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Purpose: The paper examines the approach of United Kingdom (UK) Trade Unions to the use of institutional power resources (IPR) in the second half of the twentieth century. Design/methodology/approach: Using secondary material, it examines the unions' approach to IPR in three cases; collective bargaining; worker representation and trade union structure. Findings: The paper concludes that unions did not appreciate the importance of, and lacked a strategic approach to, IPR. Although employer and government action were largely responsible for the decline of industrial relations institutions, the failure of the unions to engage with IPR contributed to this process. It explains the failure of the unions to engage with IPR by reference to their lack of strategic capabilities and skills in relation to power resources (PRs) in general and IPR in particular. Research limitations/implications: It would have been interesting to collect primary data via interviews with union actors from the period examined to test the interpretation of secondary data contained in the article. Practical implications: The paper has identified the kind of strategic decision-making which is necessary for unions to engage effectively with IPR. It is has also indicated the key skills which unions need to develop to be able to manage their engagement with IPR. Social implications: The paper has implications for the role of trade unions in society, showing the need for them to develop narratives to convince society of the importance of their role and action and to develop the skills which enable them to connect with other social groups, e.g. intermediation, engagement with coalitional resources. Originality/value: Analysis of the decline of industrial relations institutions in this period has emphasized the role of employers and the state. This paper contributes to a more balanced perspective on this decline by drawing attention to the lack of a union strategy towards IPR and the importance of the detail of the management and employment of power resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear power is the ulitimate polariser of the energy debate. Greens generally hate it. Most engineers love it. And successive British governments have blown hot and cold since the 1960s. What's different this time is that economists, financiers and energy security hawks are coming round to the case for a nuclear renaissance. The sea change that has occurred in just a few short years is nothing short of extraordinary. No question, concerns over energy security, the rising cost of fossil fuels and high-profile hand-wringing about climate change have put nuclear power firmly back on the agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the penetration of renewable energy sources into a power system increases, the significance of precise short-term forecasts for wind power generation becomes paramount. However, the erratic and non-periodic nature of wind poses challenges in accurately predicting the output. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into forecasting wind power generation for the following day, using three machine learning models: long short-term memory (LSTM), convolutional neural network-bidirectional LSTM (CNN-biLSTM), and light gradient boosting machine (LGBM). In addition, this paper proposes a method to improve the prediction performance of LGBM by separating data according to the distribution of features, and training and testing each separated dataset with a distinct model. This study includes a comparative analysis of the performance of the proposed models in predicting wind turbine output, offering valuable insights into their respective efficiencies. The results of this investigation were analyzed for two geographically distinct wind farms (Korea and the UK). The findings of this study are expected to facilitate the selection of efficient prediction models within the forecast accuracy auxiliary service market and assist grid operators in ensuring reliable power supply for the grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater energy efficiency and a secure, low carbon energy mix for the long-term are at the heart of the UK government's Energy White Paper which was published in May 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is one type of clean energy resource, and currently the IMO, EU and UK are targeting net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This paper delves into the integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into hybrid vessels in order to meet their strategies and targets. The technical challenges that come with designing such systems as well as their economic and environmental impacts are examined. By optimizing the usage of harnessed solar energy, we discover the operational strategy that provides maximal benefits through day-to-day savings as well as over the 25 year lifespan of solar panels. It demonstrates impressive economic viability, with cost savings of up to GBP 4.55 per day and a payoff period as short as 9 years. It also displays a modest emission reduction of up to 8.002 kg of CO2, which serves as proof for a pathway to greener practices in the maritime industry. This report highlights the operational flexibility that a hybrid vessel possesses once paired with a PV system through the ability to withstand regulatory and market changes. Also, when looking ahead, further adoption of PV technology creates opportunities for innovation in adopting renewable energy