Energy Institute

Climate change is causing a rise in global temperatures. High summertime temperatures can lead to overheating, where the temperature in homes becomes a risk to health and comfort. To reduce overheating in new residential buildings, a new part of the English Building Regulations, Part O: Overheating (‘Part O’) was introduced in 2022. This study evaluates the application of this new regulation to real-world projects. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 experts across the construction and policy sectors. Experts identified that Part O has barriers to its application, including conflicts with broader parts of the building regulations, limitations in compliance modelling assumptions for passive and active technologies, a lack of futureproofing for rising temperatures, and inadequate assurance that homes designed to the regulations would be constructed to a high quality. To improve the use of Part O, this paper suggests recommendations for how the building regulations can minimise conflict, streamline processes, and support innovation to deliver heat resilient homes. This includes using academic evidence to better support technical modelling assumptions, and in the longer-term utilising upcoming modelling methodologies (Home Energy Model) to integrate Part O modelling with broader parts of building design and compliance requirements. To deliver a shift in high quality, heat resilient and net zero homes, this paper recommends a long-term shift in regulatory approaches to focus on absolute performance outputs, building audits and post occupancy evaluation. • Evaluation of Part O: overheating building regulations to support revisions. • Interview data gathered from 30 experts across construction and policy. • Barriers identified in application of Part O and broader building regulations. • Near-term recommendations to futureproof and improve assumptions. • Long-term recommendations to streamline regulations and audit homes.

When designing a chemical process, the local balance of transport and kinetics, collectively referred to as the diffuse microenvironment, plays a critical role in performance but is difficult to directly observe. This work demonstrates a method of two-dimensional spatial chemical mapping of the diffuse microenvironment in the context of alkali metal hydroxide direct air capture of carbon dioxide using a custom operando gas-absorption flow cell along with confocal Raman spectroscopy. Notably, we observe the concentration boundary layer near the gas-liquid interface and elucidate the interplay of carbonate and bicarbonate ions within it while inferring local hydroxide depletion through continuum modeling. These first of their kind observations provide a technique to compare the performance of direct air capture solvents based on diffuse microenvironment dynamics while also providing metrics important for air contactor design such as boundary layer thickness. Overall, this work showcases a new experimental platform to study interfacial diffuse microenvironments in and outside of the field of direct air capture of carbon dioxide.

Conceived as a publicly-funded means of providing affordable, secure homes, social housing has historically been integral to growth-driven economies. With the gradual retrenchment of welfare policies, the sector continues facing mounting tensions between market imperatives and its social mission—challenges further compounded by the climate crisis. Degrowth proposes an emancipation from a growth-oriented system to reconcile socio-ecological goals; however, the compatibility of a degrowth agenda with that of social housing providers is underexplored. We investigated social housing providers' perceptions of the interventions needed to address the system structures that undermine social housing management and provision—such as declining housing quality, demolition, disinvestment in physical and social infrastructure, and lack of tenant representation—and explored their potential to catalyse the transformational change envisioned by degrowth. In a workshop with representatives of four London-based housing associations, we used participatory system dynamics (SD) to identify systemic interventions, and discuss their feasibility, impact, and implementation barriers. We then bridged systems thinking and degrowth frameworks to explore the kinds of transformation these interventions may enact, and their synergies with approaches to creating degrowth-oriented value. Approaches such as ‘Equalising inequalities’ and ‘Shrinking, slowing, and extending resource cycles’ were more frequently linked to interventions at shallower leverage points in the system. Conversely, most interventions associated with ‘Democratic, purpose-driven, and transparent governance’ and ‘Overcoming economic growth dynamics’ targeted the deepest type of leverage points in the system. Our findings demonstrate the value of SD in helping stakeholders formulate interventions addressing symptoms and root causes of systemic issues arising from growth-oriented structures, offering guidance for future research and practice. • System dynamics workshops elicited interventions in the English social housing system. • The interventions identified by participants align with approaches to create degrowth-oriented value. • These approaches exhibit different potential to catalyse the transformational change envisioned by degrowth. • Systems thinking and degrowth frameworks can support a combination of interventions at deep and shallow leverage points.

This study examines niche approaches to electrolyser integration into the electricity system. Electrolysers are directly connected to offshore wind farms to lower electricity supply costs. The system integrates onsite electricity and hydrogen storage, exporting to or importing from the grid only when prices are favourable. Electricity price arbitrage in this system could reduce the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) by 17%–29% for offshore wind-powered systems without batteries, and by 1%–2% for grid-powered systems under UK electricity market prices in 2023–24. For offshore wind systems with battery storage, LCOH reductions of 1%–3% are achievable through arbitrage. Profitability also depends on electrolyser type, hydrogen demand, and structural variations in electricity pricing. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating such niche configurations into energy and electricity system models.

