Environmental Research Institute

• The Highlands & Islands of Scotland are burdened by high fuel prices and contribute to global warming through high per capita energy consumption. At the same time, the region has the potential for self-sufficiency or to be an exporter of sustainable energy. Land-based resources include strong upland winds and bio-crops, but the real prize is vast marine resources based on high winds, large waves and strong currents. ERI itself is located close to many of these resources, notably the Pentland Firth; the foremost tidal current resource in the UK. A major brake on the development of all renewable energy industries are environmental concerns varying from "uncertainty of supply" linked to climate variability and vulnerability of the resource to fears of damage to the environment, fishing and tourism. In parallel with the economic redevelopment of the region, ERI will apply its environmental knowledge to assist in establishing sustainable industries sympathetic to the local environment and communities.

• Assessing available resources of marine renewable energy (tidal current, wave and offshore wind) around Scotland.
• Understanding the effects of marine renewable energy devices on the environment. †
• Assessing the vulnerability of offshore installations to extreme weather *
• Achieving an integrated view of energy generation, energy saving and society
• Understanding the inter-relationships of climate change, energy consumption and generation *

• Resources and Extremes - Computing the statistics of both resources (wind and tidal energy) and dangerous meteorological and oceanographic conditions*
• Marine Survey & Ecological Effects of Marine Devices - Utilising boats and remote sensing to survey the local seas and assess sensitivities of marine habitats†
• Numerical Modelling of the Marine Environment - describing wave and current characteristics of the local seas and predicting the impact of the deployment of energy devices*
• Energy Usage, Education & Policy - Understanding energy issues as an integrated system and promoting sustainable policies and behaviour

• Prof. Stuart Gibb
• Dr. Ian Rae
• Dr. Jason McIlvenny
• Dr. Eric Grist
• Dr. Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy
• Dr. Angus Jackson
• Prof. John McClatchey
• Dr. David Woolf
• Dr. Mark Shields
• Dr. Elizabeth Masden
• Dr. Beth Jianping Xiang

Current Students

• Ms. Alison Middlemas
• Ms. Georgia Kalantzi
• Mr. Matthew Easton
• Jacqueline Black
• Astrid Harendza

Graduated Students

• Yerasimos Angelis
• Laura Stewart
• Dr. Ian Rae

Publications:

• Simon J. Watson, Beth J. Xiang, Wenxian X. Yang, Peter J. Tavner, and C. Crabtree, Condition Monitoring of the Power Output of a Wind Turbine Doubly-Fed Induction Generator using Wavelets, Energy Conversion, IEEE Transactions, Volume: PP Issue:99 1 - 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TEC.2010.2040083
• Jianping Xiang, Wind Energy in China, the ninth annual edition of Renewable Energy, 2009.
• Woolf, D.K. and C. Gommenginger. 2008. Radar altimetry: Introduction and application to air-sea interaction. In Remote Sensing of the European Seas, edited by Vittorio Barale and Martin Gade. Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany, pp.283-294. ISBN: 978-1-4020-6771-6
• McClatchey, J. 2007. Developing a carbon neutral island. Sustainability - Creating the Culture , Inverness, 31 October - 1 November 2007, SDRC Conference CD.
• Woolf, D. and I. Robinson. 2007. The stormy Atlantic. Chapter in Our Changing Planet: The View From Space. Edited by M. D. King, C. L. Parkinson, K. C. Partington and R. G. Williams. Cambridge University Press, pp. 172-175. (ISBN-13: 9780521828703)
• Coleby, A. Aspinall, P. & Miller, D. (March 2007). Expert interpretation of factors experts associate with wind farm environmental assessments. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management.
• Woolf, D.K., C. Gommenginger, N. Sykes, M.A. Srokosz and P.G. Challenor. 2006. Satellite and other long-term data sets on wave climate; application to the North Atlantic region. Full Proceedings of World Renewable Energy Congress IX, Renewable Energy, MT11, Elsevier, ISBN 008 44671 X.
• Wolf, J. and D.K.Woolf. 2006. Waves and climate change in the north-east Atlantic. Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L06604, doi:10.1029/2005GL025113.
• Challenor, P., D. Woolf, C. Gommenginger, M. Srokosz, D. Carter , D. Cotton and N. Sykes. 2006. Satellite altimetry: A revolution in understanding the wave climate. In "15 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry" Symposium Proceedings, SP-614 (CD), ESA.
• Wolf, J. and D.K. Woolf. 2005. Waves and climate change in The Sea of the Hebrides. ISOPE 2005, Seoul, South Korea, 19-24 June, 2005, 9 pages.
• Tsimplis, M.N., D.K. Woolf, T. Osborn, S. Wakelin, P. Woodworth, J. Wolf, R. Flather, D. Blackman, A.G.P. Shaw, F. Pert, P. Challenor and Z. Yan. 2005. Towards a vulnerability assessment of the UK and northern European coasts: the role of regional climate variability. Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences. doi:10.1098/rsta.2005.1571.
• Gulev. S.K., V. Grigorieva, A. Sterl and D. Woolf. 2003. Assessment of the reliability of wave observations from voluntary observing ships: insights from the validation of global wind wave climatology from the VOS data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(C7), 3236, doi: 10.1029/2002JC001437.
• Woolf, D.K., P.D. Cotton and P.G. Challenor. 2003. Measurements of the offshore wave climate around the British Isles by satellite altimeter. Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences, 361(1802), 27-31, doi: 10.1098/rsta.2002.1103.
• Woolf, D.K., P.G. Challenor and P.D. Cotton. 2002. The variability and predictability of North Atlantic wave climate. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107(C10), 3145 (14 pages), doi: 10.1029/2001JC001124.
• Woolf, D.K. and P.G. Challenor. 2002. Statistical comparisons of satellite and model wave climatologies. In Ocean Wave Measurement and Analysis, Ed.s B.L. Edge and J.M. Hemsley, ASCE, Virginia, Virginia, 640-649.
• Cheeseman, K., Phillips, P. S., McClatchey, J. 2000. The Northamptonshire Resource Efficiency Project: a critical analysis of the opinions of project champions. Environmental and Waste Management, 3(4), 175-187.
• Miller, D.R., Coleby, A.M. et al. Editors: Lovett and Appleton. GIS for Environmental Decision Making. Chapter Title/Number: _ “Visualisation Techniques to Support Planning of Renewable Energy Developments”. Taylor and Francis.

