Robin Lovelace
Scales of action for reducing dependence on fossil fuels
Supervisors: Dr Matt Watson (Geography) and Dr Steven Beck (Mechanical Engineering)
Energy is the 'master resource', influencing the great challenges of the 21st Century, including climate change, resource depletion, geopolitical struggle, and recessions. Over-dependence on fossil fuels lies at the heart of these issues, each of which is exacerbated by the prospect of declining global oil production.
While many proposals have been offered to deal with this problem, few have investigated which are most likely to actually succeed in moving away from fossil fuel dependence. This research therefore sets out to evaluate which actions have the best chance in succeeding, and which scales are most suitable. Due to the interconnected nature of energy processes, an 'energy system' approach is used to investigate the effects of interventions in a series of case studies: changes in transport policy, installation of solar panels, and community energy projects. A practical outcome will be material and methods of use to people, organisations and governments wishing to increase the resilience of the energy systems they depend on.
General research interests
- Open Source tools for data analysis and presentation
- Applications of GIS to energy problems
- Systems modelling
Contact me: dtp09rl@Sheffield.ac.uk