Abstract Despite nearly 20% of the global population experiencing hearing loss, there remains limited insight into the underlying subtypes of its most prevalent cause, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This understanding is crucial for effective therapeutic and preventative strategies. A recent study using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) identified 10 distinct SNHL phenotypes in a large US cohort, highlighting the potential of unsupervised machine learning (UML) to provide a data-driven solution to this task. Rigorous validation of these models is essential; however, it is limited due to several factors, including the absence of ground truth labels for model evaluation, restricted data access, and the lack of a standardized reporting framework for comparing results across clustering studies. Here, we apply a GMM to a UK database of 109,854 audiograms, revealing 9 phenotypes, partly overlapping with prior findings. Notably, our study cohort is characterized by advanced age, a higher proportion of female participants, and more severe hearing impairments. We observed instability in the GMM model when subjected to variations in the original dataset. To enhance practices, we propose a Clustering Replicability Framework, ensuring robustness in UML driven health research for safe clinical translation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising candidates for advanced surface treatments due to their inherent porosity, structural tunability, and functional versatility. Herein, we utilize these unique attributes of MOFs to systematically investigate their potential as passive icephobic surfaces, which is a critical requirement to mitigate ice accretion, which significantly impacts safety and performance across numerous technologies. Specifically, we elucidate how MOFs' pore size, surface morphology, and chemical functionality synergistically influence ice nucleation temperature and ice adhesion strength. Employing surface-grown MOFs (UiO-66, UiO-67 and MOF-5), we demonstrate that these coatings consistently lowered the median ice nucleation temperature by approximately 4-5 °C and reduced ice adhesion strength by up to two-thirds compared to bare glass. Through a combined approach involving classical heterogeneous nucleation theory and density functional theory simulations, we uncover that the key mechanism driving this icephobic performance is the nanoconfinement effect arising from sub-nanometre pores, which significantly elevates the energy barrier to ice nucleation and minimizes solid-ice contact through the void effect. Furthermore, we identify hydrophobic alkyl silane functionalisation as the most effective chemical strategy to enhance these icephobic properties. These findings provide critical insights into the structure-property relationships that govern icephobic performance, paving the way for the rational design of MOF-based anti-icing coatings for diverse technological applications.

Lithium sulfonimide salts have significantly advanced the development of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Nevertheless, sulfonimide salt-based electrolytes exhibit severe corrosion behavior toward the aluminum (Al) current collector when exceeding 4.0 V (vs Li/Li+). Herein, the corrosion chemistry of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI)-based electrolytes in LMBs has been elucidated. It is revealed that, in addition to Al3+ dissolution, corrosion reactions also involve the Li anode, accompanied by decompositions of solvents. The corrosion byproducts, including Al3+ and a series of carbonate anions (e.g., CH3CH2OCO2–), will engage in crosstalk between electrodes to intensify the corrosion process. Herein, a series of cyano-group (−CN)-containing auxiliary salts are adopted to inhibit crosstalk effects by enabling strong anticorrosion coordination and interphase passivation. Encouragingly, the as-designed electrolyte enables the 468 Wh kg–1 LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2||Li pouch cell to exhibit 80% capacity retention after 280 cycles. The as-designed electrolyte also mitigates exothermic reactions under thermal abuse, effectively delaying the thermal runaway.

As the global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) accelerates, the need for accessible and scalable charging infrastructure poses a growing challenge, particularly in urban areas. While research has largely focused on public charging provision, the potential of private charger sharing – facilitated through Charger Sharing Services (CSS) remains underexplored. This study investigates the factors shaping private EV charger owners’ willingness to participate in CSS, using survey data from London-based charger owners. Latent Class Analysis was employed to segment respondents based on their economic, social, and moral motivations, as well as their intention to share. Four distinct consumer segments were identified and are presented in conceptual order from least to most motivated to share: Unmotivated Reluctant, Indifferent, Economic-Centred, and Highly Motivated. Each segment reflects unique socio-demographic and travel behaviour profiles. Results show that economic motivations play a pivotal role especially among those who are younger and cost-conscious, whereas wealthier and more highly educated groups exhibit greater reluctance. These findings point to the importance of tailored engagement strategies. Policy and industry recommendations are offered to strengthen CSS adoption in the host side and support more connected, equitable EV charging networks.

