What is the Energy Resilience and the Built Environment (ERBE) CDT?
The energy system is undergoing a major transition. Low carbon energy sources have an increasing role to play and accommodating them requires a new flexible and resilient energy system. The ERBE CDT will train the people who will lead this revolution.
The interactions between buildings, people and the energy they need will transform the relationship between supply and demand. Our domestic and non-domestic buildings will no longer be passive consumers of heat and power; instead, our homes and businesses will participate actively in an integrated, low-carbon supply and demand system. New technologies, smart controls and innovative business models will emerge that enable the buying, selling and storing of heat and power.
Energy security, and the future zero-carbon economy require an absolute reduction in demand. Our built environment will be transformed by the construction of new, ultra-low energy buildings and new ways of working, together with clean affordable energy will power our homes and transport systems.
Improving the health, well-being and comfort of our citizens, whilst achieving the energy transformation is essential. Productive workspaces and affordable, clean, safe homes ensure social equality and a vibrant economy.
The ERBE CDT will help realise this vision. It brings together world-leading academics at Loughborough University, UCL and MaREI. With multi-disciplinary expertise in physics, engineering, the social sciences and economics they will train our future leaders, providing them with a deep understanding of buildings, low and zero carbon technologies and the socio-technical context.
The CDT provides an inclusive training environment to cater equally to the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. People with different skills and aptitudes are essential to developing a resilient energy system for the built environment.
We provide a cohort-based training environments to encourage knowledge sharing and mutual support both between academics and with industry and other stakeholders.
The Centre builds on a decade of high-quality doctoral training to provide a new, bespoke PhD programme, which includes opportunities to work with leading researchers, projects integrated with industry, and a comprehensive skills and development programme.
ERBE graduates will lead, and drive change in government, industry, NGOs and academia.