Background to the event

This EPSRC National Centre for Energy System Integration (CESI) funded project seeks to synthesise lessons from across the UK’s energy community to develop best practice guidelines for effective and coherent energy systems integration research. This workshop constituted the project’s third and final workshop on interdisciplinary applied research for energy systems integration in the UK. It examines which energy systems integration topics should be prioritised and how research can help to inform decision-making; primarily from a research user’s perspective (e.g. industry, government, non-departmental public bodies, NGOs).

Evidence

There is a growing body of knowledge on energy systems transition, but this is scattered among several different centres and networks – creating a complex and fast-moving research landscape with missed opportunities for collaborative learning. The outcomes of this workshop and the wider CESI project are shared with key public funders of research (e.g. UKRI, EPSRC and InnovateUK) with the aim of informing what types of energy systems integration research project are funded in the future.

Aim of the Workshop

The workshop provided a structured discussion between researchers, businesses, other research users and stakeholders, developing good practice guidelines for effective and coherent energy systems integration research in the UK.

By drawing together actors responsible for utilising, undertaking and coordinating energy systems integration research, this joint workshop explored questions such as:

1. What are the key priorities for inter-disciplinary energy systems research from a user’s perspective?
2. What types of evidence do users require to tackle these challenges and why?
3. How should these research projects be structured to deliver timely, high-quality outputs for users?

Speakers included

• Professor Phil Taylor, Director of the EPSRC National Centre for Energy Systems Integration (CESI)
• Professor Karen Turner, Director Of The Centre For Energy Policy
• Eric Brown, Innovation Director, Energy Systems Catapult
• Dr Mark Winskel, CESI and Policy Director, ClimateXChange.
• Simon Gill, Energy Engineer, Office of the Chief Economic Advisor, Scottish Government.