Five new research centres, that will look into the complexities of energy use across society, are to receive over £26m from two research councils – The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). A further £13m will come from industrial partners.
Climate change minister Greg Barker said: “We have now put energy efficiency at the very heart of the government’s energy policy. Using energy more wisely is absolutely vital in a world of increased pressure on resources and rising prices. Not only can energy efficiency help save money on bills and cut emissions, it can support green jobs, innovation and enterprise.
“The five new End Use Energy Demand centres launched today will play an important role in improving our understanding of how energy is used across the nation, helping us learn more about what needs to be done to change consumer and business behaviour. I wish these centres every success and look forward to seeing the results.”
Professor David Delpy, EPSRC’s chief executive, added: “We had a tremendous response from the academic community to this call. In all 38 proposals were submitted and many displayed unique approaches. The five centres chosen were considered to have best demonstrated that they could develop internationally leading research and apply it to help meet the government’s 2050 challenges.”