Other publications

The Energy Futures Lab Briefing Papers are periodic reports aimed at stakeholders in the energy sector that bring together expertise from across Imperial. 

Net zero skills: jobs, skills and training for the net-zero energy transition
This briefing paper investigates the evidence for Net-Zero job skills and training requirements in the UK’s energy system. There is also a policy brief on the same subject. 

Delivering our future power system
This briefing paper showcases a novel, codified framework that defines the objective of delivering a decarbonised power system, a means of tracking progress and an assessment of the UK’s progress to date.

Enabling the UK to become the Saudi Arabia of Wind?
This briefing paper, produced by researchers from the IDLES Programme at Imperial College London, explores the potential for producing green hydrogen from wind energy in the UK

Materials for energy
This briefing paper considers the availability and development of materials for the energy sector, investigating both current availability and forecasted production of several critical materials and looking at the state of development of novel materials in the energy sector.

Accelerating the transition to heat pumps: measuring real-world performance and enabling peer-to-peer learning
This Briefing Paper investigates the impacts and feasibility of leveraging early adopters by measuring in-situ heat pump installation outcomes and sharing these as case studies to enable peer-to-peer learning among consumers and installers.

Balancing privacy and access to smart meter data
This briefing paper investigates four key elements of smart meter data privacy: existing data protection regulations; the personal information embedded within smart meter data; consumer privacy concerns; and privacy-preserving techniques that could be incorporated alongside existing mechanisms to minimise or eliminate potential privacy infringements.

The future of home heating
This briefing paper explores the prospects for the future of home heating with specific reference to heat pumps and hydrogen. The advantages, challenges, and technicalities of the two technologies are investigated and a series of policy recommendations are made to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK's heating sector.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the energy system
This briefing paper, which brings together research from across the IDLES Programme at Imperial College London, investigates how electricity demand changed at both household and national levels during Britain's COVID-19 lockdowns and details the measures that were taken by the electricity system operator to keep the lights on in challenging conditions. 

Smart and flexible electric heat
This briefing paper explores the potential for smart, flexible, low-carbon electric heating in UK homes and the challenges for consumer engagement. 

Digitalisation of energy
This briefing paper investigates the impact of new digital technologies on energy applications. The overarching objective is to understand the effects these technologies will have on the current energy system, the new challenges they will pose, and the policies and regulatory measures which will assist in making them a success.

Electricity markets, incentives and zero subsidy renewables
This briefing paper is a review of these electricity market arrangements in the UK. The asks whether there is a need for fundamental reform to the arrangements as a result of the rising share of variable renewables such as wind and solar power. The review is based on both a systematic appraisal of relevant evidence and interviews with stakeholders over the summer of 2018. 

During the preparation for the briefing paper Energy Futures Lab produced a discussion paper on the topic, which was referenced by the Committee on Climate Change’s 2018 progress report.

Unlocking the potential of residential electricity consumer engagement with Demand Response
This briefing paper, published in December 2018, assesses the evidence base for residential consumer engagement with electricity demand response technologies and services and to draw lessons for the UK context. 
During the preparation for the briefing paper Energy Futures Lab produced a Scoping Note on the topic.

Unlocking the potential of Energy Systems Integration
This Briefing Paper investigates how the UK can link heat, transport, electricity and other energy vectors into one interconnected ecosystem. It lays out the immense opportunities of having an interconnected and integrated energy ecosystem and the technologies that could make it a reality. 

Is the UK facing an electricity security crisis?
This briefing paper, released in October 2017, reviews the evidence surrounding electricity supply security in the UK to determine whether there is a serious risk of electricity supply issues, what the issues and concerns are and why the topic is so controversial.
During the preparation for the paper Energy Futures Lab also produced a Scoping Note on UK electricity security crisis.

The Energy Futures Lab also produced ad-hoc reports and documents that tackle particular topics or calls-for-evidence. 

From Risk to Resilience: Advancing the electricity network
This paper, produced on behalf of Imperial Consultants, explores how the UK's regulatory and policy frameworks can make the existing electricity network more resilient in the face of policy targets, increasing risks from climate changes and a growing system-wide dependence on electricity. 