solutions in maritime transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the United Kingdom reduces its CO2 emissions in order to meet its 2050 net zero greenhouse gas targets, there will be a significant evolution of the UK's energy mix. The reliance on hydrocarbons will decrease while there is predicted to be an increase in low carbon energy sources such as renewables and nuclear. In order to decarbonise and achieve the net zero emissions targets while concurrently producing enough energy to provide for national energy needs, large‐scale, low carbon energy generation projects need to be developed alongside energy storage facilities to provide flexibility within a low carbon energy supply. Robust CCUS programmes will need be developed in order to capture and store unavoidable carbon dioxide emissions. The subsurface geology of the UK provides opportunities for the development of low carbon energy generation, energy storage and CCS, and the Upper Permian Zechstein Supergroup deposited in eastern England and offshore in the Southern North Sea is a potential host for these new developments. In NE England, salt cavern gas storage sites have been developed in thick Zechstein evaporites since the mid 20th centrury. In this paper we present new isopach maps and well correlation panels which will help to outline optimal locations for the development of additional salt caverns for gas storage. A review of the Zechstein Supergroup indicates that it does not exhibit great potential for the development of CCS, due both to its complex reservoir characteristics and to difficulties with both subsurface imaging and monitoring. However thick Zechstein evaporites could provide an excellent seal for CO2 storage in the underlying Lower Permian Rotliegend Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused fluctuations in electricity demand, altering people's lifestyles and electricity usage patterns, thereby affecting the accuracy of demand predictions. However, existing studies on electricity forecasting have not adequately considered the incorporation of COVID-19-related features and the analysis of electricity usage characteristics across different regions of the UK. Therefore, this paper, based on data of the UK's national electricity demand, conducts an analysis around the scenario of a large-scale health emergency in society. We explore the changing patterns and regional characteristics of electricity consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing the forecast results before and during the pandemic to illustrate its impact on the UK's electricity demand. By introducing COVID-19-related features into the models, we compare the forecast results before and after their inclusion. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a certain impact on the electricity prediction in the UK, leading to a 22.8% decrease in prediction accuracy. However, the models' correlation improved with the inclusion of COVID-19-related features, resulting in a 13.2% enhancement in prediction accuracy compared to the previous models. Additionally, the study summarizes other factors influencing electricity demand, such as power imports/exports and clean energy usage, as considerations for electricity distribution planning. This contributes to improving the accuracy of predicting the UK's electricity demand during COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the government to adjust power dispatching plans reasonably based on relevant factors, achieving rational distribution and efficient scheduling of power resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now no doubt that current global production-consumption-disposal systems are threatening the fundamental conditions of existence on this planet. In response, the pressing need for total system transformation has gained civic and political traction, feeding into long-standing debates and interventions that are aimed at recalibrating prevailing economic and social practices. One such debate and intervention is that of the circular economy (CE). Here, advocates argue that current linear resource and energy use systems must be reconfigured into loops of re-use, repair, refurbishment, and recycling, displacing primary production and lessening greenhouse gas emissions in the process. This agenda has potentially profound implications for aspects of daily social practices. Yet, to date, little attention has been paid (politically and in research) to how the CE does and will interact with everyday habits, norms, and meanings. In response, this paper explores some of the conceptual assumptions underlying the CE 'consumer'. It argues that mainstream CE debates are underscored by an impoverished view of our relationships with complex material cultures, which in turn is creating barriers to transformation. Drawing on empirical research into responses to the CE in the UK and the Netherlands, this paper contrasts the challenges of inciting consumers to take up new, resource-efficient business models in contexts of hyper-consumerism, with a more hopeful 'small story' of overt, small-scale circular spaces, that nevertheless embed the CE and its underlying impetuses more clearly into the everyday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased use of distributed energy resources, especially electrical energy storage systems (EESS), has led to greater flexibility and complexity in power grids, which has led to new challenges in the operation of these systems, with particular emphasis on frequency regulation. To this end, the