7 June 2011
Loughborough University to explore energy-saving
technology of the future
Hi-tech ways to cut domestic energy bills will be explored by experts at Loughborough University, as part of a £1.9 million research project.
The LEEDR (Low Effort Energy Demand Reduction) project will draw together experts in social science, computer science, systems engineering, user interface and design technology at the University.
They have teamed up with communications company O2, energy company E.ON and energy monitoring experts AlertMe to investigate how and why we use energy in the home – and to explore innovative ways to reduce our consumption.
Project leader Dr Richard Buswell said: “This is a very interesting project because it is such a fast-changing, evolving area.
“The need to reduce energy consumption is one which will increasingly impact on our domestic lives. This project aims to uncover innovative, technology-based solutions to the challenge of reducing energy use.
“At the same time, we will attempt to look into the future – to predict the impact of these solutions on the way we live our lives in the coming decades.
“It will have a strong user-centred focus – that means that we will place importance on measuring people’s response to possible solutions. There is little point in proposing a new energy-saving device, for example, if, for some reason, no-one wants to use it.’’
The three-and-a-half-year project has been awarded a £1.4million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC).
The project will enlist the help of 20 volunteer households, whose energy consumption and domestic practices will be examined by the academic team using a variety of methodologies.
Loughborough University has a world-leading reputation for research into the interactions between people, buildings and energy.
The University has established the interdisciplinary Sustainability Research School to help its academic departments work together to tackle the global challenges in this and similar fields.
For all media enquiries contact:
Sarah Hall, Marketing and Communications Officer, Enterprise Office, Loughborough University, T: 01509 228684, E: S.Hall@lboro.ac.uk
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2010 National Student Survey, Loughborough was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has topped the Times Higher Education league for the UK’s Best Student Experience every year since the poll’s inception in 2006. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen’s Anniversary Prizes.
Loughborough is also the UK’s premier university for sport. It has perhaps the best integrated sports development environment in the world and is home to some of the country’s leading coaches, sports scientists and support staff. It also has the country’s largest concentration of world-class training facilities across a wide range of sports.
It is a member of the 1994 Group of 19 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.