Reports:

• McClatchey, J. 2006 "Developing a Hydrogen Economy in Shetland: An initial appraisal of possible developments" Consultancy Report for Shetland Islands Council, May 2006, 34pp.
• Woolf, D.K. 2006. A study of a storm and surge event on the west coast of Scotland using satellite altimeter data. Internal Document No. 3, 2006, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. 22pp.
• Cotton, P.D., D.J.T. Carter, E. Ash, S. Caine and D. Woolf. 2005. An implementation test on support to weather safety in the North West Approaches - Through the use of satellite data in assessing wave energy dynamics. Summary Report. BNSC CPBL/002/00137C. HSE R34.007, Health and Safety Executive, UK. 26 pages.
• Cotton, P.D., D.J.T. Carter, E. Ash, S. Caine and D. Woolf. 2005. An implementation test on support to weather safety in the North West Approaches - Through the use of satellite data in assessing wave energy dynamics. Phase 2 Report: Demonstration Product: Generation and Evaluation. Recommendations for Implementation of a NW Approaches Wave Conditions Monitoring and Analysis Service. BNSC CPBL/002/00137C. HSE R34.007, Health and Safety Executive, UK. 83 pages.
• Cotton, P.D., D.J.T. Carter, S. Caine, D. Woolf, C. Robertson and P. Challenor. 2005. An implementation test on support to weather safety in the North West Approaches - Through the use of satellite data in assessing wave energy dynamics. Phase 1 Report: Evaluation of Capability of EO Derived Wave Data Products to Satisfy HSE/BNSC Requirements. BNSC CPBL/002/00137C. HSE R34.007, Health and Safety Executive, UK. 90 pages.
• Woolf, D. (editor and first author). 2004. GIFTSS Work Package 1.1 Report, Define Sampling Grid / Interval. Unpublished Report: Satellite Observing Systems, Southampton Oceanography Centre and Qinetiq for British National Space Centre and Health and Safety Executive, 4th October 2004.
• Woolf, D. (editor and first author). 2004. GIFTSS Work Package 1.3 Report, Requirements and Availability of EO Data. Unpublished Report: Satellite Observing Systems, Southampton Oceanography Centre and Qinetiq for British National Space Centre and Health and Safety Executive, 4th October 2004.
• GAMBLE WP3 - Scientific/Technical Theme 2- Sea-state error budgets, future detectability. Edited by L. Cavaleri, written contributions from D. Cotton, D. Hauser, Y. Menard, L. Phalippou and D. Woolf. Final Report to European Commission. January 2003. 69 pages.
• Bailey, D. C. M., McClatchey, J. and Phillips, P. S. 2003. Northamptonshire Business Environment Forum (NBEF)—Supporting Sustainability ,through Dynamic Partnerships, Training, and Waste Management: A Case Study from Northamptonshire. Proceedings of Solid Waste Technology and Management Philadelphia, PA USA March 23-26, 2003, ISSN 1091-8043.
• Woolf, D. "Sensitivity of power output to wave spectral distribution" Technical Report, October 2002. (Commercial contract, Seapower Europe Ltd)
• Woolf, D. (with Challenor and Gommenginger) "Wind and Waves". Part of GAMBLE Interim Report, July 2002 (Theme 2, Work Package 3).
• Adams, K. T., Phillips, P. S., McClatchey, J. 2000. The impact of Best Value on the management of municipal solid waste: pilot authorities in England and Wales. IWM Scientific and Technical Review, 2, 4-12.