transmission system operator in Great Britain has designed a control scheme known as Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) that is especially attractive for its implementation in EESS. This paper proposes a Type-2 fuzzy control system that enables the provision of EFR service from a battery energy storage system in order to improve the state-of-charge (SoC) management while providing EFR service from operating scenarios during working and off-duty days. The performance of the proposed controller is compared with a conventional FLC and PID controllers with similar features. The results showed that in all scenarios, but especially under large frequency deviations, the proposed controller presents a better SoC management in comparison without neglecting the EFR service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy resources of the economies play a critical role in reaching the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets. In this respect, research and development budgets for nuclear energy (NRD), which constitutes one‐fifth of the current energy resources in the United Kingdom, can be a step in the transition to a low‐carbon economy. However, the current literature neglects the impact of NRD on environmental quality for the United Kingdom. Thus, this paper explores the impact of NRD on CO2 in the United Kingdom by controlling income, trade openness, and financial development from 1974 to 2020 with a non‐linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approach. Empirical findings confirm the asymmetrical relationship between NRD and CO2. In this context, while positive changes in NRD reduce environmental degradation, negative changes in NRD hinder environmental sustainability. Another finding is that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is valid. Furthermore, the results show that while economic growth and trade openness reduce environmental quality, financial development contributes to environmental quality. Considering these findings, financial deepening activities should continue in the United Kingdom. More resources should be allocated to nuclear energy research and development budgets in the transition to a low‐carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK government finally unveiled its energy white paper in May, but after all the waiting it poses more questions than it supplies answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to explore the increasing role of financialisation on investment decisions in the power generation industry in Great Britain (GB). Such decisions affect society, and the relative role of financialisation in these macro-levels decisions has not been explored from a historical perspective.Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on historical material and interview data. Specifically, we use an approach inspired by institutional sociology drawing on elements of Scott’s (2014) pillars of institutions. Applying concepts stemming from regulative and normative pressures, we explore changes in investments over the analysis period to determine forces which institutionalised practices – such as accounting – into investment in power generation.Findings Investments in electricity generation have different levels of public and private participation. However, the common logics that underpin such investment practices provide an important understanding of political-economics and institutional change in the UK. Thus, the heightened use of accounting in investment has been, to some extent, a contributory factor to the power supply problems now faced by the British public.Originality/value This paper contributes to prior literature on the effects of financialisation on society, adding power generation/energy supply to the many societal level issues already explored. It also provides brief but unique insights into the changing nature of the role of accounting in an industry sector over an extended timeframe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role that Fairtrade towns and cities can play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the largest consumers of resources, cities have a crucial role to play in the transition towards sustainable development, both within and outside their geographical boundaries. In the UK, towns and cities have driven the expansion of the Fair Trade movement through the 'Fairtrade Town' campaign, but an exploration of the relationship with sustainable development is currently missing. By applying power analysis we investigate campaign material produced by the Fairtrade Foundation and the experience of local campaigners. Our findings suggest that Fairtrade Towns operate as campaign spaces for sustainable development, challenging multiple forms of power and mobilizing resources on interrelated levels. Providing a framework to foster social equity on a glocal level, Fairtrade Towns hold the potential to contribute to multiple SDGs, representing a systemic approach to sustainable communities and cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On June 12th 2019, in the middle of the UK Conservative party's leadership contest, journalist Marie le Conte tweeted 'so this is my first proper leadership contest as an actual Westminster person and honestly it's such a hoot...huge fan of the drama'. This tweet is exemplary of a wider phenomenon. Politics is the activity through which power and resources are allocated across society – who gets what, when and how. Politics, and what it does to all of our lives, is consequential. Yet, despite