The Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics Heriot-Watt University EH14 4AS University of Edinburgh EH9 3JL Joint Research Institute in Energy The JRI in Energy brings together engineers and scientists within the Institute for Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh and the Energy Academy at Heriot- Watt University. There are six key areas of common activity that act all the way down the renewable energy supply chain. Marine Energy & Coastal Defence These activities support the development of the marine energy sector by increasing understanding of the interaction of marine energy devices with the sea at all scales, from university test tank to the open sea. Work on coastal defence explores the overtopping of sea walls by increasingly stormy seas. Urban Energy Demand and Supply At the urban scale JRI research focuses on demand-side technological interventions, supply/demand matching of micro-generation, electricity generation at the micro-scale, and understanding the time-of-day carbon intensity of network electricity. Energy Conversion & Network Delivery JRI staff are developing new breeds of electricity generator that can operate slowly but yet be robust and not too expensive, to convert renewable energy from wind, wave and tidal sources. Understanding the effects of large amounts of renewable energy generation in future electricity networks allows JRI staff to explore new system operation and management to enable the delivery of remote energy resources to distant demand centres. Renewable Energy & Climate Understanding the atmospheric interactions that determine and characterise future wind, wave and hydro resources will be fundamental to the evolution of the energy mix and designs of generating equipment. JRI effort explores the influence of climate change on the nature and availability of these renewable energy resources to future-proof the technology. © 2005 Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Contact: Prof. Robin Wallace, University of Edinburgh, Dr. Bryce Richards, Heriot-Watt University, Photovoltaics & Solar Energy While the solar resource is limited in northern Europe, photovoltaics will play a major role in future energy supply given their ability to generate electricity and heat directly at the point of consumption in cities. JRI research extends from developing new thin-film solar cells, the integration of PV/thermal systems that concentrate diffuse light into buildings, to PV- powered water treatment systems for developing countries and disaster relief. Fuel Cells & Energy Storage Newly-established work in the areas of high- and low-temperature fuel cells is developing advanced materials to improve operation at lower temperatures and reduce costs of devices. Energy storage will be a key enabler of a future renewable energy portfolio, at all levels of scale from atmospheric to geophysical and to chemical at device level. Work in this area is developing understanding and new materials for short and long term energy storage.