Zambia continues to promote resource-based development through mineral exploration and exploitation. Whilst expanding copper production remains a top priority, recent Government announcements have signalled an intent to diversify export revenue by scaling-up exploitation of other minerals (e.g. gemstones, manganese, gold). The development of its artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector has been pinpointed as a strategy to do so. This paper investigates, firstly, whether Zambia's policy ambitions for the sector are, in theory, compatible with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and secondly, to what extent it has, in practice, achieved progress. An original framework was developed to map Zambia's ASM-related policies to the SDGs. We find that, on paper, the ASM policy framework is compatible with most SDGs. However, an overemphasis on large-scale mining and economic growth persists, whilst other positive socioeconomic and environmental synergies are missed. Additionally, a new sector bias has emerged towards artisanal and small-scale gold mining, with less attention paid to other minerals in the policy framework. The findings also reveal that some policies with high social impact potential have, so far, been inadequately implemented. Consequently, issues relating to availability and accessibility of finance, inadequate equipment and training, unsafe mining conditions, gender and child labour concerns, as well as poor environmental performance, persist. The study concludes that Zambia's ASM sector is still far from achieving the SDGs and reiterates the need for targeted policies that foster socioeconomic transformation of the sector. • Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) can contribute to sustainable development. • In Zambia, gaps exist between policy aspirations and practice. • The policy framework exhibits biases, missed opportunities, and trade-offs. • These prevent Zambia's ASM sector from meaningfully contributing to the SDGs.

Molecular hydrogen (H2) has emerged as a promising candidate for energy storage due to its high energy content; however, H2 storage and transportation are still challenging. Traditional methods such as compressed (500 to 700 bar) or liquefied (–253 °C) H2 have considerable drawbacks in terms of energy requirements and materials of construction for pressurized or cryogenic storage.1, 2 In contrast, liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) represent a safer and potentially more energy-efficient approach to storing and transporting H2.3 In particular, aqueous formate salts can store hydrogen (or energy) in a stable liquid at ambient conditions and can be transported and stored using the existing infrastructure.4-6 In this work, we explored the electrocatalytic oxidation (ECO) of potassium formate (KHCO2) (KHCO2 + H2O→ KHCO3 + 2H+ + 2e–) on a Pd-based heterogeneous catalyst in a batch and a continuous-flow electrolyzer. We explored how the applied potential [Open Circuit Potential (OCP) to 0.4 V vs reference hydrogen electrode (RHE)], reaction temperature [room temperature (≈22 °C) to 65 °C], and concentration of species (0.25 to 3.0 M) affect the deactivation and reaction rate. Our work showed that whereas the Pd-based electrocatalysts deactivate during ECO, the electrocatalytic rate can be restored on site by pulsing positive half-cell potentials (Figure 1). In situ Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopy reveal that the build-up of reaction product on the electrocatalyst surface during the experiment is responsible for the deactivation.This research highlights the potential of using safe and stable formate solutions offer a safe and stable medium for storing hydrogen, leveraging existing infrastructure for transport and storage of liquids without necessitating major modifications. Moreover, the study addresses a common challenge in catalytic processes: electrocatalyst deactivation. Through innovative methods, the research proposes solutions for in situ regenerating the functionality of the electrocatalyst, thus eliminating the need for reactor dismantling or extensive manual intervention, ensuring continuous and efficient operation. Such advancements pave the way for uninterrupted H2 production, optimizing overall efficiency and decreasing downtime in industrial processes. REFERENCES:(1) Rampai, M. M.; Mtshali, C. B.; Seroka, N. S.; Khotseng, L. Hydrogen production, storage, and transportation: recent advances. RSC Adv 2024, 14 (10), 6699-6718, 10.1039/D3RA08305E. DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08305e.(2) Physical Hydrogen Storage. https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/physical-hydrogen-storage.(3) Ulucan, T. H.; Akhade, S. A.; Ambalakatte, A.; Autrey, T.; Cairns, A.; Chen, P.; Cho, Y. W.; Gallucci, F.; Gao, W.; Grinderslev, J. B.; et al. Hydrogen storage in liquid hydrogen carriers: recent activities and new trends. PRGE 2023, 5 (1), 012004. DOI: 10.1088/2516-1083/acac5c.(4) Gutiérrez, O. Y.; Grubel, K.; Kothandaraman, J.; Lopez-Ruiz, J. A.; Brooks, K. P.; Bowden, M. E.; Autrey, T. Using earth abundant materials for long duration energy storage: electro-chemical and thermo-chemical cycling of bicarbonate/formate. Green Chem. 2023, 25 (11), 4222-4233, 10.1039/D3GC00219E. DOI: 10.1039/d3gc00219e.(5) Grubel, K.; Su, J.; Kothandaraman, J.; Brooks, K.; Somorjai, G. A.; Autrey, T. Research Requirements to Move the Bar forward Using Aqueous Formate Salts as H2 Carriers for Energy Storage Applications. JEPT 2020, 02 (04), 016. DOI: 10.21926/jept.2004016.(6) Hwang, Y. J.; Kwon, Y.; Kim, Y.; Sohn, H.; Nam, S. W.; Kim, J.; Autrey, T.; Yoon, C. W.; Jo, Y. S.; Jeong, H. Development of an Autothermal Formate-Based Hydrogen Generator: From Optimization of Formate Dehydrogenation Conditions to Thermal Integration with Fuel Cells. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2020, 8 (26), 9846-9856. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c02775. Figure 1