this, many of those who pay the most attention to politics do so from the position of a fan, engaging with it in the way that others engage with entertainment forms like sport and television shows. Previous studies have paid attention to the fandoms and anti-fandoms that develop around individual politicians and movements – in other words, they maintain a focus on the behaviours and actions of these fans of politics. By contrast, in this paper we explore the construction of politics itself as an object of fandom, asking what happens to politics when it is treated in this way. The activity of politics can be socially constructed by humans to serve some purpose. Thus, who does the constructing and how they do this, affects what it becomes. Our claim is that constructing politics as an object of fandom (i.e. constructing it as 'the drama') affects politics itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovering waste heat from urban infrastructures is becoming increasingly important as the UK strives to decarbonise heat, which remains one of the main challenges in the transition towards net zero. The Bunhill Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) System represents a first of its kind scheme that will recover waste energy from a ventilation shaft of the London Underground (LU) transport network. The system is based upon the installation of a heat recovery heat exchanger that consists of cooling coils and a reversible fan. The coils are connected to a heat pump that supplies low-carbon thermal energy to the Bunhill Heat Network in Central London. One particularly important aspect of the Bunhill WHR system is its ability to operate in a way that not only provides heating to the local heat network, but can also simultaneously supply cooled air to the LU tunnels depending on the operation of the reversible fan. The current paper estimates the potential cooling benefit that could be achieved with the WHR system based upon the development of a mathematical model. The model is able to predict the condition of the coil surface according to air inlet parameters, and this is used to calculate the latent and sensible cooling loads, which are applied to simulate how the system affects the local tunnel environment, with peak temperature reductions of up to 7.2 K being estimated for adjacent stations in 2030. The results from the investigation are presented together with recommendations for further development and future deployment of heat recovery from metro systems, as this technology could be applied across London and elsewhere to deliver significant carbon and cost savings while improving the thermal environment of railway tunnels. Practical Application: This work investigates the cooling potential behind a practical project that involves recovering waste heat from the LU network. As electrification leads to an increased deployment of heat pump and district heating systems, waste heat could become a valuable resource for maximising energy efficiency, even more so when additional cooling benefits can be achieved. This paper aims to explore the impacts of cooling on railway tunnels, emphasising how secondary benefits, which are many times overlooked, could be critical to making waste heat recovery economically feasible, maximising its potential as a key technology for decarbonising heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article replies to the comments made by Ian Jones on the article "Distortions in Electricity Pricing in the UK." Jones raised a number of points, most of which the authors believe are tangential to the central argument of their 1983 paper. The article suggests that the issues involved are of considerable importance for electricity pricing policy. The authors emphasized that their paper focused on whether the Bulk Supply Tariff is being constructed in a consistent way, given the Central Electricity Generating Board's own declared policy of long-run marginal cost pricing.

With the growing number of students in higher education, the student housing market has been becoming increasingly competitive and diversified. This intensification has led housing providers to supply all‐inclusive energy packages (i.e., the inclusion of electricity, gas, and water in the rent cost) to their tenants as a selling point. By connecting the geographies of students and energy, this paper aims to assess the magnitude of all‐inclusive energy packages and its effects on students' residential choices. Based on an online survey distributed to students at Loughborough University (UK), the paper shows that 80% of housing occupied by students is energy‐inclusive. These rental commodities are strongly considered by students, particularly new university entrants, in their housing choices, 70% of whom considered all‐inclusive rent to be an important factor in their residential choice. