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In May 2019, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) recommended that the UK adopt a net-zero target, aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 100% from the 1990s baseline by 2050. The government accepted the recommendation, and the UK became the first major economy to establish a net-zero emissions law. To progress towards its climate objectives, the government took several initiatives, such as increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources and investing in climate mitigation technologies, which are commonly referred to as process eco-innovation. This study examines the impact of eco-innovation, process eco-innovation, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth on CO 2 emissions in the UK using data from 1988 to 2020. We used the ARDL bound test with an error correction model (ECM) to examine the long-run and short-run cointegration between the variables of concern. We found that eco-innovation, process eco-innovation, and renewable energy consumption have significant roles in mitigating CO 2 emissions, while economic growth contributes to environmental degradation in the UK. We also found that the effect of eco-innovation on CO 2 emissions abatement is stronger than that of process eco-innovation in the short and long-run. Our robustness tests have confirmed the accuracy of those findings. In addition, the results from the Toda-Yamamoto causality revealed a one-way causality from process eco-innovation to CO 2 , renewable energy to CO 2 , and eco-innovation to CO 2 emissions. Further, a bidirectional causality was found between GDP and CO 2 emissions. The evidence presented in this paper provides great insight for shaping the energy policy in the UK and for establishing the climate budget in line with the country's net-zero target., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

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]

This paper presents an extensive analysis of the UK's largest bifacial photovoltaic (PV) power plant, located in North Yorkshire. Commissioned in January 2020, this trailblazing facility, with a total installed capacity of 34.7 MW, is a benchmark for the evaluation of bifacial solar technology within the region. This pioneering study provides a thorough comparative assessment of bifacial and monofacial PV systems through a methodical investigation of their energy production, degradation rates, and spectral responses over a 4-year operational period. Our findings reveal that bifacial PV modules, distributed across four segments of the power plant, demonstrate a remarkable average power gain ranging between 15.12% and 17.31% compared with monofacial modules. Despite experiencing marginally higher annual degradation rates—1.17% for bifacial compared with 0.91% for monofacial systems—bifacial modules show superior resilience and energy yield, particularly during winter months when albedo effects are pronounced due to snow coverage. The study also highlights the strategic importance of spectral response analysis in optimizing PV performance. Bifacial modules have shown greater efficiency in capturing infrared radiation—a property that could be exploited to enhance overall energy yield under specific environmental conditions. The empirical data indicate a consistent performance of bifacial modules with an average normalized energy output clustering around the expected efficiency level. Therefore, the results of this study are pivotal for understanding the practical implications of deploying bifacial PV technology on a large scale. They provide valuable data for stakeholders in the solar energy sector, guiding future installations and innovations in solar panel technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the fundamental role of renewable energy assets in achieving global temperature control targets, new energy management methods are required to efficiently match intermittent renewable generation and demand. Based on analysing various designed cases, this paper explores a number of heuristics for a smart battery scheduling algorithm that efficiently matches available power supply and demand. The core of improvement of the proposed smart battery scheduling algorithm is exploiting future knowledge, which can be realized by current state-of-the-art forecasting techniques, to effectively store and trade energy. The performance of the developed heuristic battery scheduling algorithm using forecast data of demands, generation, and energy prices is compared to a heuristic baseline algorithm, where decisions are made solely on the current state of the battery, demand, and generation. The battery scheduling algorithms are tested using real data from two large-scale smart energy trials in the UK, in addition to various types and levels of simulated uncertainty in forecasts. The results show that when using a battery to store generated energy, on average, the newly proposed algorithm outperforms the baseline algorithm, obtaining up to 20–60% more profit for the prosumer from their energy assets, in cases where the battery is optimally sized and high-quality forecasts are available. Crucially, the proposed algorithm generates greater profit than the baseline method even with large uncertainty on the forecast, showing the robustness of the proposed solution. On average, only 2–12% of profit is lost on generation and demand uncertainty compared to perfect forecasts. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed algorithm increases as the uncertainty decreases, showing great promise for the algorithm as the quality of forecasting keeps improving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite sustained interest in spatial planning approaches for steering renewable energy development, the effect of these practices remains poorly understood. This paper addresses this knowledge deficit through comparative analysis of the effects of spatial planning approaches on wind energy deployment in Italy and the UK. Our approach elucidates the different roles that spatial planning approaches can perform using a "modes of governing" framework that, innovatively, recognizes the unavoidable compromises involved in their construction. Several distinctive findings emerge. First, governments deploy spatial planning approaches with different governance purposes, thus explaining why the effects on RE outcomes can be ambiguous. Second, many of the challenges that beset spatial planning approaches arise not from technical-methodological issues but from difficult-to-resolve governance challenges of cross-scalar coordination. Third, we show that the efficacy of spatial planning approaches in shaping RE deployment is contextual in nature, reflecting how far their inherent compromises are accepted by key actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a high-accuracy assessment of domestic demand-side management (DSM) approach in the context of distributed renewable energy sources (RES). To determine the potential of domestic DSM for households, a microgrid model of a typical UK residential estate was developed to simulate the impact of RES. The microgrid model comprises 15 UK households with appropriate allocation of washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers in accordance with the statistical data. In order to obtain a high-accuracy result, the power