It is envisaged that the correct choice of ligands will allow self assembled arrays to be grown with efficient charge transfer between the quantum dot and oxide nanoparticles, producing materials with potential applications in solar energy and photocatalysis. ________________________________

The project objective is to design, implement and promote a reliable, efficient and profitable system able to supply heating and hot water in buildings mainly from renewable sources. The proposed system is based in the optimal combination of solar thermal (ST) energy production, seasonal heat storage and high efficient heat pump use. Heat pumps will be improved technically in order to obtain the best performace in the special conditions of the CHESS-SETUP system. The used solar panels will be hybrid photovoltaic and solar thermal (PV-ST) panels, which is a promising solution for also producing the electricity consumed by the heat and water pumps of the heating system and part of the electricity consumed in the building. Hybrid solar panels are a key element to achieving energy self-sufficiency in buildings, especially in dense urban areas where the roof availability is one of the most limiting factors. Also will be considered the integration of other energy sources as biomass or heat waste, to make the system suitable for any climate conditions. The project will also explore the possibility to integrate the system with other electricity or cooling technologies (solar cooling, cogeneration). The system operation will be optimized according to some external factors, as electricity price or user requirements by using a smart control and management systems developed specifically for the project. This proposal will be materialized in three pilot experiences: a small-scale prototype in Lavola's headquarters (Spain), 50 new dwellings located in Corby (England) and a new sport centre located in Sant Cugat (Spain).

This is a PhD research project in mechanical engineering, more specifically in floating offshore wind turbine aerodynamics. The impact on the aerodynamic performance of the rotor as the platform moves in the wind direction will be investigated using computational fluid dynamics. The scenarios considered will be those with platform motion high enough to enter the turbine into propeller state and vortex ring state, two events that can lead to a significant reduction in the turbine's performance as a result of the turbine interacting with its own wake.

Sustainable energy production is a critical challenge faced by mankind currently and one that will persist in the coming decades. Production of electricity from sunlight is a key technology in the global search for a solution to this problem. Current photovoltaic technologies, especially silicon-based photovoltaics, are widely deployed, however concerns remain over the ability of solar to compete with traditional electricity generation in a truly free market. To this end, secondary and tertiary photovoltaic technologies at the forefront of research are focused on low-cost production methods while at the same time reaching and maintaining the high efficiencies currently on the market. One current exciting approach taken by research is that of quantum dot photovoltaics. By creating nanoparticles out of semiconductor materials, quantum effects cause the band gap to increase and shift relative to their position in the bulk material. This can be harnessed to convert a larger proportion of sunlight into electricity, and to expand the catalog of suitable photovoltaic materials. Quantum dots can be made at low cost, and their small size allows them to be used in printing technologies for low cost, large area device processing. Of paramount importance to this technology is the separation of these quantum dot nanoparticles, aggregation in close proximity causes the particles to interact in such a way as to destroy their quantum properties. To prevent this, large organic ligands are attached to the quantum dots during their synthesis. These large organic ligands are then exchanged for smaller ones during device production, and different ligands can affect the position and size of the band gaps in quantum dots. Currently, the ligands used to ensure a uniform dispersion of the quantum dots do not contribute to the performance of the photovoltaic device beyond separating the quantum dots and modifying their band gaps. In fact, we believe that the insulating layer of ligands hinders the movement of charges within the device by providing large barriers to electron tunneling between the dots, preventing the charge from leaving the device and reducing efficiency. This research aims to improve device efficiency by using ligands that provide a smaller barrier to electron tunneling. We aim to use ligands with conjugated double bonds commonly seen in plastic electronics and organic photovoltaics. This should make it easier for electrons to tunnel out of the dots, improving charge transport within the device and subsequently its efficiency. EPSRC's research area is Energy

HotMaps will develop, demonstrate and disseminate a toolbox to support public authorities, energy agencies and planners in strategic heating and cooling planning on local, regional and national levels, and in-line with EU policies. The toolbox will facilitate the following tasks on a spatially disaggregated level: (1) Mapping heating and cooling energy situation including renewable and waste heat potentials in GIS layers; (2) Model the energy system, considering hourly matching of supply and demand, demand response etc.; (3) Supporting the comprehensive assessment of efficient heating and cooling according to the Energy Efficiency Directive; (4) Comparative assessment of supply and demand options and of given scenarios until 2050 regarding e. g. CO2-emissions, costs, share of renewables. An open data set for EU-28 will be created to perform those tasks in virtually any EU region up to a 250x250m level, which will reduce barriers for authorities to heating and cooling planning. HotMaps will allow for updating

One of the major current scientific and technological challenges concerns the conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels and useful products in effective and economically viable manner. This proposal responds to the major challenge of developing low energy routes to convert carbon dioxide to fuels and useful chemicals. The project has the following four main strands: (i) The use of electricity generated by renewable technologies to reduce CO2 electrocatalytically, where we will develop new approaches involving the use of ionic liquid solvents to activate the CO2 (ii) The use of hydrogen in the catalytic reduction of CO2, where we will apply computational procedures to predict new materials for this key catalytic process and subsequently test them experimentally (iii) The development of new materials for use in the efficient solar generation of hydrogen which will provide the reductant for the catalytic CO2 reduction (iv) A detailed life cycle analysis which will assess the extent to which the new technology achieves the overall objective of developing low carbon fuels. Our approach aims, therefore, to exploit renewably generated energy directly via the electrocatalytic route or indirectly via the solar generated hydrogen in CO2 utilisation for the formation of fuels and/or chemicals. The different components of the approach will be fully integrated to achieve coherent, new low energy technologies for this key process, while the rigorous life-cycle analysis will ensure that it satisfies the need for a low energy technology.

