A Network for Heating and Cooling Research to Enable a Net-Zero Carbon Future (H+C Zero Network)

Decarbonising both heating and cooling across residential, business and industry sectors is fundamental to delivering the recently announced net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets. Such a monumental change to this sector can only be delivered through the collective advancement of science, engineering and technology combined with prudent planning, demand management and effective policy.

The H+C Zero Network will facilitate the advancement of decarbonisation of heating and cooling internationally through funded workshops, conferences and secondments which in combination will enable researchers, technology developers, managers, policymakers and funders to come together to share their progress, new knowledge and experiences. It will also directly impact on this through a series of research funding calls which will offer seed funding to address key technical, economic, social, environmental and policy challenges.

Dr Andrew Smallbone (DEI Fellow and Associate Professor in Engineering) is Director of the network.

It is led by Durham Energy Institute and formed by a research partnership between Durham University, Oxford University, Brunel University London, Heriot-Watt University, University of Leeds and Northumbria University.

This is underpinned by our wider stakeholder group of international partners:

AGFW (Energy Efficiency Association), Agility Eco Services Ltd, Association for Decentralised Energy, CIEMAT (Ctr for Energy, Env & Tech Res), Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), Deptartment for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Durham County Council, E.ON Energy Solutions Ltd, Energy Networks Association, Energy Systems Catapult, Euroheat & Power, European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), GE (General Electric Company), GT Energy UK Ltd, Heat Pump Association, Institute of Materials Kensa Group Ltd, Leuphana University, Mineral Products Association, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Narec Distributed Energy, National Institute of Technology Karnataka (India), Nestle UK Ltd, NMAM Institute of Technology (Karnataka, India), North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), Power Roll, Royal Academy of Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, SINTEF Energi AS (Norway), Star Refrigeration Ltd, Tata Steel UK Limited, The Chartered Institute of Building, The Climate Change Committee and University of Sheffield.

The Network focuses on the following five themes which are essential for decarbonising heating and cooling effectively:

Theme 1 Primary engineering technologies and systems for decarbonisation

Theme 2 Underpinning technologies, materials, control, retrofit and infrastructure

Theme 3 Future energy systems and economics

Theme 4 Social impact and end users' perspectives

Theme 5 Policy Support and leadership for the transition to net-zero

Find out more on the project website www.net-zero-research.co.uk/heating-cooling/