In a recent review we find that innovations that build on home solar PV generation (e.g., electricity generation and storage, peer to peer electricity trading, vehicle to grid systems) fail to adequately challenge the incumbent model of passively using energy in the home. Their appeal is limited to a reduced set of core and non-core attributes which offer added value […]

Charlie Wilson participated in a media briefing on reaching net-zero emissions organised by the Science Media Centre in London. The aim of the briefing was to emphasise the importance of the upcoming round of international climate negotiations (CoP26) to be hosted by the UK in Glasgow this November. CoP26 marks the critical five year follow-on to the […]

Post written by Emilie Vrain A recent UK study by the SILCI team investigated the role of social networks and communication behaviours in the diffusion process of smart home technologies. An online survey with over 700 participants (adopters and non-adopters of smart heating, lighting and appliances) revealed potential social barriers to mass market adoption (shown in the image above). Results highlight the need to focus strategies on increasing non-adopters’ exposure to […]

Charlie Wilson co-authored a chapter in the latest UNEP report on where we are likely to be in the future compared to where we need to be in order to meet Paris Agreement targets. These authoritative assessments of what has become known as the ’emissions gap’ are an annual report card issued to the international community. This latest one […]

Amory Lovins has been arguing the case for efficiency-led system transformation for over 40 years. His landmark paper back in 1976 challenged the orthodoxy of ever-rising energy demand, and is summarised in Wikipedia thus: “Amory Lovins coined the term ‘soft energy path’ to describe an alternative future where energy efficiency and appropriate renewable energy sources steadily replace […]

Charlie Wilson travelled to Potsdam outside sunny Berlin for a symposium on how to achieve the 1.5°C climate target. The symposium brought together IPCC lead authors, scenario modelling experts, and policy stakeholders to identify integral elements of 1.5°C decarbonisation pathways and how climate policy ‘entry points’ can drive transformative change. Together with Felix Creutzig at […]