This project fits squarely within the EPSRC's Energy theme (Solar Technologies and Materials for Energy Applications) and is overlapping with the Physical Science and manufacturing the future themes. This project will focus on the development of transparent electrodes based on nano-structured ultra-thin metal films, matched to the needs of the emerging generation of organic and perovskite photovoltaics. The project will focus particularly on chemical approaches to stabilizing these electrodes towards oxidation in air and the development of new chemical approaches to achieving large area patterning of these electrodes. The project will span electrode fabrication and characterisation (including optical modelling), as well as photovoltaic device fabrication and characterisation, and so represents a truly inter-disciplinary research training opportunity.

Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity and form an increasingly important part of the global renewable energy landscape. Today's PVs are based on conventional semiconductors which are energy-intensive to produce and restricted to rigid flat plate designs. The next generation of PVs will be based on very thin films of semiconductors that can be processed from solution at low temperature, which opens the door to exceptionally low cost manufacturing processes and new application areas not available to today's rigid flat plate PVs, particularly in the areas of transportation and buildings integration. The emerging generation of thin film PVs also offer exceptional carbon dioxide mitigation potential because they are expected to return the energy used in their fabrication within weeks of installation. However, this potential can only be achieved if the electrode that allows light into these devices is low cost and flexible, and at present no electrode technology meets both the cost constraint and technical specifications needed. This proposal seeks to address this complex and inherently interdisciplinary challenge using three new and distinct approaches based on the use of nano-structured films of metal less than 100 metal atoms in thickness. The first approach focuses on the development of a low cost, large area method for the fabrication of metal film electrodes with a dense array of holes through which light can pass unhindered. The second approach seeks to determine design rules for a new type of 'light-catching' electrode that interacts strongly with the incoming light, trapping and concentrating it at the interface with the semiconductor layer inside the device responsible for converting the light into electricity. The final approach is based on combining ultra-thin metal films with ultra-thin films of transparent semiconductor materials to achieve double layer electrodes with exceptional properties resulting from spontaneous intermixing of the two thin solid films. The UK is a global leader in the development of next generation PVs with a growing number of companies now focused on bringing them to market, and so the outputs of the proposed programme of research has strong potential to directly increase the economic competitiveness of the UK in this young sector and would help to address the now time critical challenge of climate change due to global warming.

The primary aim of the project is to quantify the influence of small-scale hydropower facilities on the movement and survival of freshwater fish of high economic and conservation concern. A secondary aim is to develop recommendations for potential mitigation options to protect fish at small-scale hydropower sites should negative effects be identified. Telemetry techniques will be used in the field to quantify the probability of passage through the turbines and associated injury rates and mortality of adult and juvenile life-stages using a combination of telemetry techniques. Second order effects, including delay and avoidance behaviour exhibited in response to acoustic and hydrodynamic conditions encountered at the hydropower facilities, will be assessed. Fine-scale controlled experiments will be conducted to further quantify fish response to acoustic and hydrodynamic conditions replicated.

The GEMex project is a complementary effort of a European consortium with a corresponding consortium from Mexico, who submitted an equivalent proposal for cooperation. The joint effort is based on three pillars: 1 – Resource assessment at two unconventional geothermal sites, for EGS development at Acoculco and for a super-hot resource near Los Humeros. This part will focus on understanding the tectonic evolution, the fracture distribution and hydrogeology of the respective region, and on predicting in-situ stresses and temperatures at depth. 2 – Reservoir characterization using techniques and approaches developed at conventional geothermal sites, including novel geophysical and geological methods to be tested and refined for their application at the two project sites: passive seismic data will be used to apply ambient noise correlation methods, and to study anisotropy by coupling surface and volume waves; newly collected electromagnetic data will be used for joint inversion with the seismic data. For the interpretation of these data, high-pressure/ high-temperature laboratory experiments will be performed to derive the parameters determined on rock samples from Mexico or equivalent materials. 3 – Concepts for Site Development: all existing and newly collected information will be applied to define drill paths, to recommend a design for well completion including suitable material selection, and to investigate optimum stimulation and operation procedures for safe and economic exploitation with control of undesired side effects. These steps will include appropriate measures and recommendations for public acceptance and outreach as well as for the monitoring and control of environmental impact. The consortium was formed from the EERA joint programme of geothermal energy in regular and long-time communication with the partners from Mexico. That way a close interaction of the two consortia is guaranteed and will continue beyond the duration of the project.