
Net Zero
Leading expertise is already positioned to accelerate decarbonisation and the race to net zero.

Leading expertise across the energy spectrum
Energy is central to nearly every major challenge faced today. Global demand is rising, providing energy efficiently and affordably is a huge challenge, even without the urgent imperative to transition to low-carbon energy.
From smart systems to renewables, energy efficient construction to rapid scale up of carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies, our basic research combines with radical innovation to drive global sustainability.
Future-proofing is critical and evident in our research including our integral roles in industrial decarbonisation across the UK, the virtual energy system in Orkney and acceleration of Clean Cold.

How do we do this?
We are truly inter-disciplinary, capitalising on productive industrial collaborations and research expertise. We develop energy harvesting and conversion in new ways. From traditional renewables to novel technologies including bacteria, biomass and state-of-the-art thermoelectric conversion; from electrochemical and solar thermal energy storage to energy efficiency schemes.
Our research focuses on the integration of micro-technologies into macro-systems. This includes radical innovation in smart materials, smart devices for smart vehicles, smart buildings, smart infrastructure up to whole city systems.
Read more about: Industrial Decarbonisation, ReFLEX, SCORRES, Clean Cold
Research projects
Read more about projects across the decarbonisation and energy transition spectrum.
Net Zero
Science, engineering and radical innovation lead the way in the net-zero challenge
Transition Engineering Genesis
Professor Susan Krumdieck asks: Can engineering change the future? It has before. Transition Engineering is a new field emerging to change unsustainable activities.
Net Zero: Interviews
Professors Mercedes Maroto-Valer and Edward Owens talk about the de-carbonisation and renewable energy projects they work on at Heriot-Watt.
Face the Facts: COP26
Professor Maroto-Valer is leading the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) to accelerate the decarbonisation of industrial clusters. Hear how energy-intensive industries can achieve net-zero.
Particle Behaviours
Professor Raffaella Ocone explains how at Heriot-Watt we characterise the behaviour of solid particles by means of state-of-the-art experiments and numerical modelling.
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Future Makers
From discovery to application, our pioneering research delivers results with global impact, helping to transform society, drive the economy and change lives.
Our impact
Our research activity is driven by delivering real results with far-reaching impact.
Our interdiscplinary research spans engineering and energy, physical, social and life sciences, business and design, in areas as diverse as photonics to carbon capture to homelessness.
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Freight of your life
Demands to achieve a UK target of 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 has left the UK road freight sector facing increasing commercial and environmental pressures.
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Smart systems
The Smart Systems Group at Heriot-Watt leads multidisciplinary research in sensor technologies, manufacturing and embedded intelligence to create Smart Systems.
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Sustainable energy use
The Smart Control of Rural Renewable Energy and Storage project had a profound impact on a trial farm's use of natural resources.
Latest news
Read about our headline-making research and innovation.
Contact us for collaboration opportunities
For posts on our net-zero research