Market design for low-inertia power systems
This paper proposes a novel market mechanism that will align the market design with the simultaneous scheduling of energy and frequency containment ancillary services provision in an economic and efficient manner. 

Net zero skills - policy brief
This policy brief is based on our briefing paper, Net zero skills: jobs, skills and training for the net-zero energy transition, which investigates the evidence for low-carbon jobs, training and skills requirements in the UK’s energy system, with a deeper focus on Net-Zero skills in England. 

The role and value of hydrogen in future zero-carbon Great Britain's energy system
This analysis re-evaluates the value of hydrogen holistically by conducting a series of whole-system studies to provide fundamental and robust evidence about hydrogen’s role and system benefits under different energy system scenarios.

Whole energy system modelling for heat decarbonisation
This report presents the key results and the findings of analyses and studies focusing on understanding and quantifying the long-term cost drivers for decarbonising the heat sector. This modelling and analysis of heat decarbonisation scenarios was supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Whole system assessment of the potential benefits of the FlexiCell concept
The focus of this report is to assess the environmental and economic values of the FlexiCell concept, which involves the technology combination of micro-combined heat and power, air source heat pumps and thermal energy storage, for energy system decarbonisation from the whole system perspective.

Realising the opportunities and managing the risks of digitalisation in electricity networks
Digitalisation brings the potential for new risks to the stability of electricity networks, to the quality of consumer supply and to business reputation. This report aims to provide an overview of major risk categories relating, based on the experiences of other sectors.

Data-driven security rules for real-time system prediction and control
In this project summary report, machine learning is investigated for supporting real-time operation and control of the power system while maintaining security of supply.

Whole-system value of long-duration energy storage in a net-zero emission energy system for Great Britain
This report describes the role and value of new long-duration energy storage in facilitating a cost-effective transition to a net-zero carbon Great Britain (GB) energy system.

Electricity markets with a high share of variable renewables: a review of issues and design options
This report aims to identify, critique, and discuss how electricity markets can be reimagined for a significantly decarbonised electricity production mix in the mid-21st century.

Response to “Cost of energy review: call for evidence”
A joint submission, with the Grantham Institute, to a UK Government call for evidence around the 2017 cost of energy review undertaken by Dieter Helm.

Synthesis on energy and climate change
A wide-ranging and in-depth report that draws together key considerations on energy, technological progress and climate change. There is also a summary of the above paper Synthesis on energy and climate change summary. 

Smart and just grids: opportunities for sub‐Saharan Africa
Reviews current Smart Grid concepts, technologies and related costs and benefits and places them concept in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. 

A version of the report was aso published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews as Smart and Just Grids for sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring options (DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2012.11.004)

Energy storage systems report
A study of the key questions in relation to the future role of electricity storage in the UK.

Enabling a transition to low carbon economies
An examination of options for meeting the expected energy demand for 2050 on the assumption that economic growth will continue is necessary in order to plan infrastructure investments that will still be functioning in 2050.

The Energy Futures Lab White Papers offered timely, impartial and academically rigorous assessments of energy technologies and reliable analysis on important energy topics. 

The future of nuclear power in the UK: challenges and opportunities
This white paper provides a comprehensive examination of the UK's nuclear energy prospects, highlighting both the opportunities and obstacles in achieving significant nuclear power generation. 

Net-zero GB electricity: cost-optimal generation and storage mix
Using modelling from the IDLES Programme at Imperial College London, this White Paper sets out how Britain's electricity system can be transformed to achieve net-zero greeenhouse gas emissions, detailing a range of cost-efficient portfolios of electricity generation and storage technologies.

The datasets behind all of the charts in this White Paper are available for download here.

Safe and sustainable lithium-ion batteries
This White Paper from Imperial College London’s Energy Futures Lab and the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering investigates the safety and sustainability of lithium-ion batteries, exploring ways of reducing their impact on the environment and ensuring they do not pose a danger to the health of workers or users.