consumption of the microgrid model utilises real historical high-resolution data of household energy consumption and RES generation. Thereafter, 40% of distributed wind and solar energy is implemented in the model to produce two individual scenarios. The operation of the white appliances in the model is controlled using a domestic DSM based on a load shifting algorithm. The primary criterion of the DSM considered in this paper is the reduction in energy feedback to the grid in order to decrease the utilisation of the grid and to reduce the transmission losses. The results obtained from the model simulation are compared to the baseline model and discussed with respect to the possible benefits of implementation of domestic DSM under the impact of RES. It has been shown that the self-consumption ratio of the microgrid operating under the DSM is increased by 3% for both scenarios. The model analysis provides highly realistic results which can be used for efficiency assessment of various load shifting methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy transition and achieving net-zero goals were viewed as a straight road – in some quarters. Still, with the realities on the ground, energy security has emerged as another path governments must earnestly consider. The government of the United Kingdom has backed, and committed itself to achieving, a greener and clean-energy society through various policies and laws. However, the Russian–Ukraine crisis has raised a vital question of energy security for the government. This paper looks pragmatically at some issues and opportunities for the UK government. Energy security issues are not peculiar to the UK; many countries are saddled with these energy problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive solar systems are often designed primarily with efficiency in mind, and research efforts are concentrated towards gaining an increase in performance. However, due to the multiple materials used, their manufacturing processes, a lifespan that is usually shorter than that of buildings that these systems are applied to and the waste generated when they have reached the end of their useful life, a more holistic approach to the design and performance of these systems should be adopted. This paper reports on the environmental impact of a unique integrated collector–storage solar water heater design, experimentally tested under Scottish weather conditions, considering circular economy and reuse potential. As such, the material flows and components used are mapped against the life-cycle stages of existing European standards while ensuring an optimal efficiency. End-of-life considerations and design for disassembly and reuse are assessed and discussed. Energy payback times of 4·5 and 4·6 years can be realised for a circular and a linear approach, respectively. Operational carbon dioxide savings, which far outstrip the embodied carbon dioxide, demonstrate carbon dioxide payback times of just 7 months, when replacing an electric system. The results show that a holistic design, which promotes circular economy principles, does not compromise efficiency and economic viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are at a crossroads where many nation states, including the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), are committing to increased electricity production from "green energy", of which tidal stream marine renewable energy is one such resource. However, many questions remain regarding the effects of tidal energy devices on marine wildlife, including seabirds, of which the UK has internationally important numbers. Guidelines are lacking on how best to use both well-established and novel survey methods to assess seabird use of tidal flow areas, leading to a data-rich but information poor (DRIP) situation. This review provides a conceptual framework for assessing the effects of tidal stream energy devices on seabirds, summarises current knowledge and highlights knowledge gaps. Finally, recommendations are given for how best to pursue knowledge on this topic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The canonical economic literature on path dependence provides only a limited explanation of why and how new technological pathways are created initially. The motivation of this paper is to address this gap in the literature and argue that evolutionary economics theories of path dependence need to be linked with sociological explanations of how new technological pathways are created in the first instance by knowledgeable inventors and innovators. These arguments are developed by the authors in a hybrid socio-economic theory of new path creation. In this paper these theoretical arguments are illustrated empirically by a comparative analysis of the introduction and diffusion of new wind power technologies in Britain and Germany. The empirical analysis focuses on the key research question of why the introduction of these new technologies started earlier and has diffused sooner in Germany than in Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Empirical studies of community acceptance of large-scale solar farms are lacking. • We present a case study of the UK's first 'nationally significant' solar farm. • We identify 28 determinants shaping community acceptance of large-scale solar farms. • Key issues are 'green-on-green'; scale; place attachment; policy; process; justice. • We also propose a novel 'relational' understanding of community acceptance. New renewable energy infrastructure is essential to deliver net zero policies in response to climate change, but a lack of community acceptance is a potential barrier. It is therefore important to understand what shapes community acceptance and identify policy responses. This paper presents a case study of community acceptance of a large-scale solar farm in the UK, the first to be classified as 'nationally significant' infrastructure. In doing so, it provides the first empirical study of community acceptance of a large-scale solar farm in a developed country context, building on existing studies which use hypothetical approaches such as choice experiments, or surveys which measure general attitudes rather than responses to specific developments. The paper uses mixed methods (quantitative content analysis of online comments on the planning proposal; qualitative semi-structured interviews with local residents and key stakeholders; and participant observation) to identify determinants shaping community acceptance of large-scale solar farms. We discover 28 determinants which we group into eight categories: aesthetic, environmental, economic, project details, temporal, social, construction and process. We argue that these findings help to reveal broader issues underlying community acceptance of solar farms and other renewable energy infrastructure: 'green-on-green' tensions; issues of scale and place attachment; policy, process and justice. We also contribute a novel understanding of community acceptance as 'relational', by which we mean it is informed by the deployment of other energy technologies and the wider energy policy landscape, not just the specific project. We conclude with recommendations for how policymakers can respond to the issues identified by this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an application of extended goal programming in the field of offshore wind farm site selection. The