Current:

• Strategic Research Development Grant (2007-11), "Advancing Marine Renewable Energy Research Capacity in Scotland". - In partnership with ICIT, University of Heriot Watt and European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC, Orkney) funded by Scottish Funding Council, HIE and Orkney Islands Council. A part of the MREDS (Marine Renewable Energy Development in Scotland) programme. https://www.uhi.ac.uk/major-funding-package-announced-for-marine-renewable-energy-research http://hie.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-0finewlm2.RefLocID-0fiswrsty007.Lang-EN.htm
• EU Intelligent Energy programme. - Bid submitted for funding of "SMALL RES-POWERED LOCAL COMMUNITIES (EI-RESPCO)" (2008-2010) led by I.R.S.S.A.T. (Istituto di Ricerca, Sviluppo e Sperimentazione sull'Ambiente ed il Territorio,Via Teocrito 48, 95131, Catania, Italy with ERI; the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Zinev Art Technologies Ltd, Bulgaria, RER, France; National Foundation for Community Development (FNDC), Romania; InnovModel Sustainability, Portugal; BZAKA, Hungary; Centre for Research and Technology-Thessaly (CE.RE.TE.TH), Greece; Diputación Provincial de Granada (DIPGRA), Spain; P.R. INCENTIVES S.A.S., Italy; Lanza e Thompson InformationTechnology srl, Italy.
• Marine Supergen PhD Studentship Programme (2008-11). - HIE, EU (ERDF) and UHI http://www.supergen-marine.org.uk/news.php
• UHI-wide MSc and Postgraduate Placement programmes (2006-). - Bursaries funded in 2006-7 by EU (ERDF), HIE and UHI. MSc in "Renewable Energy and the Environment" is continuing http://www.findamasters.com/search/showcourse.asp?cour_id=9311
• Lora Jane Dillon, MSc Studentship (2006-7). - "Tidal energy mapping at a local scale: The Pentland Firth". ERDF/HIE/UHI funding, supervised by Woolf, Gibb & Corbel
• Martin Raynor, MSc Studentship (2006-). - "Detailed study into the viable wave resources of northern Scotland". ERDF/HIE/UHI funding, supervised by Woolf, Gibb & Corbel
• John Sturman, MSc Studentship (2006-). - "Assessment of the offshore wind energy potential for the North Sea coast of Scotland using GIS". ERDF/HIE/UHI funding, supervised by Woolf, Gibb & Corbel
• Yerasimos Angelis MSc Studentship (2006-2007) - "Quantification of Environmentally Sensitive Emissions by Substitution of Traditional Internal Combustion (IC) Technology with Hydrogen Fuelled IC Engines" ERDF/HIE/UHI funding supervised by McClatchey (ERI), Aklil (Pure Energy Centre) and Gazey (Pure Energy Centre)
• Laura Stewart MSc Studentship (2006-2007) - "Quantification of Environmentally Sensitive Emissions by Substitution of Traditional Domestic Application Power Sources with Renewable Hydrogen Fuelled Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power" ERDF/HIE/UHI funding supervised by McClatchey (ERI), Aklil (Pure Energy Centre) and Gazey (Pure Energy Centre)
• Alison Middlemas MSc student (2007-) - "The effectiveness of household renewable energy systems in Caithness" supervised by McClatchey (ERI), Neil Finlayson (Lews Castle College, UHI), Louise Smith (Ormlie Community Association). Ormlie Community Association funding.
• Georgia Kalantzi, PhD Studentship (2006-). - "Can new wave measurements from space help to improve wave modelling?" NOC Studentship supervised by Woolf, Srokosz (NOCS) & Gommenginger (NOCS). National Oceanography Centre, Southampton funding.

• * These priorities and sub themes are closely allied to theme "Climate Change"
  † These priorities and sub themes linked to theme "Ecology and Ecosystems"
  Interests in biofuels (including anaerobic digestion and analytical chemistry of biofuels) are housed under the theme "Biotechnology and Bioresources"