'Energy and its uses are an integral and essential part of our lives. Energy is coupled to civil and environmental engineering through infrastructure, procurement of primary energy sources and their utilisation, generation of electricity, the end use of energy in industry, homes and transportation as well as its environmental impact.'

The Sustainable Energy Research Group within the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment undertakes research in core areas of energy, specifically in the built environment and in renewables. The Group's interests include building envelopes and their impact on energy and comfort, photovoltaics and marine current energy converters.

The aims of the Sustainable Energy Research Group are to promote and undertake fundamental and applied research alongside pre-industrial development in the areas of renewable energy technologies. In addition the group undertakes research related to the efficient use of energy in the built environment. The knowledge base encompasses:

• The design of environmentally friendly energy systems, including methods and procedures for their efficient use.
  
• Knowledge transfer between research and industry.
  
• The promotion of teaching programmes for engineering and science students.
  
• The future performance of the built environment under a changing climate.
  

The research work of the group focuses on:

• Photovoltaics
• Marine Energy
• Urban Energy and Carbon Studies
• Smart Building Technologies
• Microgeneration
• Climate Change Studies
• Micro Hydropower
• Pollution Control

more about the group's research