SusTEM Network: Sustainhermal Energy Management Network

There are significant concerns about the UK's ability to meet national and international climate change targets and long term security of supply. There exists many opportunities to improve the efficient use of thermal energy in existing buildings/plants and modes of transport and to give greater consideration to thermal energy management in future designs.

Industrial consumption accounted for 18% of total UK final energy consumption in 2011. Within this industrial sector, heat use (space heating, drying/separation, high/low temperature processing) accounts for over 70% of total UK industrial energy use. The market potential for waste heat is estimated to be between 10TWh - 40TWh per annum. Recent developments in energy processing and the need for CO2 reduction have led to a growing interest in using this heat. SMEs account for 45% of industrial energy use but their processes and plants are often less efficient, largely due to the financial cost of optimisation . It is therefore important to ensure support and focus is given to SMEs, particularly addressing the barriers to effective thermal use applicable to this part of the economy.

Commercial and residential buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the UK's total non-transport energy use, with space heating and hot water accounting for almost 80% of residential and 60% of commercial energy use between sectors. Marine and rail transport contribute over 14 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent to UK annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and similar opportunities to those in the industrial and building sectors to reduce thermal energy demand exist. The adoption of increasingly stringent emissions legislation and increasing fuel costs have made it even more important that the thermal energy in the power and propulsion is optimised, for example through greater energy recovery and storage.

The SusTEM Network will build upon the success of the PRO-TEM Network and expanding its remit. This will include the engagement of researchers with social and economic expertise and widening the network through further engagement with industry, particularly SMEs, academia and government and policy makers (local and national) who have not previously participated in the PRO-TEM Network. SusTEM Network will have the following key objectives:

1. Provide a forum to incorporate stakeholder opinions in the area of thermal energy management for the industrial, building, and transport sectors.
2. Engage with multi-disciplinary researchers within the research community at UK HE institutions, including End Use Energy Demand Centres, to maximise dissemination, impact, reach and significance of research outcomes.
3. Stimulate knowledge transfer between academia, industry, government and other stakeholders.
4. Identify and promote future research requirements based on partner contributions, road-mapping and links to Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTN), European Technology Platforms (ETP) and other relevant networks and initiatives.
5. Foster long-term collaboration between outstanding research teams in the UK and China and to ensure there is a two way transfer of knowledge.

SusTEM is expected to have a significant impact on future sustainable thermal energy management in a number of sectors The Network will be multi-disciplinary in nature to ensure crucial issues in the fields of policy, techno-economic and social impact are addressed, as well as transferring technical solutions to a variety of stakeholders. This Network would support UK Government and EU efforts relating to energy efficiency, security of supply and green house gas emissions reduction. Government and policy makers are increasingly aware of the technological and social challenges if future energy demands and legal targets are to be achieved. They will benefit by having the opportunity to input their concerns and needs into the international research effort and therefore help shape future research strategy. Benefits will be gained from the technology transfer of robust technical, social and economic solutions from the academic community. The identification of barriers, incentives, trade-offs and opportunities to exploit effective thermal energy management across sectors will support policy and regulatory interventions.

The engagement with all important stakeholders has been demonstrated by the PRO-TEM Network when disseminating research outcomes and identifying barriers and future challenges in the use of thermal energy. The SusTEM Network will build upon this model to maximise all impact opportunities. Impact pathways have been devised to ensure maximum impact through engagement, technology transfer and international collaboration. Industry and business will benefit through the knowledge transfer of innovative technology and behaviour/practices research to improve thermal energy management in their organisations thereby reducing fuel costs, greenhouse gas emissions and improving efficiency or to allow them to become world leaders in thermal energy management solutions which is an expanding market worldwide. Industry and business will also benefit from the opportunity to actively engage with researchers in order to input to future research strategies and communicate their needs and real or perceived barriers.

The proposed Network will have substantial relevance to a large cross section of society including the academic community in the UK and worldwide. The Network will provide academic researchers with the opportunity to establish working relationships and undertake collaborative projects with academic researchers at other universities (including international experts particularly in China) as well as end users of thermal energy and other stakeholders. The Network will contribute to accelerating the development of academic research and providing opportunities to publish and dissemination results of academic activities. Access to the resource collection on the Network website will be of benefit to all academic researchers, particularly early career researchers. SusTEM will disseminate knowledge through various strategic pathways including journal publications, SusTEM Conferences, Stakeholder events, collaboration with partners from China and a variety of UK and European research forums