EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/L024357/1
Title: Working with Information, Creation of Knowledge, and Energy strategy Deployment (WICKED) in Non-Domestic Buildings
Principal Investigator: Grindrod, Professor P
Other Investigators:
McCulloch, Professor M Bright, Professor S Wallom, Professor D
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Dr K Janda Dr R Layberry
Project Partners:
British Land Corporation CO2 Estates Pilio Limited
Retail Insight Savills Plc Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE)
Department: Mathematical Institute
Organisation: University of Oxford
Scheme: Standard Research - NR1
Starts: 01 July 2014 Ends: 30 June 2016 Value (£): 492,581
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Energy Efficiency
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy Retail
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
26 Feb 2014 Energy Non-Dom Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Innovative energy saving measures in non-domestic buildings- e.g., enhanced information due to sensors and meters; better management due to controls; and more efficient lights and HVAC equipment -could save 18 MtCO2 by 2020 and 86 MtCO2 by 2050, depending upon the rate at which the measures can be deployed. The deployment of energy efficiency technologies and management techniques depends on the physical conditions present in the existing building stock, as well as the ownership characteristics and management practices in each building. That is, adopting better technologies and practices depends on what fits, where, and for whom.

The Working with Infrastructure, Creation of Knowledge, and Energy strategies Deployment (WICKED) project uses a segmented socio-technical approach to work with and learn from different configurations of building energy data and ownership in the existing UK non-domestic stock. The project develops and implements the concepts of "data rich" and "data poor" to identify and map energy-related technical and organizational infrastructure, as well as barriers to and opportunities for change. Top-down analytics on large anonymized non-domestic data sets from energy provider partners will be combined with middle-out case studies of landlord and tenant fleets and bottom-up empirical work in SME buildings, focused predominantly on the retail sector. The project will use this information to engage with and co-create appropriate knowledge for different types and scales of stakeholders: owners, occupiers, landlords, tenants, and energy providers. Through this knowledge and interaction, the project enables adoption of energy efficiency technologies and management techniques appropriate for each stakeholder segment. Based on our findings, our project will develop an action toolbox oriented towards the different needs of different market segments. Indicative innovative products to emerge from this work are: online energy advisor backed up by large data sets, "smart-er" technologies to retrofit legacy gas and electric meters, new forms of leasing agreements, and effective energy management procedures tailored for different stakeholder groups.

Analyzing this complex landscape and its many opportunities and challenges requires a broad based, problem-directed and interdisciplinary approach. The University of Oxford academic team brings together expertise in social and technical aspects of energy demand (Dr. Kathryn Janda and Dr. Russell Layberry), information technologies (Dr. David Wallom), mathematics (Professor Peter Grindrod) engineering (Dr. Malcolm McCulloch), and law (Professor Susan Bright). Non-academic partners for this project are energy suppliers, retailers, local and national government stakeholders, landowners, tenants, and energy advice companies. These partners will leverage the EPSRC funding requested by the provision of data, management practices, lease agreements, test sites, and equipment.

Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk