The Energy Futures Lab sets up networks to encourage researchers to communicate within and between disciplines and technologies, and to help establish Grand Challenge programmes.
The full list of research networks, the network leader and their websites are below.
Bio energy
Managed by the Porter Institute, this network aims to produce renewable energy from materials derived from biological sources. Imperial research includes investigating whether sugars from plant cell walls can be used to make biofuels such as ethanol to burn in car engines. Visit the bioenergy network site...
Network leader: Professor Richard Templer
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Imperial has the largest CCS research programme in the UK, which focuses on capturing, transporting and storing carbon in geological formations, as well as legal and regulatory issues, environmental impact analysis and systems research. Visit the CCS site...
Network leader: Professor Martin Blunt Dr Paul Fennell
Electric and hybrid vehicles
Combining Imperial's technological, engineering and policy expertise, this network aims to reduce vehicle lifecycle emissions, raise the profile of research in this area and strengthen collaborations with industry and government. Visit the electric and hybrid vehicles site...
Network leader: Dr Ricardo Martinez-Botas
Energy business
Imperial's energy business research laboratory develops theoretical, managerial and policy insight into how environmentally sustainabel energy technologies can be economically created, implemented and adopted. Visit the energy business site...
Network leader: Dr Erkko Autio
Energy policy
The Imperial Centre for Energy Policy and Technology (ICEPT) focuses on the policy behind the science and technology of producing energy, to analyse the impact of energy systems on climate, ecosystems and human health, and to explore the economic, legal and institutional aspects of related energy and environmental policies. Visit the centre for energy policy and technology site...
Network leader: Dr Tim Cockerill
Energy systems
This network brings together Imperial's multidisciplinary expertise in systems modelling to make biological processes more efficient, to understand how energy, people and materials flow through different systems and to apply existing novel technologies in new ways. Site coming soon...
Network leader: Professor Sandro Macchietto
Fuel cells
Multidisciplinary research includes development of solid oxide, polymer electrolyte and alkaline fuel cells coupled with the analysis of the economic and environmental effects of fuel cell technology. Visit the fuel cells site...
Network leader: Dr Anthony Kucernak
Future fuels
Emerging fuels, such as next generation biofuels and hydrogen, will have a major impact on both static and mobile applications. Researchers are combining knowledge from engineering and science disciplines such as combustion modelling and biochemistry to understand the impact of future fuels. Site coming soon....
Network leader: Professor Peter Lindstedt
Green aviation
The emerging demand to reduce the role of aviation on climate change brings together research interests including aircraft design, advanced materials, combustion and policy. Site coming soon....
Network leader: Professor Ferri Aliabadi and Dr Paul Robinson
Marine Renewable Energy (MRE)
Network leader: Dr Johannes Spinneken
Nuclear fission
Research includes increasing the understanding of materials used in nuclear reactors, improving fuel performance and developing better modelling techniques for simulating thermal and fluid flow process in reactors. Other research focuses on the sustainable , safe and secure disposal of nuclear waste. Visit the nuclear engineering site...
Network leader: Professor Robin Grimes
Nuclear fusion
This network combines Imperial's strengths in plasma physics and engineering to address the technical issues associated with the first generation nuclear fusion power plant. Visit the nuclear fusion site...
Network leader: Professor Steven Rose and Professor Roger Evans
Oil & gas
Research at Imperial focuses on improved location and production of oil and gas, integrating them with emerging technologies such as carbon capture. Site coming soon....
Network leader: Dr Velisa Vesovic
Smart networks
Research into developing a smarter electricity supply system includes new ways of controlling, operating and investing in networks, a better understanding of how new technologies affect grid operation and better ways of balancing supply and demand by integrating energy systems, including offshore grids. Visit the smart networks site...
Network leader: Professor Goran Strbac
Solar
Imperial has the large s t UK academic research programme on solar energy conversion, focussed primarily on developing new solar energy conversion technologies, such as organic and nano-photovoltaic cells and ways of harnessing sunlight to synthesise chemical fuels. Visit the solar network site...
Network leader: Professor James Durrant and Dr N.J Ekins-Daukes
Transport
Imperial's Centre for Transport Studies - one of Europe's leading inter-disciplinary transport research and teaching centres - specialises in new transport technologies, operations, environmental effects and policy and regulatory issues. Visit the Centre for Transport Studies site...
Network leader: Professor John Polak
