Energy research across the globe highlights the need for energy conservation and the development of technology to harness renewable energy sources as the only means to economic welfare and energy independence for a nation. The downside is that most energy research is either ignored or used piecemeal according to the political agenda of ruling parties.

Energy research focuses on two broad areas – getting the most out of an energy source (in other words energy efficiency) and technology to translate alternative energy sources into everyday use forms. Electricity and fuel for transportation needs are the two largest areas of energy consumption anywhere in the world.

Energy Research in the United States

The oil crisis of 1973 led the US Congress to pass the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, under the auspices of which the Atomic Energy Commission was split into the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The ERDA was assigned the responsibility to conduct energy research and develop technologies, nuclear weapons and naval reactor programs. The NCR on the other hand was charged with regulating the commercial use of nuclear power. Since its formal launch in January 1975, the ERDA has been working on ways to make the nation energy independent, while developing technologies to harness renewable and inexhaustible energy sources and advocating energy plans for the United States.

The ERDA played a pivotal role in the creation of the Solar Energy Research Institute, which was renamed National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1994. In fact, solar power has been central to more than five bills passed by the Congress since 1974. The ERDA has also been responsible for the promotion of fusion and prototype wind-power technologies.

The Chicago Operations Office, which is part of the ERDA, has also proved invaluable in its development of new energy projects in the areas of fossil energy, renewable energy, nuclear and other technologies and energy conservation. The Chicago Operations Office has provided the support ERDA needs to implement its energy programs, facilities and initiatives. Chicago has also played a crucial role in winning contracts, grants and collaborations not only within the US, but from several other nations.

Energy Research in the UK

The UK Energy Research Centre was established in 2004, following the recommendations made by the country’s Chief Scientific Advisor Sir David King in 2002. The Centre is funded by three research councils – the Natural Environment Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council. The UK Energy Research Centre is responsible for research and information on sustainable energy systems, using a whole-systems approach that includes knowledge drawn from the areas of engineering, economics and physical, social and environmental science. The Centre coordinates all research conducted by various agencies in the UK. It also acts as the mediator between energy research efforts in the UK and the external world of business, policymakers and international research efforts.

The basic research themes of the UK Energy Research Centre include:

• Demand Reduction
• Future Sources of Energy
• Energy Infrastructure and Supply
• Energy Systems and Modeling
• Environmental Sustainability
• Materials for Advanced Energy Systems
• Cross-cutting Research Activity

Energy Research in the European Union

In 1991, a new body was added to the European Economic Interest Grouping, the European Renewable Energy Centres Agency (EUREC). The aim was to coordinate and strengthen all European energy research and the development and demonstration of renewable energy technologies. The EUREC is an independent member-based agency that includes 43 major research groups across Europe. The research fields of the EUREC members include:

• solar buildings
• wind
• photovoltaics
• biomass
• small hydro
• solar thermal power stations
• ocean energy
• solar chemistry and solar materials
• hybrid systems
• integration of renewable energy in the energy infrastructure

Apart from the EUREC, the European Union is also pursuing active efforts in energy research, development and promotion through various programs such as:

• the ultra-low energy housing or the CEPHEUS project
• energy saving efforts through SAVE
• discovery of new and renewable energy sources or the ALTENER program
• Research on transport through STEER
• The ITER project on atomic energy
• COOPENER – a project that aids developing countries

Energy Research in Asia

• The Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC) – This was established in July 1996 as part of the Action Agenda adopted by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit at Osaka. The APERC functions as an affiliate of the Institute of Energy Economics and is hosted and financed by the government of Japan. The APERC undertakes energy research to create a common knowledge base among the APEC economies regarding global, regional and national energy supply and demand trends, energy infrastructure and energy regulatory reform and policy.
• The China and East Asian Energy Project – This is a joint initiative of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research (EABER) and the Energy Research Institute in China. This ongoing project plays a major role in the energy policy for Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia.
• Individual nations, such as Japan and India, among others, have established national energy research programs and agencies. While some agencies are funded by the UN or larger global energy programs, others are financed by the particular nation’s government.

Energy Research in Africa

Among the various projects run by different African nations, the most prominent are the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI), the Energy Research Centre (ERC), which is a multi-disciplinary energy research program and the AFREPREN/FWD, which brings together 200 African energy researchers and policy makers from across 19 African nations.

There is a growing need to exploit research taking place at the academic level as well as to organize a collaborative effort among nations for marked progress in energy research. The Arizona State University (ASU) is organizing the Conference for Power Engineering Leaders of Tomorrow between September 5 and 7, 2008. The conference has attracted participants from universities across Europe, Africa, Australia, India, China, Canada, the United States and Mexico and seeks to spark collaborative research.