Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Our research
In 2022, researchers from Bristol Composites Institute created a new, sustainable nanomaterial that could pave the way for new high-energy, low-cost batteries. Developed with partners from UCL and Imperial College, the material is made of seaweed and can form the separator in sodium-metal batteries, preventing deterioration and increasing their efficiency. This could help a shift away from lithium-ion batteries, which can involve unethical or resource-heavy mining practices, to greener, more sustainable energy storage.
Bristol is also the lead partner on the Supergen Energy Networks Hub (SEN), a collaborative project with partners from industry, academia, government and other bodies delivering impactful, interdisciplinary research to enable energy networks to facilitate a rapid, safe and just transition to Net Zero. Between 2019 and 2023, 24 projects were supported to a value of more than £730,000 by SEN’s flex fund of seedcorn funding to prompt work in new and emerging areas, while SEN itself was awarded £5 million in funding from the EPSRC to support the continuation of its work.
Our students
Our unique MSc Engineering with Management offers students the opportunity to specialise in engineering and management for renewable energy through an Energy for Sustainability pathway. Supported by dedicated academics and industry experts, in 2022/23 this pathway has involved specialist units on energy use and its impact, renewable energy devices, systems and technologies, and changing demands on engineering design and propulsion devices.
A dedicated unit on Energy Management has also been on offer for the 2022/23 academic year to other students at Masters level. The Unit is provided by the School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, and offers students the chance to focus on both the theory and practice of energy management, with a focus on renewable energy generation and efficient power usage.
Our communities
The GW4 Alliance of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter Universities received £4.6 million in funding for work with partners in local authorities, industry and community groups to retrofit houses for Net Zero. Launched in late 2023, the project will see co-designed methods for making houses energy efficient and low carbon, with a focus on the use of bio-based materials such as cork and wood that are more sustainable. It will include retraining and upskilling for those in the industry, and educational and wider community engagement on energy efficiency and housing in partnership with the Future Observatory.
In 2022/23, researchers at the University shared a number of briefings for policymakers in relation to energy, sustainability and the environment. November 2022 saw recommendations on energy efficiency and digital inclusion co-produced with partners from Lewisham Borough Council and National Energy Action, while in 2023, two reports explored key issues in ensuring a just energy transition, covering green jobs and skills for young people in the Net Zero agenda, and using the Great British Insulation scheme to support the vulnerable in a just model of energy efficiency.
Ourselves
Rising energy prices have posed a challenge to many organisations over the past few years, with the University being no exception. In response to this pressure, and in line with our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, we secured £2.8 million in new investment to roll out a programme of additional energy efficiency measures in 2022/23 and 2023/24. These include trialling LED lighting, replacing old, inefficient boilers and other hot water systems, optimising building systems for heating, ventilation and lighting, and investigating new facilities such as a centralised cold storage and new water purification technology. The aim is to cut gas and electricity consumption by around 10% each year and reduce carbon emissions by around 8%.
We have also increased our solar power capacity by nearly 100kW, and now have just under 500kW available across three major sites, as well as several smaller ones. We are reviewing opportunities to use more solar power and heat pumps and are looking at ways to recycle heat that might otherwise have been wasted, particularly from computer servers.