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that all‐inclusive energy packages are extensively provided throughout the student housing market: from the low‐energy efficient houses in multiple occupancy to the newly developed purpose‐built student accommodation. Finally, the paper underpins how providing energy‐inclusive rent tends to produce energy inequities by shielding some students from being in fuel poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper engages with the progressive politics of climate change and resource constraint developed by the Transition ‘movement’ which looks to develop a positive local politics of the transition to a low carbon economy and society. At the heart of this politics is a vision of economic localisation rooted in a geographical imaginary of market towns with agricultural hinterlands. Consequently, the question of how the Transition model can be applied in urban settings has not been clear, leading to the implicit assumption that urban Transition initiatives are more complex and difficult. In contrast, this paper argues that the plasticity of Transition politics means that, in some cases, an urban context might be more productive for the development of Transition initiatives because it allows for a greater diversity of political action as well as providing a density of networks and resources that can be critical for the survival of grassroots interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Residential electricity consumption forecasting plays a crucial role in the rational allocation of resources reducing energy waste and enhancing the grid-connected operation of power systems. Probabilistic forecasting can provide more comprehensive information for the decision-making and dispatching process by quantifying the uncertainty of electricity load. In this study, we propose a method based on stationary wavelet transform (SWT), quantile regression (QR), Bidirectional nested long short-term memory (BiNLSTM), and Depthwise separable convolution (DSC) combined with attention mechanism for electricity consumption probability prediction methods. First, the data sequence is decomposed using SWT to reduce the complexity of the sequence; then, the combined neural network model with attention is used to obtain the prediction values under different quantile conditions. Finally, the probability density curve of electricity consumption is obtained by combining kernel density estimation (KDE). The model was tested using historical demand-side data from five UK households to achieve energy consumption predictions 5 min in advance. It is demonstrated that the model can achieve both reliable probabilistic prediction and accurate deterministic prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy has become popular compared with traditional energy like coal. The relative demand for renewable energy compared to traditional energy is an important index to determine the energy supply structure. Forecasting the relative demand index has become quite essential. Data mining methods like decision trees are quite effective in such time series forecasting, but theory behind them is rarely discussed in research. In this paper, some theories are explored about decision trees including the behavior of bias, variance, and squared prediction error using trees and the prediction interval analysis. After that, real UK grid data are used in interval forecasting application. In the renewable energy ratio forecasting application, the ratio of renewable energy supply over that of traditional energy can be dynamically forecasted with an interval coverage accuracy higher than 80% and a small width around 22, which is similar to its standard deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the critical leadership actions that support collaborative public service innovations, drawing on evidence from UK local government led partnerships. It concludes that success is more likely if leaders help the partnership to: build mutual trust; agree clear, well thought through, politically supported ambitions; invest time, resources and energy; galvanize managers and staff; make a long term commitment to achieving the objectives, learning, adapting and growing innovations together. Public sector managers can use the leadership actions highlighted in this paper to reflect on what more they might do to increase the likelihood that their innovative collaborations will succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Location of the static VAR compensator (SVC) and other types of shunt compensation devices is important for the enhancement of the voltage stability for practical power systems. With the theory of the normal forms of diffeomorphism, this paper proposes a new method to solve this problem. The proposed method makes use of the nonlinear participation factors, in which the nonlinearity of power systems can be taken into consideration. As a result, the most suitable location where the SVC should be used in power system can be determined, even for the cases in which the system is characterized with strong nonlinearity. In order to show the effectiveness of the proposed method, the New England 39-bus power system with SVC is used as an example. Calculation results show that with the SVC located at the place where the proposed method determined, the voltage stability is considerably enhanced. The steady-state voltage stability index and the time domain simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research paper which emphasises that sustainable development means reconciling an aspiration, human wellbeing. The study argues that Great Britain government's approach to this is preventing further increases in unsustainable resource use. The study also argues that sustainability understood as eco-efficiency is impossible. The paper concentrates on domestic energy use. It is suggested that to make any changes, one has to accept the changes politically. The article states that the social and psychological meaning of energy consumption should be understood. Getting more quality of life with less energy services is a way to improve the overall ratio of quality of life to environmental damage, according to the article.

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The UK Government is committed to providing 10% of the country's electricity supplies from renewable energy sources by the year 2010, and has set a target of 20% by 2020. The steps by which these goals could be achieved will clarify their planning implications and hence prospect of being realised. Hydroelectric power brought electricity to many world communities for the first time and some still depend heavily upon it. Most others, like those in the UK, long ago had to look elsewhere for supplies as demand outstripped the potential of this source. The World Bank is now exploring the prospects for adding significantly to the capacity of hydroelectric power in countries with unexploited resources. Renewed interest in hydroelectric power comes as a direct result of international concern about the effects on the environment of burning fossil fuels. However, not all hydroelectric projects have been blemish free. The purpose of this paper is to review this aspect of the hydroelectric industry as it relates to upland run-of-river projects-the aim being to establish how governments can best look to this form of hydroelectric power to meet some part of their renewable energy targets. The ever more stringent and strongly precautionary approach to new projects of all types being taken by the regulatory bodies is significant in this respect. It is concluded that the commonly-voiced message that the development potential of hydroelectric power in the UK is exhausted merits careful re-examination in view of the fact that historic schemes were intended for a variety of purposes, not all of which are pertinent to current requirements. In particular, just as changing circumstances have encouraged the growth of the `no-storage' windpower industry, so too has hydroelectric power moved from a dependence on reservoirs to the `take-it-as-you-find-it' run-of-river solution. The present political will for economic solutions to the growing international energy dilemma is also a new factor, upland run-of-river schemes often providing viable solutions for electricity production when assessed against all criteria. This paper focuses on the environmental issues that are likely to arise when assessing this type of project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After endless consultation and lobbying by industry, consumer groups and learned societies, the Great Britain government introduced its Energy White Paper.The policy document was met with various degrees of dismay from most sectors of the electricity supply industry. They include targets of 10 per cent renewables capacity by 2010, with a hope of 20 per cent by 2020. These were set some time ago. As a policy document the White Paper lacks substance.Energy efficiency in the Great Britain will not be improved through such weak measures as asking electricity and gas suppliers to encourage domestic investment in cavity wall insulation and better fridges.For all the good intentions of the White Paper it will be gas-fired plant, using imported fuel, that will power the country economy over the next 20 years.

The design of electricity markets determines the technologies, services and modes of operation that can access value, consequently shaping current and future electricity landscapes. This paper highlights that the efficacy of Great Britain's electricity market design in facilitating net zero is inadequate and must be reconfigured. The rules of the current electricity market design are remnants of an electricity sector dominated by large-scale, centralised, fossil fuel technologies. Therefore, routes to market for the provision of necessary services to support net zero, not least flexibility, are largely inaccessible for distributed energy resources and, despite their benefits to the system, are thus undervalued. Based upon a review and consolidation of 30 proposed electricity market designs from liberalised electricity sectors, this paper proposes a new electricity market design for Great Britain. This design is presented alongside a new institutional framework to aid in the efficient operation of the market. Specifically, this paper proposes a new local balancing and coordinating market located at each grid supply point (the transmission and distribution interface). This is realised through the implementation of a distributed locational marginal pricing structure which is governed by the evolution of the current distributed network operator, known as the distributed service provider (DSP). The DSP also operates a local balancing and ancillary market for their geographical area. The wholesale market is reconfigured to coordinate with these new local markets and to harmonise the actors across the distribution and transmission network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the UK has implemented a number of reforms to permitting processes to support the emerging marine renewable energy industry, research into the effectiveness of such reforms has been limited. The present paper presents a preliminary assessment of two key aspects of the UK's regulatory framework: the seabed leasing process and the permitting process. In particular, the Crown Estate seabed leasing process and Scotland's 'one-stop shop' for permitting are discussed. Some concluding thoughts are given regarding the efficacy of these processes, laying the foundation for further research and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is significant potential for improving the energy efficiency of the UK's public building stock. This will require, however, significant financial investment by local and national government, which in the current economic climate is very difficult. One way to reduce the energy consumption of public buildings without direct up-front financing is by way of an energy saving partnership (ESP), two examples of which are outlined and compared here: the Berlin Energy Saving Partnership and the London Re:fit programme. Based on these examples and on discussions with UK building retrofit specialists, this paper analyses drivers and barriers for the potential of ESPs in the UK. It emphasises that in order to minimise or prevent potential financial obstacles, strong support, and not just financial support, from local government is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talks about exergy analysis of the energy system in Great Britain. Sectors of the Great Britain energy system; Thermodynamic performance of combined heat and power plant.