strategic importance of offshore shore wind farms is outlined, drawing on the case of the United Kingdom proposed round three sites as an example. The use of multi-objective modelling methodologies for the offshore wind farm sector is reviewed. The technique of extended goal programming is outlined and its flexibility in combining different decision maker philosophies described. An extended goal programming model for site selection based on the United Kingdom future sites is then developed and a parametric analysis undertaken at the meta-objective level. The results are discussed and conclusions are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the ambitious government targets for renewable energy generation in the UK, there has been a push by government and industry towards various types and scales of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs). This paper explores the implications of commercial urban wind projects for local communities, drawing on a case study of proposals by ASDA to construct wind turbines in two semi-urban locations in the UK. The paper argues that community responses to the proposals were complex and varied and could not adequately be encapsulated by 'nimby' (not in my back yard) assignations. It concludes that while ASDA followed a process of consulting local people, this process highlighted the problems of the 'business as usual' approach to public engagement employed by ASDA, and assumptions made about public acceptance of RETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against an academic and policy backdrop of interest in (and concerns about) the issue, this paper draws on a range of academic writing in various disciplines to explore visual strategies of climate change communication. The geographic scope of the investigation is the United Kingdom, with particular attention to recognizable icons of climate change in UK media and the images used in political campaigns. The paper is in two parts. The first part concentrates on various efforts to put a 'face' on the climate change issue, while part two suggests that weather and renewable energy are the dominant alternative motifs. The paper draws a basic distinction between fear-laden representations of climate change and a variety of visual efforts to use so-called inspirational imagery. All of the images reviewed suggest an affirmative answer to the question in the title, there are multiple efforts underway to move beyond polar bears and represent climate change in more creative and meaningful ways. The bigger question addressed is one raised already by photographers as well as academics, i.e. whether documentary photography (rather than particular types of images) is the more fundamental issue. The answer in the paper is that photographs are no different from other visual images in their capacity to draw attention to messages. The challenge is to use visuals creatively, in ways that prompt positive engagement with climate change without enhancing public disengagement and fatalism. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK government is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emission levels by 80%, comparative to the 1990 baseline, by 2050. 'Nearly-zero-energy buildings' (nZEBs) were introduced by the Energy Performance Building Directive (recast) in 2010 as a realistic solution to the intrinsic environmental debt associated with most existing buildings. This paper aims to carry out a life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis to identify what is a cost-optimal level and how best to achieve this by examining and focusing on the exploration of realistically applicable energy-efficient measures and retrofit scenarios for a typical UK dwelling. A sensitivity analysis is used to identify uncertainty and provide the expected economic benefits and losses of the applied scenarios over their respective lifetimes. It was established that the total LCCs of all the retrofit scenarios were in fact lower than that of the baseline scenario (i.e. not retrofitting the property) over the 30-year study period. Furthermore, it was found that the cost-optimal level for the retrofit of a typical UK residential dwelling is 75 (kWh/m2)/year; meanwhile, the UK's current nZEB target stands at 44 (kWh/m2)/year, meaning that there is a gap between the current nZEB target and the calculated cost-optimal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about the politics, planning, and public perceptions associated with offshore wind farms. Although only half the applications for onshore wind farms are successful in England and Wales, the latest round of offshore applications have had far higher rates of consent. But is it simply the case that siting wind farms offshore solves the problems that onshore applications encounter? This paper argues that many of the same problems are experienced by both onshore and offshore wind farms, albeit in slightly different ways; and that these need to be addressed if the promised expansion in offshore wind is to be delivered. This paper draws together the research and evidence relating to onshore and offshore wind developments, exploring this with the emerging research on public perceptions of offshore wind farms, and initial empirical evidence from a proposed wind farm off the coast of North Wales. It concludes with some remarks about the potential for offshore wind around the UK, considers the role of spatial planning, and discusses issues for policy and planning that must be addressed if the Government's ambitious targets are to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Delivering low-carbon heat will require the substitution of natural gas with low-carbon alternatives such as electricity and hydrogen. The objective of this paper is to develop a method to soft-link two advanced, investment-optimising energy system models, RTN (Resource-Technology Network) and WeSIM (Whole-electricity System Investment Model), in order to assess cost-efficient heat decarbonisation pathways for the UK while utilising the respective strengths of the two models. The linking procedure included passing on hourly electricity prices from WeSIM as input to RTN, and returning capacities and locations of hydrogen generation and shares of electricity and hydrogen in heat supply from RTN to WeSIM. The outputs demonstrate that soft-linking can improve the quality of the solution, while providing useful insights into the cost-efficient pathways for zero-carbon heating. Quantitative results point to the cost-effectiveness of using a mix of electricity and hydrogen technologies for delivering zero-carbon heat, also demonstrating a high level of interaction between electricity and hydrogen infrastructure in a zero-carbon system. Hydrogen from gas reforming with carbon capture and storage can play a significant role in the medium term, while remaining a cost-efficient option for supplying peak heat demand in the longer term, with the bulk of heat demand being supplied by electric heat pumps. [Display omitted] • A multi-model approach is proposed to link two established energy system models. • Iterating between the two models focused on low-carbon heat and electricity sectors. • Various technologies are considered for electricity and heat decarbonisation. • Contributions of hydrogen and electricity to heat supply are assessed until 2050. • Evolution of the cost-effective portfolio of