UiO:Energy and Environment funds research within the topics sustainable energy, climate and environment.
If the world is to avoid the dramatic consequences of climate change, we must reduce emissions and implement effective climate adaptation. This entails major changes globally for how we produce and use energy in particular, and for production and consumption in general.
At the same time, we must not create new challenges related to pressures on ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. The necessary sustainable transition also involves demands for social justice.
The research projects awarded funding from UiO:Energy and environment are oriented according to this scope, with four focus areas and three cross-cutting themes. The cross-cutting topics are important for all priority areas, and include all relevant disciplines at UiO.
Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research
The Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) carry out long-term research targeted towards renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and social sciences aspects of energy research. The centres are funded by the The Research Council of Norway. Research activities are carried out in close collaboration between research groups, trade and industry, and public administration, and key tasks include international cooperation and researcher training. The University of Oslo is the host institution and coordinator of one Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) as well as a research partner in six other FME- centres. UiO:Energy and Environment is partner in one of them, but also works with all the others.
Convergence Environments
Convergence Environments are large and interdisciplinary research projects funded by UiO:Energy and Environment. They are to strengthen collaboration across the university, and contribute to increased coordination and synergy between researchers and relevant external stakeholders within the field of sustainable energy and the energy transition.
Duration: Pilot projects 2021-2025
Sustainable Batteries in Mobility - (Em)powering a Net-zero Energy Transition - EMPOWER
The project EMPOWER aims at answering the overarching research question: how can batteries used in mobility empower the transition to a net-zero energy system in Norway?
Privacy-preserving Transactive Energy Management - PriTEM
The main objective of PriTEM is to design distributed and trust enhancing mechanisms for realising optimised approaches for transactive energy management – which entails privacy preservation and secure data sharing for decentralised energy trade for the smart and sustainable energy systems of the future.
Thematic Research Groups (TRG)
UiO: Energy and Environment is funding thematic research groups related to the development of sustainable energy systems and a sustainable society. The research groups will also contribute to the further development of an interdisciplinary culture and collaborations between UiO researchers, and to external collaborations both nationally and internationally. UiO:Energy is funding three thematic research groups on the period of 2019-2022 and four thematic research groups in the period of 2022-2024.
Duration: 2024-2026
Nordic Climate History - NORCLI
What happened the last time Nordic societies encountered rapid climate change? What can be learned from the ways people adapted to challenges that are in many ways similar to the ones we face today? NORCLI studies past climate changes to help us understand current challenges.
Duration: 2022-2024
CO2 storage research and cross-border synergies; southern Norwegian North Sea - CCNS
NCCS aims to strengthen UiO’s position as a leading CCS university and the preferred research partner in future CCS-centers in Norway. They will lead a new partnership between academia and industry in a novel R&D activity targeting CO2-storage in the southern North Sea.
Wind for Future: Envisioning swift and inclusive energy transitions with young people across Norway
Wind for Future aims to answer the question: What energy systems do young Norwegians envision for their future? To answer this question they will develop, conduct and evaluate an intervention tool, in the form of workshops on the energy transition for youth, aged 16-18.
Research for Energy and SUstainabiLity Transformations - RESULTS
RESULTS will develop research and capacity for understanding sustainability transformations in response to the complex global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. This includes transforming energy systems, land use systems, finance systems, education systems, and so on, in a manner that is equitable and sustainable
Discovery and exploration of novel materials for tandem solar cells - DENT
DENT aims to enhance the speed of discovery and investigation of new materials for use in tandem solar cells
Duration: 2019-2022
Spatial-Temporal Uncertainty in Energy Systems - SPATUS
The research group SPATUS studies how we can model uncertainty in renewable energy production. Wind, clouds and temperature vary randomly through time and space, and SPATUS will look at mathematical models that can capture and describe this uncertainty.
Climate Change and Energy Transition in the Middle East - GreenMENA
GreenMENA studies the human and social factors in energy transition in the Middle East and North Africa. Which factors influence ordinary people’s perceptions of, and support for, a green shift in the MENA region?
Circular Energy for a Sustainable Circular Economy
The research groups aims to contribute to new knowledge about social and legal aspects of sustainable energy solutions in relation to the expanding role of digital products and services in our economy. The research group will explore digitalisation in the context of the shift to a circular economy, with a particular focus on design, maintenance, and repair as energy conservation strategies and the regulation of products for sustainability.
Akademiaavtalen with Equinor
Akademiaavtalen finances basic research at UiO and is generally aimed at future energy solutions. It supports UiO's broad commitment to sustainable energy and energy transition through the interdisciplinary focus area UiO:Energy and Environment. Funded activities are proposed by the units at UiO, and are located within areas UiO prioritizes for research and education.