Making a low carbon economic future for the UK has been declared a key priority by both the previous Labour government and also the current coalition government. Yet there is a large gap between the symbolic representations of a low carbon future and their material manifestations in low carbon technologies and infrastructure in particular places. This paper addresses this gap through focusing on the organisation of urban low carbon transition activity. There is often significant capacity to act in reconfiguring urban energy systems that remains latent due to a missing organisational context for its co-ordination according to a mutually defined rationale or vision. This paper develops a conceptual framework to demonstrate and understand different modes of urban energy intermediation. Examples are used of intermediary organisation in London and Manchester to understand the strengths and partiality of each mode of intermediation and the necessity to integrate these different aspects of urban intermediary governance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The UK has a large marine renewable energy resource and has been developing a range of wave and tidal technologies for exploiting it. However, progress on moving to the commercial scale has been slow, in part, it is argued, as a result of the way this area of innovation has been supported by the government. This paper looks at the technologies and how they are being developed in the UK and elsewhere. It notes that, although the UK is still in the lead in terms of novel device development, unless better support is provided, the UK might lose out to device developers from other countries in the race to capture the very large global market that is opening up for the relevant technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years British Energy, in collaboration with British Nuclear Group, has developed an extensive suite of computer codes for modelling the ultrasonic inspection of smooth and rough planar defects in ferritic steel components. The models are used to help in the design of new inspections, and to provide evidence on detection capability when writing a technical justification for inspection qualification purposes. This paper provides an update on the current status of these models, including their experimental validation. It also briefly describes some recent developments in modelling the scattering from rough defects, allowing for the effects of fine-scale roughness, and in modelling the inspection of surface-breaking cracks using the corner effect. In both cases, experimental validation plays an important role. A recent application of the models, in the technical justification of an automated ultrasonic in-service inspection of a pressuriser weld at Sizewell B Power Station, is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the politics and the policy developments regarding access to electricity and water supply in Britain after the privatisation of these industries in 1990. It does this primarily through discussing two issues: paying for water and fuel poverty. It concludes that, somewhat surprisingly, the introduction of privatisation and greater reliance on market mechanisms has not made the material position of disadvantaged consumers worse as regards these industries. This seems to be attributable partly to changes in the regulatory structure consequent on privatisation and partly due to changes in national politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the future of Great Britain's electricity supply. Information on the Energy White Paper published by the government in February 2003; Actions taken by the government to introduce renewable electricity generation technology; Observation on the demand for electricity.

In recent years, renewable energy – and in particular wind power – has come to the fore of both international and UK national environmental policy debates. In addition to helping to meet its Kyoto obligations, the British Government has indicated its desire for a much larger slice of the international wind energy market, and has consequently developed a national strategy to stimulate a more vibrant UK wind energy industry. With this in mind, the British Government's Climate Change Programme (DETR, 2000) and more recent Energy White Paper (DTI, 2003) outline the UK energy strategy for the coming two decades, with wind power featuring as a core component. This article critically considers the prospects for the development of a wind energy industry in the UK and introduces five strategic opportunities and five strategic barriers in this evolving segment of the energy market. The article concludes with recommendations to enhance public acceptance of wind energy and four important areas for future research are outlined. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their obvious limitations as explanatory concepts, 'technological autonomy' and 'determinism' have often been associated with nuclear power. This paper reviews the persistency of notions of 'autonomy' and 'determinism' in the context of the British nuclear power programme. In the corporatist and technocratic setting of the nationalized British Electricity Supply Industry (ESl), the perceived imperatives of nuclear power technology were often allowed priority in policymaking, to the extent that an appearance of the technology's autonomy and determinism was maintained for 30 years. This had its conveniences: technical rationales disguised more contestable institutional and political interests supporting the programme. At the same time, senior politicians and scientists at times displayed a faith in the technology approximating a belief in its autonomy and deterministic power, particularly during geopolitical or industrial crises. ESl privatization was associated with the marginalization of nuclear power in Britain. Once the Government's wider mission to liberalize electricity supply was threatened by unanticipated disclosures regarding the cost of nuclear electricity, it proved