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Heating and cooling both make up a large part of the total energy demand in the UK; long-term seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) can address temporal imbalances between varying supply and demand of heat to buildings and processes. Underground thermal energy storage (UTES) can play a role in energy decarbonisation by storing waste heat from space cooling, refrigeration, data processing, industrial processes, harvested summer solar thermal energy or even heat generated by surplus renewable (solar or wind) electricity with fluctuating supply. This paper evaluates a range of UTES technologies in a UK context and addresses geological suitability, storage capacity, low-carbon heat sources, surface heat sources and demand. This review concludes that there is a significant potential for UTES in the UK for both aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) and borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) systems, coinciding with surface heat sources and demand. Therefore, uptake in UTES technology will help achieve net-zero carbon neutral targets by 2050. There is also scope to utilise UTES technologies within existing subsurface infrastructure. There are 464 oil and gas wells which could be repurposed upon end of life using different UTES technologies. However, the potential for repurposing needs further evaluation; deep single well BTES systems will have a high surface area to volume ratio for storage, reducing the efficiency of such systems and the potential for ATES is limited by issues associated with contaminants. 23,000 abandoned mines underlay ∼25 % of the UKs population and could be utilised for minewater thermal energy storage (MTES). • Review of UTES technology suitability for the UK. • First reporting of details of the Bodyheat BTES system. • Storage capacities for a typical UK BTES system have been calculated. • UTES has a high potential in decarbonising heat in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a quantitative-based evaluation of the environmental impact of a proposed wind farm is presented using the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM). The paper uses the revised Environmental Statement of the Grove Farm Wind Energy Project, which was rejected during the planning decision consent stage initially and upheld on appeal. The paper evaluates quantitatively the potential impact of an onshore wind farm at the construction and operation stages. Based on the RIAM evaluation conducted, the paper then goes on to apply a mathematical model to the results to determine the indicated potential level and nature of sustainability of the proposed wind farm. The results indicate that the Grove Farm project was deemed, as a whole, detrimental to the environment–human system, particularly in respect to impacts to visual amenity and cultural heritage. The application of the model to the RIAM indicated that in both the construction and operation stages, the project was considered as unsustainable. The results obtained raised legitimate questions as to the benefits of such projects as a major contributor to the UK׳s renewable and sustainable energy mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity Market is structured to fund reliable electricity supply, meet the need of consumers, ensure the affordability of end-users, and support national economic development. In recent years, to meet challenging emission target set by Government, power system in the UK has a rapid increase of integration with various-scale Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) and Energy Storage Systems (ESSs), which pushes the electricity market reform to accommodate the changes, encourage renewable energy integration, adopt new technologies, stimulate consumers participation, and ensure the power system resilience. The paper reviews the history of UK electricity market evolution, driving factors of reform, and the trend of current electricity market reform. In history, the UK electricity wholesale market has experienced three significant reform stages, which are introducing the Electricity Pool of England & Wales (the Pool) in the 1980s, implementing the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) in the 2000s, and performing the Electricity Market Reform (EMR) in 2013. To address the new emerging challenges in decarbonising power generation, the paper explains and analyses on-going electricity market changes and the trend for future electricity market reform. • Comprehensive review of UK electricity market mechanism and its history of evolution. • Explanation of the major UK electricity market reforms and the rational for all the reforms. • Clarification of the importance of electricity market in encouraging increases of renewable energy integration. • Analysis the trend for the future electricity market evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following literature review sets out the state-of-the-art research relating to smart building principles and smart energy systems in UK higher education university campuses. The paper begins by discussing the carbon impact of the sector and the concept of 'smart campuses' applied to the sector in the context of decarbonisation. Opportunities and challenges associated with integrating smart energy systems at the university campus from a policy and technical perspective are then discussed. This is followed by a review of building and campus-scale frameworks supporting a transition to smart energy campuses using the BPIE' Smart Buildings' framework. The paper finds that the complexity of achieving net-zero carbon emissions for new and existing higher education buildings and energy systems can be addressed with the adoption of 'smart building principles' and integrating 'smartness' into their energy systems. Several universities in the UK and worldwide are integrating smart services and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in their operations following the smart campus premise. At the building level, existing frameworks often create conceptual roadmaps for the smart building premise or propose technical implementation and assessment methods. At university campus scale, implementation typically comes through single-vector interventions, and only few examples exist that propose a multi-vector approach. Comparisons of the drivers and the decision-making process are made, with carbon and cost reduction being the most prominent from leveraging distributed energy generation. Therefore, this study identified the need for a comprehensive technical or policy framework to drive the uptake of the smart energy campus, aiming to bring together the holistic value of smart energy campuses. • Systematic literature review of smart energy systems at university campus-scale. • UK Policy and technical pathways to smart energy integration. • A critical review of the existing building and university campus-scale frameworks. • A holistic decision-making framework for the integration of multi-vector smart energy system at university campus scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is an established and evolving technology for providing large-scale, long-term electricity storage that can aid electrical power systems achieve the goal of decarbonisation. CAES facilities often utilise large underground storage caverns to ensure high capacity systems. This results in the need of locations with suitable geological features to develop a CAES plant. This paper examines recent and ongoing large-scale CAES projects and presents candidate methods of storing high pressure air using underground features. An assessment of the overall potential for CAES in India is presented by examining its geological features and locations with the greatest potential for CAES plants are determined. This is combined with an analysis of the renewable electricity generation potential in India to identify candidate areas for renewable generation and CAES integrated systems. Up to 1.05% of Indian land area is deemed suitable for CAES plant development and if fully utilised would be sufficient to meet the energy storage needs of India, however, practically a very small fraction of the total suitable land that could be developed so other competing energy storage technologies should be considered. Conversely, the UK possesses a very good potential for CAES, enough to greatly exceed necessary energy storage, owing to the abundance of salt beds not present in India. For CAES to garner serious consideration in India, aquifer storage based CAES needs to be demonstrated. • A comparative assessment of the Indian and UK potential for CAES. • Methodology for linking CAES suitable regions and renewable electricity generation. • Comprehensive review of all major large-scale CAES projects. • Economic and geographic problems have led to the failure of many CAES projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]