Local pathways to low-carbon domestic heat : exploring the options in the UK

Currently, natural gas is the predominant source of domestic heat provision. Take-up of heat pumps and district heating remains at a minimal penetration of around 0.5%. In total, only around 2.5% of heat comes from low carbon sources, compared with more than 45% of electricity. As heat accounts for around 40% of UK energy consumption and 20% of GHG emissions, the decarbonisation of the heat sector is seen as vital for the UK to reach UK emission reduction targets. Different trajectories in heat provision using parallel energy vectors (electricity, gas, alternative gases, heat networks) imply a range of infrastructure impacts. In order to explore the form of different local energy systems under decarbonisation scenarios, this work seeks to: - Capture the broad forms of ’last-mile’ network: Urban, Suburban, Rural (on/off gas grid ) seen as exemplar of the UK energy system; - Downscale whole system-derived technology mixes and construct demonstrative local energy systems representing key use cases; - Using multi-carrier optimisation, determine the impacts of heat decarbonisation on current and future system actors

Local pathways to low-carbon domestic heat : exploring the options in the UK

Currently, natural gas is the predominant source of domestic heat provision. Take-up of heat pumps and district heating remains at a minimal penetration of around 0.5%. In total, only around 2.5% of heat comes from low carbon sources, compared with more than 45% of electricity. As heat accounts for around 40% of UK energy consumption and 20% of GHG emissions, the decarbonisation of the heat sector is seen as vital for the UK to reach UK emission reduction targets. Different trajectories in heat provision using parallel energy vectors (electricity, gas, alternative gases, heat networks) imply a range of infrastructure impacts. In order to explore the form of different local energy systems under decarbonisation scenarios, this work seeks to: - Capture the broad forms of ’last-mile’ network: Urban, Suburban, Rural (on/off gas grid ) seen as exemplar of the UK energy system; - Downscale whole system-derived technology mixes and construct demonstrative local energy systems representing key use cases; - Using multi-carrier optimisation, determine the impacts of heat decarbonisation on current and future system actors

Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland

Virkisjökull is a rapidly retreating glacier in south-east Iceland. A proglacial lake has formed in the last ten years underlain by buried ice. In this study we estimate water velocities through the glacier, proglacial foreland and proglacial river using tracer tests and continuous meltwater flow measurements. Tracer testing from a glacial moulin to the glacier outlet in September 2013 demonstrated a rapid velocity of 0.58 m s�1. This was comparable to the velocity within the proglacial river, also estimated from tracer testing. A subsequent tracer test from the same glacial moulin under low flow conditions in May 2014 demonstrated a slower velocity of 0.07 m s�1. The glacier outlet river sinks back into the buried ice, and a tracer test from this sink point through the proglacial foreland to the meltwater river beyond the lake indicated a velocity of 0.03 m s�1,suggesting that an ice conduit system within the buried ice is transferring water rapidly beneath the lake. Ground penetrating radar profiles confirm the presence of this buried conduit system. This study provides an example of rapid deglaciation being associated with extensive conduit systems that enable rapid meltwater transfer from glaciers through the proglacial area to meltwater rivers

Towards a smart community evaluation and implementation toolkit - low-cost mini-district predictive controls with flexible tariffs

The drive to decarbonise the grid through intermittent generation requires an increase in system flexibility. To achieve this all energy assets, regardless of size and location, need to be incentivised to contribute. For smaller and remote assets and microgrids, the ability to participate in the current third-party flexibility markets remains limited. A toolkit has therefore been developed to allow assessment for smaller systems to use standard flexible energy tariffs, orchestrated by a simple, independent locally-situated controller, to achieve financial benefits and assist grid balancing. The toolkit has demonstrated that significant savings are achievable for a small mini-district scheme. The integrated Python-based optimisation engine can be used on low-cost platforms, such as the Raspberry Pi, which indicates that the developed algorithms has the potential to orchestrate microgrids as part of an integrated control system

Feelings of not mattering and depressive symptoms from a temporal perspective: A comparison of the cross-lagged panel model and random-intercept cross-lagged panel model.

Are feelings of not mattering an antecedent of depressive symptoms, a consequence, or both? Most investigations focus exclusively on feelings of not mattering as an antecedent of depressive symptoms. Our current study examines a vulnerability model, a complication model, and a reciprocal relations model according to a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). A sample of 197 community adults completed the General Mattering Scale (GMS), the Anti-Mattering Scale (AMS), and a depression measure at three time points (i.e., baseline, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks). GMS and AMS scores were associated robustly with depressive symptoms at each time point. Other results highlighted the need to distinguish levels of anti-mattering and mattering. CLPM analyses supported a reciprocal relations model of anti-mattering (assessed by the AMS) and depressive symptoms and a complication model linking mattering (assessed by the GMS) and depressive symptoms. The RI-CLPM analyses provided tentative support only for a complication model of anti-mattering and depressive symptoms. Our findings highlight the differences between measures of the mattering construct and the need to adopt a temporal perspective that considers key nuances and the interplay among feelings of mattering, feelings of not mattering, and depression