willing to abandon its longstanding support for the technology. As institutional and political support for the nuclear programme was removed, the fallacy of its supposed autonomy was exposed. Whilst Langdon Winner accurately identified the preconditions necessary for the introduction of inherently political technologies such as nuclear power, in reality these were ever-present requirements, however hidden by the apparent power of the technology itself. Nevertheless, the persistence of notions of autonomy and determinism reflects a significant aspect of the sociotechnical relations of nuclear power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for electricity has been rising significantly over the past years and it is expected to rise further in the coming years due to economic and societal development. Smart grid technology is being developed in order to meet the rising electricity requirement. In order for the smart grid to perform its full functions, the Energy Management Systems (EMSs), especially Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) are essential. It is necessary to understand the energy demand of the loads and the energy supply either from the national grid or from renewable energy technologies. To facilitate the Demand Side Management (DSM), Heat Pumps (HP) and air conditioning systems are often utilised for heating and cooling in residential houses due to their high-efficiency power output and low CO2 emissions. This paper presents a program for a HEMS using a Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm. A HP is used as the load and the aim of the optimisation program is to minimise the operational cost, i.e., the cost of electricity, while maintaining end-user comfort levels. This paper also details an indoor thermal model for temperature update in the heat pump control program. Real measured data from the UK Government's Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme was utilised to generate characteristic curves and equations that can represent the data. This paper compares different PSO variants with standard PSO and the unscheduled case calculated from the data for five winter days in 2019. Among all chosen algorithms, the Crossover Subswarm PSO (CSPSO) achieved an average saving of 25.61% compared with the cost calculated from the measured data with a short search time of 1576 ms for each subswarm. It is clear from this work that there is significant scope to reduce the cost of operating a HP while maintaining end user comfort levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the British view regarding safety issues in nuclear power plants, based from the paper presented to the Norwegian Atomic Energy Society. According to the author, all activities involve some risk of harm to people either through direct participation or indirectly. However, it is hoped that the risks will be minimized and more than compensated for by attendant advantages. Thus, minimum performance requirements for a large range of plant used may be able to reduce accident frequencies to levels below a pre-set target. Moreover, the British Atomic Energy Authority is sponsoring and developing techniques for the better understanding of reactor accidents and their consequences.

ABSTRACT This paper presents the findings of a post-auditing study which compares the actual and predicted socio-economic impacts (including traffic) of a major power station construction project in the UK. An attempt is made to determine the accuracy of the predictions presented at the public inquiry into the development, drawing on the results of a developer-funded monitoring exercise undertaken for the duration of the eight-year construction programme. The study found that a very high proportion of testable predictions prepared prior to the inquiry could be audited; of these, 60% were either within predicted ranges or accurate to within 20% of predicted values. However, one in seven predictions had errors of more than 50%. The study revealed no consistent bias towards either under- or over-estimation of impacts. The paper explores the reasons for the predictive errors identified in the study; these include a range of project-specific and more generic factors, several of which are likely to be applicable to other large-scale construction projects. The study is particularly useful in the field of EIA because it relates to several weak areas in current practice: the assessment of socio-economic impacts, construction effects, and monitoring and auditing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing consensus that the distribution system operator (DSO) role is changing, given the implications of net zero. The transition process requires additional roles for the DSO in facilitating the new technologies and business models that will contribute to decarbonization. Although discussions on the active DSO abound, a working definition is still missing. This paper proposes a working definition and a methodology for measuring the extent to which a DSO is active. The methodology will be applied to electricity and natural gas DSOs in the UK, and the challenges will be presented and analyzed. • The roles of Distribution System Operators (DSOs) due to increasing penetration of variable renewable sources, additional electrification of consumption, gas decarbonization, decentralization, and energy storage. • The active DSO facilitates new processes, technologies and business models required for system decarbonization. • Measuring the extent to which the DSO is active will enable policymakers and regulators to evaluate the current and future role of DSOs. • The dimensions for measuring the active DSO are transport, heating, flexibility and Distributed Energy Resources (DER) integration, adaptive indicative planning, and innovation. • Based on limited data, the United Kingdom electricity DSOs are most active on flexibility and DER integration , while gas DSOs are most active on the decarbonization of heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]