BIG Green Week: Energised communities - research in practice
Join researchers, community group representatives and other professionals working in community energy to hear about a range of approaches to researching the impact of communities and community groups on the way we use energy.
The University of Bristol has been working with the Bristol Energy Network on how to support local community-based energy groups to ‘Maintain Momentum’ whilst other universities across the country have taken different approaches. The seminar will link the outcomes of the ‘Maintaining Momentum in Bristol Community Energy’ project to a number of these other academic projects exploring community energy around the UK and also to the launch of the Bristol Community Energy Strategy. This is one of the first local community energy strategies in the UK and is intended to further inspire activities locally.
The morning session will introduce the Bristol initiatives and then consider other approaches taken, with speakers from Edinburgh, Oxford Brookes and Keele Universities exploring whole community approaches to energy. In the afternoon, we will be looking at individual responses to community initiatives with research from the University of Southampton, Goldsmiths University of London and Cardiff University informing the debate.
As well as introducing the projects and the Bristol Community Energy Strategy and exploring how the lessons from research relate to community experiences, there will be time to discuss and develop new directions and shared outcomes in an energized forum with a range of stakeholders.
Speakers include:
- Professor Bronwen Morgan, University of Bristol (chair)
- Caroline Bird, University of Bristol
- Dr Dave Hawkey, Edinburgh University
- Professor Rajat Gupta, Oxford Brooks University
- Dr Rebecca Wallbridge, University of Southampton
- Prof Andrew Dobson, Keele University
- Professor Karen Henwood, Cardiff University
- Professor Bill Gaver, Goldsmiths University London.
View the programme and other details.
Please note: This event is only open to academics, professionals and third sector and community group representatives involved in the field of local / community sustainable energy.
For more information please contact caroline.bird@bristol.ac.uk
Draft programme
10.00 Bristol Community Energy Strategy launch
11.00 Research Seminar
11.30 Introduction and the Maintaining Momentum project
12.00 Session 1: Energy at a whole community scale
13.30 Lunch
14.30 Session 2: Personal responses to energy communities
16.00 Break
16.15 Group discussions – taking the learning forwards, making it happen, research informing implementation, particular issues arising for discussion
17.00 Feedback and final comments
17.30 End
This event is being organised by the Bristol Energy Network and the Cabot Institute at the University of Bristol.
This event is being run as part of BIG Green Week. Visit the official BIG Green Week website.
