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新香港六合彩开奖结果Institute for Sustainable Resources

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Energy systems, policies and markets

The energy systems, policies and markets team brings together staff and students who research current and future economics in energy provision.

Electricity pylons in a flat landscape
The transition to the sustainable use of natural resources requires the rapid decarbonisation of energy systems across the globe. Traditionally reliant on highly polluting fossil fuels, our current energy systems must adapt to the influx of innovative new technologies, harnessing power from renewable sources. The energy systems, policies and markets research theme broadly investigates the most promising methods of not only accommodating but accelerating the generation, distribution and use of more sustainable fuels within existing and future systems. With energy related-CO2 emissions accounting for the overwhelming majority of global greenhouse gas emissions, the work conducted within this theme is of paramount importance and is highly policy relevant.

Jump to: Research areas | Research stories | In teaching | Researchers


Research areas

Electricity markets

Solar panels separated by greenery
We are engaged in a programme of research examining options for reforming electricity markets, focussing on how a 鈥楪reen Power Pool鈥 (GPP) may be designed and operated in the UK. With support from the Aldersgate Group and the Institute for New Economic Thinking, numerous reports and working papers have been published investigating how a GPP could drive power sector decarbonisaton, while reducing electricity prices and facilitating the electrification of the UK economy.听

Transitions modelling

Wind turbine against blue sky

We develop energy models and use related analyses to better understand how we can transition towards net zero in a more sustainable way, both globally and in the UK.听Our lab has around 25 members spanning 新香港六合彩开奖结果Energy Institute and 新香港六合彩开奖结果Institute for Sustainable Resources.听We have a range of projects and are members of the听, the听听and听听hydrogen hubs, and the听听hub on greenhouse gas removal.

Sustainable finance

Solar panels next to trees

We study how financial, technology and policy elements interact to inform the design of policies that stimulate markets and enable sustainable energy development. Currently, our main research on sustainable finance is supported by the LINKS project, which focuses on the role of climate finance to meet the Paris climate goals and aims to produce guidance for a re-orientation of financial flows towards low-carbon and energy efficiency investments.


Research stories

Building on the team’s previous analysis investigating the impact of elevated gas prices on wholesale electricity prices, this research is on the revenues in the GB power sector during the energy crisis. Read about the research in this blog on The Conversation by Michael Grubb and Serguey Maximov Gajardo.

Read in The Bartlett Review about our report outlining policy measures needed to decarbonise UK power systems by 2035, and transition heavy industries such as steel, cement and chemicals away from fossil fuels. 

Illustration depicting the UKTIMES model

Helping plot the UK鈥檚 pathway to net zero

We developed the UK TIMES energy system model over the last decade to identify which sectors of UK industry should be decarbonised first – and how fast – for the UK to cost-effectively meet its emissions targets.

We looked at empirical data of offshore wind projects and determined which conditions defined investment decision by different actors. By analysing the data, we aimed at developing policy packages that mobilise large amounts of capital required to reach the UK offshore wind target by 2030. Read about this research on the UKERC website.

Energy systems, policies and markets听in teaching

The research conducted within this theme feeds directly through to the teaching of students enrolled on the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Institute for Sustainable Resources'听masters programmes, notably听Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment MSc, via three key modules:

  • Electricity Market Design for the Energy Transition听-听The electricity markets module focuses on how power markets have been evolving and could be further reformed to accommodate growing shares of renewables. Using a multi-disciplinary perspective, it reviews the basics of power market design, providing an overview of the most significant challenges faced by the sector and identifying a range of options for reform based on real-world experiences and innovative approaches found in the literature. Starting with the key concepts and the basics of power sector economics, the module introduces the temporal and spatial dimensions of markets while examining the different roles that actors and stakeholders play. The main techno-economic challenges (and opportunities) arising from the increased penetration of intermittent generation together with the decentralised architecture and the demand response paradigm, which alter the physical system and market dynamics, are considered from the perspective of the energy, balancing and ancillary services market design solutions for a high-renewable and deeply decarbonised future.

  • Planetary Economics and the Political Economy of Energy and Climate Change - Planetary Economics is a core module, based on the book 听written by Professor Michael Grubb. The module arms students with an integrated and interdisciplinary understanding of energy and climate change issues, starting by creating an understanding of the fundamentals of the global energy system, fossil fuels and renewable energy technologies. The module then develops students鈥 knowledge of the economic and political economy dimensions of tackling environmental problems. The rationale behind the traditional economic approach and instruments applied in attempt to decarbonise energy systems are explained, before introducing the 鈥榯hree pillars of policy鈥. The three pillars draw upon more diverse branches of economics to create a more comprehensive framework which may be leveraged to drive the transformation of energy generation, distribution and use across the world.

  • Introduction to Modelling Methods and Scenarios听- This core module focuses on the use of models for E3 (energy-economic-environmental) analyses. Such modelling approaches are critical, and at the sharp end of supporting decision makers on how we address some of the big energy-related questions, notably climate change but also energy affordability and security.听The module is designed to provide an overview of some of the key approaches to energy analysis, with a focus on modelling, and how such approaches are applied to real world problems.听 We aim to provide students with the necessary critical thinking skills to assess what are the appropriate use of models, their limitations and to what research questions they can be applied.


Doctoral research (PhD)

OThe breadth of this theme is reflected in the wide variety of energy-related research projects undertaken by our PhD students.

Current PhD students

  • Seokyoung (Chris) Kim: 鈥淓xamining the competitiveness of synthetic jet fuel and high-value chemicals in a net zero energy system鈥澨
  • : Sustainable Land Use: theory and Empirical Evidence from the UK
  • Sumit Kothari: 鈥淪caling solar energy: an analysis of the structure and development of the investment system that powers growth鈥
  • Jana Fakhreddine: Modelling global hydrogen and ammonia zero-carbon energy systems
  • Giulia Ragosa: 鈥淭he political economy of electricity market reforms for the integration of renewables in Italy, California and the UK鈥
  • Ramy Magdy Mahmoud

Recently completed PhDs

  • Lilia Caiado Coelho Beltr茫o Couto: Socioeconomic Impacts of Long-Term Renewable Electricity Generation: a multi-regional analysis for Brazil
  • Omran Al-Kuwari : The Future of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) in the Energy Transition: options and implications for the LNG industry in a decarbonising world听

Researchers

Electricity markets researchers

Michael Grubb听
Professor
m.grubb@ucl.ac.uk

Paul Dodds
Professor
p.dodds@ucl.ac.uk

Jim Watson
Director, Professor
j.watson@ucl.ac.uk

Claudia Brown
Research Assistant


Transitions modelling researchers

Paul Dodds
Professor of Energy Systems
p.dodds@ucl.ac.uk

Isabela Butnar
Principal Research Fellow
i.butnar@ucl.ac.uk

Oliver Broad
Senior Research Fellow
o.broad@ucl.ac.uk


Sustainable finance researchers

Nadia Ameli
Principal Research Fellow
n.ameli@ucl.ac.uk


Research Fellow
s.maximov@ucl.ac.uk