hydrogen sources is characterised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale, decentralized and community-owned renewable energy is widely acknowledged to be a desirable feature of low carbon futures, but faces a range of challenges in the context of conventional, centralized energy systems. This paper draws on transition frameworks to investigate why the UK has been an inhospitable context for community-owned renewables and assesses whether anything fundamental is changing in this regard. We give particular attention to whether political devolution, the creation of elected governments for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has affected the trajectory of community renewables. Our analysis notes that devolution has increased political attention to community renewables, including new policy targets and support schemes. However, these initiatives are arguably less important than the persistence of key features of socio-technical regimes: market support systems for renewable energy and land-use planning arrangements that systemically favour major projects and large corporations, and keep community renewables to the margins. There is scope for rolling out hybrid pathways to community renewables, via joint ownership or through community benefit funds, but this still positions community energy as an adjunct to energy pathways dominated by large, corporate generation facilities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government policy in the UK, as in many countries, sees investment in infrastructure projects – particularly large ones – as a key means of supporting the national economy. But where does this leave local economic interests in the loci of these projects? And how does the regulation of such projects handle these interests? These are the questions addressed by this paper in the context of renewable energy projects that are regulated by the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime. Drawing on original research into the regulation of 12 projects – and using thematic analysis of key documents and focus groups with local participants – the analysis highlights the limited understanding of the local economy presented, the challenges that local businesses face in participating and the partial protection offered to them. It concludes by proposing agendas for reforms and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power consumption by the UK water industry has increased as a result of the introduction of new quality standards; the annual (2008/2009) carbon dioxide output was reported at 5·1 Mt. Biogenic output of carbon dioxide for the sector was calculated to be about 2 Mt. The strategies available to the water industry for reducing carbon footprint are increased use of renewable energy, principally anaerobic digestion, using less power and methods for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This paper reports on work sponsored by UK Water Industry Research to examine methods for capturing and utilising carbon dioxide from wastewater treatment. The review has concluded that bioconversion and biofixation using algae and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis are the most promising methods for utilising carbon dioxide. These technologies would readily integrate into existing industry flow sheets and both increase biogas production and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the role of Tidal Power in the UK in fulfilling the UK's requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Generating electricity from tidal range of the Severn Estuary has the potential to generate some 5% of UK electricity from a renewable indigenous resource. The paper focuses primarily on the proposed Severn Barrage considering potential benefits, conditions for sustainable development, energy policy context and compliance with environment legislation. UK tidal resource is reviewed: stream resource (that is KE contained in fast-flowing tidal currents), and tidal range resource (that refers to gravitation potential energy). The top tidal range and tidal stream sites in the UK with the resource (in TWh/year) are indicated. A feasibility study for Tidal Range development in the Mersey Estuary is also summarised and other schemes including the Loughor Estuary (Wales), Duddon Estuary (located on the Cumbrian coast) and the Thames Estuary proposals are reported. Also given is a strategic overview of the Severn Estuary resource, electric output and characteristics, carbon emissions (carbon payback and carbon reduction potential) and physical implications of a barrage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Strategic Property Management is the property of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the future role of cross-border electricity flow between Great Britain (GB) and its neighbors until 2030, considering high deployment of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind, solar, and biomass), enhanced interconnection capacity, and a partly electrified heating sector. It was assumed that two cross-border interconnectors links will connect GB's power system to its neighbors: (1) a one-way interconnector (IC1) that imports electricity to GB, and (2) a two-way one (IC2) between France and GB. The IC2 was allowed to transfer electricity from a cheaper power system to a more expensive one. The results show that at a fixed CO2 price, a change in power imported via IC1 will affect the power dispatch of the CO2 emitting power plants and biomass-fired power plants, and electricity trade via IC1 and IC2. At IC1 importing of £60/MWh, by raising the CO2 price from 60 to £70/ton, the share of CCGT power plants will reduce by 75%, and the power imported via IC1 link will face 19-times growth. With a constant IC1 import price, raising the CO2 tax will reduce the total quantity of electricity being exported to France via IC2. Moreover, increasing the CO2 tax will increase the emissions cost of gas and coal-fired generators, and the power required to meet the demand will be imported via IC1. With the IC1 electricity price set to £20/MWh and the CO2 tax set to £50/ton, there may be 595 periods out of 17,520 in which GB will be used as an electricity trade corridor. GB's total CO2 emissions should drop as the CO2 tax increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines energy alternatives in the UK and worldwide to reduce CO[sub 2], SO[sub 2], and NO[sub x] emissions up to the year 2020: environmental mechanisms in restructured markets, future energy alternatives, green electricity, energy efficiency, and pricing. At the outset, world energy resources, nonfossil resources, world energy demand, and the role of existing and planned mechanisms to achieve environmental benefits in restructured electricity markets are reviewed. Technological and institutional challenges of real, long-term reductions in carbon dioxide and other emissions from the electric sector are discussed. The paper then focuses on renewable energy in the UK, the green pool, and trends in power marketing considering green pricing programs, and public policy for renewable energy. Considered is trends in energy supply structure: energy consumption and CO[sub 2] release, role of nuclear power, and European efforts for controlling CO[sub 2] emissions. The main part of the paper presents a case study on ensuring future energy alternatives for the UK based