The University of Sheffield
Department of Geography

Robin Lovelace

Robin Lovelace

The energy costs of commuting: a spatial microsimulation approach
Supervisors: Dr Dimitris Ballas and Dr Matt Watson (Geography) and Dr Steven Beck (Mechanical Engineering)

Background

Energy is the 'master resource', providing our food, manufactured goods, heat and electricity. Transport is also a large energy user, consuming around 1/3 of the UK's commercial energy supply. The research investigates how much energy is consumed by personal transport, specifically, the daily commute to work and back. My calculations show the energy costs of commuting have increased tenfold in the last 100 years, and have now plateaued (Figure 1).

Lovelace: Figure 1

But why is this important? In the UK, we are over 90% dependent on oil for transport, burning more than half of our oil imports in cars (Decc 2011: 73). New technology has yet to provide the solution to this problem, as biofuels are criticised for increasing fuel prices electric cars sit unwanted in showrooms, and large scale penetration of hydrogen fuel cells remains pure fantasy. This is cause for concern in light of peak oil (Figure 2).

Lovelace: Figure 2

Commuting is essential for daily life, and is a major barrier to employment for millions of others. It is also responsible for around 8% of the UK's oil imports and 2.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. If the price of oil rises, which areas will be worse affected? Will some people be priced out of work? These are some of the questions my research seeks to answer.

Methods

A spatial microsimulation model has been developed to simulate the characteristics of individuals living in different areas, building on Ballas et al. (2005). This means sampling from an individual level survey based on geographic aggregates for each area, provided by the Census. This method provides information on energy use, socio-economic details, and even income estimates. From this foundation, indexes of 'oil vulnerability' can be developed, and scenarios to deal with the problem (eg car sharing) can be evaluated.

Interesting findings

The dominance of the car can be measured in different ways. In terms of number of trips, the situation looks acceptable, less than 50% of commuters driving to work in some areas. However, in terms of distance travelled and energy use, car dominance is much greater (Figure 3).

Lovelace: Figure 3

Skills

I have a wide range of skills, picked up through academic courses, work experience, and personal interest. These include:

General research interests

Publications

Journals

Printed magazine articles

Online magazines and blogs

Further information

My research is funded by the EPSRC.

Contact me: robin.lovelace at shef.ac.uk, or rob00x at g mail .com. Skype: robin.lovelace