What SAP?

"This ole house is gettin' shaky, this ole house is gettin' old. This ole house lets in the rain, this ole house lets in the cold." - This Ole House by Shakin' Stevens

If you’ve recently moved house, you’re probably familiar with Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). They provide a concise summary of the energy and environmental performance of domestic properties, specifically, an estimate of CO₂ emissions and energy consumption. 

These are used to apply a colour coded performance rating to the dwelling. EPCs must be provided whenever a property is sold or rented and provide useful information to the new occupier as a starting point to estimate the likely environmental impact and energy bills associated with the dweling.

The calculations underpinning an EPC require a standardised methodology for assessing energy and environmental performance of dwellings. This is where the Standard Assessment Procedure or SAP comes in. In addition to EPCs, the SAP is used for a number of policy initiatives including the Green Deal and to ensure compliance with building regulations.

Domestic Power Struggles – how we use electricity in the home

"Knowledge is Power." - Francis Bacon









Want to save money on your electricity bills and reduce your CO₂ emissions? Then you may want to consider living with others, ditching the dishwasher and tumble dryer and being wary of those ubiquitous standby modes, according to a groundbreaking study carried out by the Energy Saving Trust, DEFRA and DECC.

The first comprehensive research of its kind into domestic electricity consumption in English households has shed some fascinating light on the habits of the nation. The in-depth study monitored non-heating electricity usage in 251 households over periods of between one month and one year to investigate consumer habits in single- and multiple-occupancy households.

SET for Britain - Taking Research to Parliament

"There's something in me that just wants to create dialogue" - David Mamet

















As I drew back the curtains at a little after 6 am I was greeted by the freezing sight of a typical northern spring morning - a metallic grey sky and a fresh covering of snow. The day was Monday 18th March, the day of the eagerly anticipated annual Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) for Britain event at the Houses of Parliament.

Catching the Wind

A short article about my trip to Parliament to present my research on wind energy at the SET for Britain event which appeared in a local Devon newspaper.

Why we need a climate dream

"I Have a dream" - Martin Luther King













In August 1963, Martin Luther King began his speech to an enraptured audience. He spoke of injustice, tragedy and broken promises, then, as he moved through his script, there was a cry from the audience, “tell them about the dream Martin, tell them about the dream.”...

Read the full article at Leeds Student Newspaper

Science at a music festival, what will they think of next?

Find out what happened when a group of PhD researcher's got together with the Green Man music festival and a UK Research Council to create some high energy learning. 


Einstein's Garden 2012 - energy factory from Green Man on Vimeo.

Right and Popper - 4. Along came Einstein

"The important thing is not to stop questioning" - Albert Einstein








In Popper's description of the world, if we are rational, we will base our decisions on truth, which is another way of saying we will base them on the best of our knowledge. Truth, in the scientific sense, is not absolute but that which corresponds to the facts, and of course, we never have all the facts.

How long is a piece of string?
Magee uses the example of measurement to demonstrate Popper's view of scientific truth. if you think about it, we can never obtain an exact measurement of the length of a piece of string. With more and more precise equipment we can reduce our uncertainty to 1 cm, 1 mm, 0.1 mm etc but an exact measurement is a concept, it can never be physically realized because we can always improve our accuracy.  

Even though exact measurement is unattainable, we can still make great practical use of both measurement and accuracy of measurement. Our aim in accurately measuring the length of a piece of sting, just as in the scientific method, is to approach the truth ever more closely while accepting that we can never reach it. Alternatively, we can just say the length of a piece of string is twice half it's length, which is exact but does nothing to enhance our understanding of it's length.