on simulations. Tables are presented illustrating basic technological aspects of a number of alternative energy mix strategies devised to meet the UK's electric service requirements where CO[sub 2], SO[sub 2], and NO[sub x] emissions are addressed. They combine the introduction of new natural gas-fired combined-cycle generation with alternate levels of demand side management-predominantly technology driven conservation, and for some of the strategies, wind power, tidal power, and hydro power from Iceland is included. Each class of technologies is phased in during the 20-year study period of 1999-2020. Comparative values for CO[sub 2], SO[sub 2], and NO[sub x]emissions are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy (RE) is one of the most popular public policy orientations worldwide. Compared to some other countries and continents, Europe has gained an early awareness of energy and environmental problems in general. At the theoretical level, free-market environmentalism indicates that based on the principle of private property rights, with fewer state interventionist and regulation policies, entrepreneurs, as the driving force of the market economy, can provide better services to meet the necessity of offering RE to protect the environment more effectively. Previous studies have revealed that Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have made some progress in using the market to develop RE. However, this research did not analyze the three countries' RE conditions from the perspective of free-market environmentalism. Based on our review of the principles of free-market environmentalism, this paper originally provides an empirical study of how Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have partly conducted free-market-oriented policies to successfully achieve their policy goal of RE since the 1990s on a practical level. In particular, compared with Germany and Denmark, the UK has maintained a relatively low energy tax rate and opted for more pro-market measures since the Hayekian-Thatcherism free-market reform of 1979. The paper also discovers that Fredrich A. Hayek's theories have strongly impacted its energy liberalization reform agenda since then. Low taxes on the energy industry and electricity have alleviated the burden on the electricity enterprises and consumers in the UK. Moreover, the empirical results above show that the energy enterprises play essential roles in providing better and more affordable RE for household and industrial users in the three sampled countries. Based on the above results, the paper also warns that state intervention policies such as taxation, state subsidies, and industrial access restrictions can impede these three countries' RE targets. Additionally, our research provides reform agendas and policy suggestions to policymakers on the importance of implementing free-market environmentalism to provide more efficient RE in the post-COVID-19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An hour-by-hour time-step analysis is presented of United Kingdom electricity grid balancing in low-carbon energy pathways from the DECC 2050 Calculator. The detailed modelling uses the future energy scenario assessment (FESA) tool, which uses real weather data and real electricity demand data from year 2001 to model future supply and demand profiles, suitably adjusted to reflect technology uptakes. The paper describes the linking of the DECC 2050 Calculator with FESA and many of the detailed considerations within the modelling. The calculation of net demand (total demand less intermittent renewables and inflexible portions of other electricity generation) reveals the magnitude and duration of peaks and troughs throughout the year and this allows quantification of required peaking plant, energy storage, demand response or a combination of these. The results indicate that the grid balancing challenge is much greater than is apparent from the DECC 2050 Calculator, with significant excess power from renewables and less flexible generators needing to be exported or curtailed, and, at other times of the year, a significant amount of additional conventional generation being required. FESA also indicates significantly lower capacity factors for despatchable generators than indicated in the DECC 2050 Calculator. The results underline the value of energy storage and flexible demand, particularly in the high-renewables pathways, but also that much of that storage and flexibility needs to be available for days or even weeks rather than hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the growing emphasis on community engagement in the literature on renewable energy planning, and given the acknowledgement of the complexity of community engagement as a concept, we conducted an empirical review of practice relating to community engagement with onshore wind farms in the UK, exploring what is actually happening in terms of community engagement relating to onshore wind farms, and examining the rationales underpinning approaches to community engagement. We found that a wide range of engagement methods are being used in relation to onshore wind farms across the UK, but that these are predominantly focused at consultation and awareness raising. Developers typically retain considerable – or total – control within such engagement processes. However, the case studies presented in this paper also evidence some innovation in engagement methods. Through this research we develop and test a non-hierarchical classification of community engagement approaches: awareness raising; consultation and empowerment. This provides a useful tool for reflecting on practices and rationales of community engagement. By considering the three approaches non-hierarchically, this model allows for an examination of how such rationales are acted on in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Energy prosumption has become a common phrase as more householders and communities are producing and consuming their own electricity and heat. Prosumption is a combination of two words: production and consumption, and emerged as a concept at a time when consumers were beginning to be more proactive and take over steps traditionally thought of as ‘production’. In many ways, energy prosumption is nothing new (e.g. wood combustion), yet development of our modern energy system has changed the relationships between energy producers and consumers (e.g. smart meters, renewable energy production). Thus, there is a growing body of research interested in the motivation and conditions for the uptake of microgeneration technologies and the implications to energy infrastructures and big energy producers. However, this ‘energy prosumption’ scholarship generally lacks a strong conceptual foundation and misses the opportunity to build on existing prosumption literature and related debates. This paper brings the wealth of literature on prosumption into the energy context and reflects on the insights offered by a prosumption lens. Our study explores a particular manifestation of prosumption – when a household is simultaneously a producer and consumer of their heat and/or electricity via microgeneration – and we present data from semi-structured interviews with 28 households living with microgeneration technologies in Scotland, UK. Thus, we provide a robust framework from which future research on household and community energy prosumption can build. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a model for the industry dynamics in the electricity market, based on mean-field games of optimal stopping. In our model, there are two types of agents: the renewable producers and the conventional producers. The renewable producers choose the optimal moment to build new renewable plants, and the conventional producers choose the optimal moment to exit the market. The agents interact through the market price, determined by matching the aggregate supply of the two types of producers with an exogenous demand function. Using a relaxed formulation of optimal stopping mean-field games, we prove the existence of a Nash equilibrium and the uniqueness of the equilibrium price process. An empirical example, inspired by the UK electricity market is presented. The example shows that while renewable subsidies clearly lead to higher renewable penetration, this may entail a cost to the consumer in terms of higher peakload prices. In order to avoid rising prices, the renewable subsidies must be combined with mechanisms ensuring that sufficient conventional capacity remains in place to meet the energy demand during peak periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the BDA dynamics and explore the associated applications in renewable energy sector with a focus on data-driven innovation. Our study draws on the exponential growth of renewable energy initiatives over the last decades and on the paucity of literature to illustrate the use of BDA in the energy industry. We conduct a qualitative field study in the UK with stakeholder interviews and analyse our results using thematic analysis. Our findings indicate that no matter if the importance of the energy sector for 'people's well-being, industrial competitiveness, and societal advancement, old fashioned approaches to analytics for organisational processes are currently applied widely within the energy sector. These are triggered by resistance to change and insufficient organisational knowledge about BDA, hindering innovation opportunities. Furthermore, for energy organisations to integrate BDA approaches, they need to deal with challenges such as training employees on BDA and the associated costs. Overall, our study provides insights from practitioners about adopting BDA innovations in the renewable energy sector to inform decision-makers and provide recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr T. G. N. 'Graeme' Haldane was a visionary proponent of a national, rational electricity strategy. He was a pioneer of the National Grid and displayed a keen, early interest in nuclear power and renewable energy sources. It appears that he was the first engineer in Britain (and, possibly, internationally) to construct, monitor and document the performance of a heat pump system for space heating. He built his experimental heat pump system at the Foswell Estate, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland. The environmental heat source that he used was the estate's water supply, which is likely to have been derived from groundwater springs in the estate grounds. In this case, Haldane's heat pump can be described as Britain's earliest ground-source heat pump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interconnected electricity networks, supergrids, are being considered in Europe as a way to help tackle two current global challenges - rapidly increasing energy demands and rising carbon dioxide emissions. As with any new approach, there is a range of risks associated with developing interconnections, not least the availability of surplus electricity for exportation between various candidate countries. While the future is never certain, the process of generating a range of possible capacities for these interconnections should be considered as a necessary precursor for mitigating risks within decision-making processes. In facilitating this objective, this paper proposes a step-wise methodological framework for assessing the probabilities of achieving surplus capacity provision within a UK pan-European supergrid. This includes application of a newly developed tool for proposing a range of energy supply/demand scenarios in conjunction with the @Risk assessment tool. Through example scenarios it is shown how P80 (80th percentile) interconnection capacities for 2030 can be assessed. The results suggest that, of the nine candidate countries, Germany could provide the greatest (10ṡ97 GW) surplus capacity with an 80% chance. It is concluded that, with further stakeholder engagement, the developed framework will provide a deeper understanding of the key fundamental risks associated with interconnections as well as mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a model system, which consists of a partial equilibrium model and process-based terrestrial biogeochemistry models, to determine the optimal distributions of both Miscanthus ( Miscanthus × giganteus) and short rotation coppice willow ( SRC) ( Salix. viminalis L. x S. viminalis var Joruun) in Great Britain ( GB), as well as their potential contribution to meet heat and electricity demand in GB. Results show that the potential contribution of Miscanthus and SRC to heat and electricity demand is significant. Without considering farm-scale economic constraints, Miscanthus and SRC could generate, in an economically competitive way compared with other energy generation costs, 224 800 GWh yr−1 heat and 112 500 GWh yr−1 electricity, with 8 Mha of available land under Miscanthus and SRC, accounting for 66% of total heat demand and 62% of total electricity demand respectively. Given the pattern of heat and electricity demand, and the relative yields of Miscanthus and SRC in different parts of GB, Miscanthus is mainly favoured in the Midlands and areas in the South of GB, whereas SRC is favoured in Scotland, the Midlands and areas in the South of GB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy system scenarios and modelling exercises may under-represent the learning potential of emerging technologies such as marine energy. The research described here was devised to represent this potential, and thereby explore the possible role of marine energy in future energy systems. The paper describes a scenario for the accelerated development of marine energy technology, and the incorporation of this scenario into wider scenarios of UK energy system decarbonisation from now to 2050. The scenarios suggest that the accelerated development of marine energy could contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of energy supply in the UK, especially over the medium to long term. However, this is predicated on sustained innovation, learning and cost reduction over time. Encouragingly, a number of recently established policy support programmes are now beginning to stimulate the development of marine energy in Scotland, the UK and beyond. As the paper discusses, building on these initiatives, and ‘realising’ the accelerated development of marine energy, present a number of challenges, and will increasingly require international efforts. However, the potential rewards are very substantial. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is a reflective account exploring the value of using action research in a relatively new context in the United Kingdom; the development of community renewable-energy projects. There is a strong rationale for using action research in this setting due to the synergies between the principles and practice of action research and localised renewable energy provision, which simultaneously aims to empower communities and address the complex social problem of climate change. A doctoral study of the development and impacts of community renewable energy projects using an action research approach provided an opportunity to assess the benefits and challenges of following this approach in this setting. Personal reflection on the research process is used to evaluate the outcomes for researcher and co-participants, and to identify opportunities for future application of action research techniques to improve understanding of how to develop community-based approaches to renewable energy provision and other sustainability issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The offshore wind energy sector in the United Kingdom (UK) has grown rapidly since the first turbine generators were installed in 2000: by 2016 there were over 1400 installed turbines with combined capacity of 5.1 GW. The sector is considered by UK Government as essential to the development of a low carbon economy and to meeting binding targets on carbon reduction and renewable energy generation. The Crown Estate, responsible for licensing development on the sea bed around the UK, has held three rounds of licensing since 2000 for wind developments. Some of the projects in the first two rounds suffered long delays due to uncertainty of project level impacts, particularly cumulative impacts. A number of key stakeholders identified a need for cumulative impact assessment (CIA) methodology to be developed that was definitive and endorsed by regulators and industry to aid unblocking barriers to delivery. This paper explores the background to the development of the guidelines and how they were 'co-created' with industry and regulators. We evaluate to what extent they have been used to shape and develop practice. Abbreviations: CIA: cumulative impact assessment; EU: European Union; GW: gigawatt; MW megawatt; NERC: Natural Environment Research Council; NGO: Non Governmental Organisation; OWF: offshore wind farm; PINS: Planning Inspectorate; RED: Renewable Energy Directive; RUK: Renewables UK; SPA: Special Protection Area; TCE: The Crown Estate; TWh: terra watt hours; UK: United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The growing stream of municipal solid waste (MSW) requires a sustainable waste management strategy. At the same time, addressing climate change and security of energy supply concerns requires increased use of low-carbon and domestic sources of energy. This paper assesses the economic and environmental aspects of waste management options focusing on waste-to-energy (WtE) as a renewable resource. We discuss how WtE and recycling are compatible as waste treatment options. The paper then presents a social cost–benefit analysis of selected waste management scenarios for the UK focusing on specific waste management targets and carbon prices and compares them with coal-fired electricity. The results indicate that meeting the waste management targets of the EU Directive are socially more cost-effective than the current practice. The cost-effectiveness improves substantially with higher carbon prices. The findings show that WtE can be an important part of both waste management strategy and renewable energy policy although achieving the full potential of WtE requires development of heat delivery networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is facing major climate change, energy security and waste management challenges. Generating power from waste provides an important opportunity to make progress on all of these fronts. There are a number of operational and planned energy-from-waste projects in the UK and around the world that seek to address this challenge. The latest modular biomass gasification technologies provide an opportunity to exceed the current energy conversion efficiencies that are available from standard waste combustion technologies. The UK has a variety of policies in place to support renewable technology innovation projects. These include national and regional targets for renewable energy generation, greenhouse gas emission reductions and landfill diversion. This paper provides an overview of the regulatory climate and technological developments for renewable biomass energy generation. It outlines the key drivers, innovative aspects and advantages of the gasification opportunity, including current project experiences. Understanding the essentials of the UK energy-from waste market will help practitioners in a variety of fields, as renewable energy and waste management affect individuals and organisations across a wide range of domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the similarities and contrasts between environmental and water quality changes caused by the 1966 tidal power barrage at La Rance in North Brittany, France and those expected to result from construction of a tidal power barrage in the Severn estuary in the UK. Over the 40-year period since the opening of La Rance, a great deal of knowledge has been accumulated concerning the operation of such schemes and the way water quality and ecosystems have altered. Knowledge gained from experiences at Rance is consequently of great benefit in predicting the effects of the proposed Severn barrage. The nature of the changes anticipated in the Severn estuary is thus unambiguous, but whether this would make the estuary better or worse is a matter of perception. As at Rance, it would be different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of challenging targets for renewable energy generation, this paper draws out social implications of moves towards low carbon energy systems. As renewable energy develops as a heterogeneous category, many potential forms of social relation between ‘publics’ and technologies are emerging. Utilising perspectives from science and technology studies, we outline five modes in which renewable energy has been implemented in the UK and how these involve different configurations of technology and social organisation. We argue that a multiplicity of roles for ‘the public’ are implicated across this increasingly complex landscape, cutting across established categories and raising questions of meaning, differentiation, interrelation and access. Policy assumptions and conceptions are questioned, highlighting that dominant characterisations of public roles have been part of a concentration on particular socio-technical pathways to the exclusion of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews some of the recently proposed measures designed to combat global warming that will have an impact on regeneration and renewal development in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across Europe, spatial planning has acquired an important role in steering wind power to more socially acceptable locations. However, the tendency for planning decisions to become a focus of opposition has also led to planning being represented as ‘a problem’ in meeting renewable energy targets. Using Jessop's dialectical relationship between modes and objects of governance, this paper seeks to understand why certain states are inclined to resolve ‘the planning problem’ for wind through strengthened national control. The case study is the Welsh Assembly Government's 2005 planning guidance on renewable energy, which superimposes centrally-determined ‘Strategic Search Areas’ for large-scale, onshore wind farm development onto local decision-making processes. Motivations for adopting this approach reflect the UK's centralizing planning culture, and beliefs that local planning processes will not yield sufficient sites to meet targets for wind power expansion. Responses to this planning guidance suggest that it may stabilizing the regulatory conditions for large-scale wind investment in the short term, in some parts of Wales, but faces a number of points of vulnerability in the longer term. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a feasibility study for applying bio-diesel in recreational boats in the United Kingdom for the purpose of rational utilization of energy resources and environmental protection. Biodiesel has been widely used to fuel diesel engines for onshore vehicles, particularly for agriculture machinery. Application of biodiesel for merchant ship propulsion on a large scale has been seen as not an option in the near future due to the lack of availability and supply chains of the fuel. However, there has been interest in the possibility of powering recreational boats with biodiesel in order to pursue marine environmental protection. The study reviews the current status of using biodiesel in recreational boats and analyses the market in the United Kingdom. Results on fuel availability for the sector, economic aspects and environmental benefits are presented. The paper presents a feasibility study for applying biodiesel in recreational boats in the [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are concerns about the short- and long-term effects on cetaceans from offshore construction using pile-driving. Gravity-base foundations and anchored floating turbines are alternative installation methods that may have less impact on cetaceans. In this study, we investigated the response of dolphins (Tursiops truncatus and Lagenorhynchus albirostris) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) to the construction of wind turbines using gravity-base foundations off Blyth, Northumberland, United Kingdom using cetacean echolocation recorders (C-PODs). Data were collected at nine sites across 3 years (2016–2018) before, during and after construction. Generalised additive mixed models were used to investigate temporal, environmental, and anthropogenic drivers of dolphin and porpoise occurrence from 143,215 h (5967 days) of C-POD data. The models explained 27% and 30% of the deviance in dolphin and porpoise occurrence, respectively. Overall, the results showed no long-term effect on the dolphin occurrence from the construction of the gravity-base wind turbine array. In contrast, porpoise occurrence increased by 32% and 75%, respectively, in the years during and after construction, compared to the before-construction year. Other predictors of dolphin and porpoise occurrence included month, hour of day, tidal currents and vessel sonar activity. Our findings indicate that wind turbine installation using gravity-base foundations had no long-term effects on the occurrence of dolphins or porpoise and may represent an offshore construction methodology that is less impactful to dolphins and harbour porpoise than impact pile-driven turbine installation methods. These results are important for future offshore energy developments; however, further studies are recommended to investigate potential species and location variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following literature review sets out the state-of-the-art research relating to smart building principles and smart energy systems in UK higher education university campuses. The paper begins by discussing the carbon impact of the sector and the concept of 'smart campuses' applied to the sector in the context of decarbonisation. Opportunities and challenges associated with integrating smart energy systems at the university campus from a policy and technical perspective are then discussed. This is followed by a review of building and campus-scale frameworks supporting a transition to smart energy campuses using the BPIE' Smart Buildings' framework. The paper finds that the complexity of achieving net-zero carbon emissions for new and existing higher education buildings and energy systems can be addressed with the adoption of 'smart building principles' and integrating 'smartness' into their energy systems. Several universities in the UK and worldwide are integrating smart services and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in their operations following the smart campus premise. At the building level, existing frameworks often create conceptual roadmaps for the smart building premise or propose technical implementation and assessment methods. At university campus scale, implementation typically comes through single-vector interventions, and only few examples exist that propose a multi-vector approach. Comparisons of the drivers and the decision-making process are made, with carbon and cost reduction being the most prominent from leveraging distributed energy generation. Therefore, this study identified the need for a comprehensive technical or policy framework to drive the uptake of the smart energy campus, aiming to bring together the holistic value of smart energy campuses. • Systematic literature review of smart energy systems at university campus-scale. • UK Policy and technical pathways to smart energy integration. • A critical review of the existing building and university campus-scale frameworks. • A holistic decision-making framework for the integration of multi-vector smart energy system at university campus scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfill gas (LFG) is a flammable and potentially harmful mixture of methane, carbon dioxide and a large number of trace constituents produced when waste decays in landfill disposal sites. The need to prevent damage from landfill gas emissions has been recognised since the 1970s, and is now enshrined in landfill site regulations. Sophisticated gas control measures such as actively-pumped gas extraction wells and multilayered liners are now being implemented on a wide scale. The exploitation of LFG as a fuel or feed stock can complement the objectives of environmental protection and, at the same time, provide an additional revenue stream and reduce the use of fossil fuels. Exploitation of landfill gas in the UK began in the early 1980s, initially as a replacement fuel in kilns and boilers. There are now 13 such direct use projects saving the energy equivalent 50,000 tonnes of coal per year (January 1993). Use of LFG for power generation began in 1985. Government support for electricity from renewable sources has made power generation the dominant use for LFG in the UK. The UK currently has 42 power generation projects with a combined capacity of 72 MWe, saving the energy equivalent to 263,000 tonnes of coal per year (January 1993). This paper reviews current understanding of the processes of landfill gas formation and outlines the considerations required for its use as a fuel. The paper outlines the technology of gas collection and exploitation and assesses the economics of generating electricity from LFG in the UK, and the scope lot further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]