The objective of the Bristol Sustainable Energy Research Fund was to support researchers wishing to investigate or evaluate topics that contribute to the development of a more sustainable, equitable and democratically accountable energy system in the South West of England. 

Across two rounds of funding, there were three successfully funded projects.

Energy Democracy in Bristol’s City Leap

Dr Emilia Melville and Jack Nicholls

This research investigates possible forms of democratic participation in Bristol Council’s Bristol City Leap. 

You can access the Democracy in City Leap report here.

You can access a recording of the presentation of findings event here.

Energy Publics: mapping public participation in Bristol’s energy transition

Dr Jake Barnes

This project mapped energy participation in the West of England, then analysed the results to identify and explore key patterns and trends within regional energy participation.

You can access a summary of the findings here.

Fuel Stories: a community energy engagement model

Dr Elaine Forde

This project developed a model for community engagement that sought to involve marginal or disadvantaged groups in locally-owned community energy projects.

The project ran a series of engagement workshops in some of the most disadvantaged areas in Bristol to encourage people to talk about their relationship to energy and to share their own ‘fuel stories’.

These visual ‘fuel stories’ can be seen in Elaine’s presentation here.

If you’d like to run your own fuel stories workshops, email fuelstories@swansea.ac.uk to request the workshop guide and image cards.