O-STET
A collaborative research initiative aiming to bring socio-technical energy transition (STET) ideas into use within real world decision-making in the UK.
1 November 2018
Project overview
O-STET (Operationalising Socio-technical Energy Transitions) is a collaborative research initiative that brings socio-technical energy transition (STET) ideas into use within real world decision making on energy transition.
STET analysis combines long-term frameworks, qualitative scenarios and quantitative modelling elements, to improve understanding of how socio-technical change happens across the whole energy system. The project has responded to calls to provide more tractable and actionable insights from the STET approach, to inform real-world decision making about energy transition. Â
The O-STET project is a collaboration between researchers at ×î×¼µÄÁùºÏ²ÊÂÛ̳ and the University of Sussex. At ×î×¼µÄÁùºÏ²ÊÂÛ̳ there is a systems modelling team with a long track record in STET modelling, and at Sussex are experts in sustainability transitions from the Science Policy Research Unit. The main non-academic partner is the Energy Systems Catapult. Ongoing collaboration between these three teams ensures a broad and applicable set of outcomes are achieved through the project. A series of workshops has informed the research, along with a dissemination meetings with government.
- Funding and duration
Project Duration
Two years, five months (November 2018 to April 2021)
Sponsor
- Outputs
O-STET outcomes include:
- A new STET model, called TEMPEST, that simulates the UK’s energy transition as a political, social, and technological process.Â
- A set of scenarios that indicate the socio-political feasibility of reaching national emissions reductions targets, under varying future conditions.
- Recommendations for improving he socio-political feasibility of the UK’s energy transition.
- A branching point analysis on alternative pathways for the decarbonisation of heat in the UK’s built environment.
- Conference presentations and academic papers
- Impact
O-STET insights and models will be provided open source for use by stakeholders, such as the Energy Systems Catapult and energy modellers from BEIS, and published on the ×î×¼µÄÁùºÏ²ÊÂÛ̳ Energy Institute website. The outputs will complement existing energy transition modelling, informing policy making, the energy industry, researchers in energy, and third sector organisations.
- People
×î×¼µÄÁùºÏ²ÊÂÛ̳ team
- Neil Strachan (PI)
- Rachel Freeman (Senior Research Fellow)
- Brunilde Verrier (Research Fellow)
University of Sussex team
- Tim Foxon (Co-I)
- Katherine Lovell (Research Fellow)