Energy Research Programme

Managing climate change is a global problem.  There is a clear link between climate change and the release of greenhouse gases when fossil fuels are burnt.  Providing clean energy sources is a key scientific challenge.

Many of the solutions lie at the boundaries of traditional disciplines in research, development and technology.

Our areas of research include fuel cells, photovoltaics, wind energy and hydrogen production & storage, as well as energy strategy & policy.

• Energy Research Unit (link opens in a new window) - collaborative research into new and renewable energy technologies, and partner in the UK Energy Research Centre (link opens in a new window).
• Computational Science - our expertise in theory modelling and the simulation of complex materials will underpin our energy research programme.
• Central Laser Facility (link opens in a new window) - the CLF is coordinating the case for HiPER (European High Power laser Energy Research) (link opens in a new window), an international laser facility which aims to demonstrate laser driven fusion as a future energy source. View the HiPER concept film.
• Diamond (link opens in a new window), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (link opens in a new window), Institut Laue-Langevin (link opens in a new window), ISIS (link opens in a new window) and SRS (link opens in a new window) (which closed in 2008) - collaborative programmes with universities and industry to investigate new materials for hydrogen storage
• Central Microstructure Facility - researching cost-effective ways to produce nano-structured materials for hydrogen storage.

For more information about our energy programme, please contact Professor Nicholas Harrison.