EnergyScapes and Ecosystem Services
Lead Research Organisation:
Teesside University
Department Name: Sch of Science and Engineering
Abstract
Renewable energy has recently received considerable media and public attention because of perceived benefits to the environment, including climate change, the potential to replace imported sources of energy, the possible impact on food production, and aesthetic issues related to the location of wind turbines. Potential sources of land-based renewable energy include bioenergy from forests, arable crops, energy crops and waste, solar heating and electricity, hydroelectricity, ground-source heat, and wind-energy. The spatial organisation of such energy sources, together with energy demand, energy infrastructure and other energy-sources within a particular landscape can be termed the 'EnergyScape'. 'Ecosystem Services' is a collective term to describe the various services we obtain from land and its associated ecosystems. They include the provision of food, fibre and fuel, the regulation of nutrients, water supply and water quality, the creation of opportunities for recreation and education, the maintenance of biodiversity, and the space to build and maintain our supporting infrastructure. The development and use of land-based renewable energy resources will have both negative and positive impacts on these services. Positive aspects may include increased biodiversity from biomass crops; negative aspects may include reduced river flows and increased road transport of biomass. This one-year research project aims to determine, through a pilot study, how a systematic understanding of the 'EnergyScape' and 'Ecosystem Services' could help guide the deployment of land-based renewables. For the pilot study we have selected Marston Vale in Bedfordshire which is a sub-catchment of the Great Ouse river, and contains a mix of agricultural, forestry and urban land. It is the site of a community forest and there is local interest in renewable energy. Working with national and local stakeholder groups, the project will identify the key sources of renewable energy within the study area and the key ecosystem services likely to be affected by the development of land-based renewables. Using spatial data, geographical information systems and existing models, the project will then develop a spatial description of the EnergyScape and the key ecosystem services for the study area. Because some models are weaker than others, we will use a 'Plug and Play' framework, as used in computing, so that new and improved models can be introduced as they become available. Similarly, the approach will allow new data sources to be included as they become available. Starting from the base-line description, we will then investigate the benefits and losses associated with the deployment of different combinations of land based renewables. Because renewable energy sources have different spatial and temporal characteristics relative to the demand for energy, the outputs will not be simply additive. Similarly, there will be complex interactions between energy generation and different ecosystem services, and amongst the ecosystem services. Some interactions will be antagonistic (e.g. solar power v demand for heating; food v biofuel) whereas others may be complementary (e.g. sharing of facilities; biofuel v biodiversity). By using appropriate visualisation tools, we hope that the key interactions can be explained to stakeholder groups, who can then use the information to inform future decisions. We intend that the approach developed in this research, which will be limited to the renewables and ecosystems of a specific area, can be applied to other regions and at a national spatial scale in future research projects. To validate the academic efficacy of our approach, we will submit papers for peer review, seeking to get them published in high-impact scientific journals.
People |
ORCID iD |
Richard Lord (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Burgess P
(2012)
A framework for reviewing the trade-offs between, renewable energy, food, feed and wood production at a local level
in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Coleby A
(2011)
Environmental Impact Assessment, ecosystems services and the case of energy crops in England
in Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
Donaldson R
(2018)
Can brownfield land be reused for ground source heating to alleviate fuel poverty?
in Renewable Energy
Howard D
(2013)
Energyscapes: Linking the energy system and ecosystem services in real landscapes
in Biomass and Bioenergy
Lord R
(2019)
Ten-year legacy of organic carbon in non-agricultural (brownfield) soils restored using green waste compost exceeds 4 per mille per annum: Benefits and trade-offs of a circular economy approach.
in The Science of the total environment
Description | The project developed a method of quantifying the production, trade-offs and synergies of food, fuel and fibre for a geographical location. My contribution was to pilot a way of quantifying non-agricultural land which could be used for bioenergy in a specific area of England. |
Exploitation Route | We are now applying them at a national scale in Scotland through the Renewables Landbank project |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Construction Energy Environment |
Description | The methodology of quantifying non-agricultural land developed here and piloted in the Marston Vale catchment has shown that landfill areas can approach or exceed those of brownfield land. Both are examples of non-agricultural marginal land, so can provide local sustainable biofuels while avoiding the food-fuel-water "nexus" and simultaneously meeting the "trilemma" of providing renewable energy which is low carbon, reliable and affordable. This approach has now been applied at a whole country level to Scotland (P. Mellor, unpublished PhD thesis, University of Strathclyde 2019). |
First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Construction,Energy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
Impact Types | Societal Economic Policy & public services |
Description | Renewables Landbank - Industrial support for PhD |
Amount | £20,400 (GBP) |
Organisation | Parsons Brinckerhoff |
Sector | Private |
Country | United States |
Start | 01/2014 |
End | 12/2016 |
Description | Renewables Landbank |
Organisation | Parsons Brinckerhoff |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | GIS-based PhD project to determine the area and geographical distribution of non-agricultural land in Scotland for land based renewables and ecosystem service provision |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-supervision, project collaboration |
Impact | Multi-disciplinary involving GIS, land remediation and restoration, regeneration, renewable energy |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Renewables Landbank |
Organisation | University of Strathclyde |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | GIS-based PhD project to determine the area and geographical distribution of non-agricultural land in Scotland for land based renewables and ecosystem service provision |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-supervision, project collaboration |
Impact | Multi-disciplinary involving GIS, land remediation and restoration, regeneration, renewable energy |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Renewables Landbank |
Organisation | University of Strathclyde |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | GIS-based PhD project to determine the area and geographical distribution of non-agricultural land in Scotland for land based renewables and ecosystem service provision |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-supervision, project collaboration |
Impact | Multi-disciplinary involving GIS, land remediation and restoration, regeneration, renewable energy |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Renewables Landbank |
Organisation | University of the West of Scotland |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | GIS-based PhD project to determine the area and geographical distribution of non-agricultural land in Scotland for land based renewables and ecosystem service provision |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-supervision, project collaboration |
Impact | Multi-disciplinary involving GIS, land remediation and restoration, regeneration, renewable energy |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Brownfield Land in Scotland 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Led to question and answer session Now collaborating with SME who attended the presentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Renewable Energy Association, ORG Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | led to discussion and supportive comments Invited to meet with company (William Tracey) to discuss research and future trials |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Valuing Natural Capital workshop (Warwick) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Led to formation of expanded research network and formulation of idea for proposal, now submitted for funding (outcome tbc) Research bid submission |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |