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 *

• Resource & Risk
  • Tidal resource & wave climate assessment
  • Modelling device-environment physical interaction
  • Weather windowing
• Environmental Impacts
  • Ecological study design
  • Currents, sedimentation and associated ecological change
  • Seabird and mammal interactions
  • Visual observations of benthic and pelagic communities
• Towards sustainability - management, policy & communities
  • Sustainable development
  • Community engagement

• Prof. Stuart Gibb
• Dr Philippe Gleizon
• Dr James Grecian
• Dr Peter Bowyer
• Dr Andrew Guerin
• Ms Jacqueline Black
• Dr Jason McIlvenny
• Dr Tarek El-Geziry
• Dr Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy
• Dr Angus Jackson
• Prof. John McClatchey
• Dr David Woolf
• Dr Elizabeth Masden
• Ms Kirsty Lees

Current Students

• Mr Andrew Commin
• Ms. Georgia Kalantzi
• Mr Matthew Easton
• Ms Astrid Harendza
• Ms Joanna Elver-Evans
• Mr Juvenal Dufaur
• Ms Helen Wade
• Mr Giacomo Marchi

Graduated Students

• Yerasimos Angelis
• Laura Stewart

Publications:

• Votier, S., Grecian, W. J., Patrick, S. & Newton, J. (2011) Inter-colony movements, at-sea behaviour and foraging in an immature seabird: results from GPS-PPT tracking, radio-tracking and stable isotope analysis. Marine Biology, 158, 355-362.
• M.C. Easton, A. Harendza, D.K. Woolf, A.C. Jackson (2011), Characterisation of a Tidal Energy Site: Hydrodynamics and Seabed Structure. 9th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, Southampton, UK
• Grecian, W. J., Inger, R., Attrill, M. J., Bearhop, S., Godley, B. J., Witt, M. J. & Votier, S. C. (2010) Potential impacts of wave-powered marine renewable energy installations on marine birds. Ibis, 152, 683-697.
• 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
• Inger, R., Attrill, M. J., Bearhop, S., Broderick, A. C., Grecian, W. J., Hodgson, D. J., Mills, C., Sheehan, E., Votier, S. C., Witt, M. J. & Godley, B. J. (2009) Marine renewable energy: potential benefits to biodiversity? An urgent call for research. Journal of Applied Ecology , 46, 1145-1153.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Witt, M. J., Sheehan, E. V., Bearhop, S., Broderick, A. C., Conley, D. C., Cotterell, S. P., Crow, E., Grecian, W. J., Halsband, C., Hodgson, D. J., Hosegood, P., Inger, R., Miller, P. I., Sims, D. W., Thompson, R. C., Vanstaen, K., Votier, S. C., Attrill, M. J. & Godley, B. J. (In Press) Assessing the biodiversity impacts of wave energy: the Wave Hub experience. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
• 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.

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.
• ORECCA “Off-shore Renewable Energy Conversion platforms – Coordination Action” (2010-2011). - ORECCA “Off-shore Renewable Energy Conversion platforms – Coordination Action” (2010-2011). EU FP7. www.orecca.eu

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