Wind turbines

Pioneering sustainable solutions to global challenges

Working in partnership to make a difference

The Centre for Environmental and Renewable Energy Solutions (CERES) stands at the forefront of addressing critical challenges in environmental sustainability and renewable energy. Established as a beacon of innovation, CERES is dedicated to pioneering research and finding solutions that significantly impact both local and global environmental challenges.

Partnerships

We've built a strong collaborative network, teaming up with partners from both the industry and the public sector. Below are just some of the organisations we've recently worked with:

  • UNEP
  • Southern Water
  • International Clean Tech Network
  • Absolar
  • Isle of Wight Council
  • B4T
  • Brittany Ferries
  • Portsmouth International Port

Facilities

Renewable Energy Lab

Students and researchers address sustainable power and decarbonisation issues with modelling software and physical equipment in our Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

Hydrogen and electrolysis for renewable energy
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Telecommunications and Control Laboratory

Explore how to transmit radio waves, build circuit boards and analyse high-frequency signals at our Telecommunications Laboratories.

Male student in the telecommunications lab
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Power Electronics Laboratory

Our Power Electronics Laboratory supports learning in the field of electrical & power engineering, enabling students to study the impact of electrical loads.

Student working in the Power Electronics Laboratory
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Hydraulics Laboratory

The Hydraulics Laboratory helps civil engineering students investigate all aspects of open channel flow; from flow over weirs to hydraulic jumps.

Technology Facilities; 31st May 2019
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Environmental Technology Laboratory

This lab hosts all the facilities you need to conduct simple water tests for biochemical oxygen demand to suspended solids, nutrient analysis, pH and conductivity.

A laboratory worker handling test tubes
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Environmental Technology Field Station

Conduct tests and analyse samples currently in the ecosystem in a fully-operational waterworks in nearby Petersfield complete with microbiology and environmental chemistry labs.

Aerial view of the environmental technology field station
Explore Station

Current and recent projects

Sustainable Energy and Air Quality Improvement for Coastal Harbours to Achieve Net-zero with Grid Enhancements

The SEA CHANGE project will design, build and operate a ‘shore power’ system across the three busiest berths at Portsmouth International Port. This will allow visiting ferry or cruise ships to turn off their engines when in the port, as they will be able to ‘plug-in’ and use green electricity to run their onboard systems.

SHAPE UK: Shipping, Hydrogen & Port Ecosystems UK (SHAPE UK)

In this project, we use systems engineering in collaboration with industry to demonstrate and assess the role of alternative fuels in ports for decarbonisation.

Connecting Innovation for Clean Growth (CGUK)

This is a pioneering university-led business network that helps members get innovative ideas to market faster. A one-stop-shop for clean innovation.

Smart Local Energy Systems: Concepts and Designs

By taking a systems approach to energy provision, we're working in collaboration with industry to design a local energy framework for the Isle of Wight.

Innovation Hub: Southern Water

Technology moves fast and we're staying ahead of the curve by trialling new technologies to protect the environment in this project. We've established an Innovation Hub, a suite of laboratories, and offices on the site of the Southern Water Petersfield treatment works.

Impact

Developed new water management technologies

A UK water company implemented new treatment technologies and site models, enhancing wastewater treatment performance while reducing costs and improving environmental protection. This upgrade not only stimulated the commercial growth of SMEs through improved sewage treatment plants but also informed policy on blue-green water management systems, benefiting both the environment and industrial collaborators. Additionally, soil washing technology was developed to remediate hydrocarbons at industrial sites.

Equipped industry

CERES colleagues have equipped industry with enhanced theoretical understanding and modelling capabilities that have provided significant economic benefit by decreasing the overall development cost of manufacturing battery modules for electric vehicles (EVs). 

Increased rates of using EVs

Our work has contributed to the increased use of EVs by improving the commercial viability of lithium-ion battery packs, which make up 40% of the vehicle's cost. These batteries last longer, are safer, recharge faster, and can be driven further between charges – contributing to policies to ban the sale of combustion engines across large portions of the world and societal goals to reduce CO2, NOx and particulate emissions.

Established a clean-tech cluster

We established a clean-tech cluster in 2015, following regional funding from the UK government. This led to the formation of Clean Growth UK, a pioneering university-led business network that helps members gain innovative ideas to market faster.


Publication highlights

2024

Estimating primary substation boundaries and the value of mapping Great Britain's electrical network infrastructure

Barbour, E., Cárdenas, B., Day, J., Donaldson, D. L., Garvey, S. D., Jones, C. R., Urquhart, A. J., Wilson, I. A. G.

31 Aug 2024, In: Applied Energy. 376, Part B, 13p., 124242

Packed bed thermal energy storage system: parametric study

Buick, J., Rabi', A. M., Radulovic, J.

10 Jul 2024, In: Thermo. 4, 3, p. 295-314, 20p.

Exploring public perceptions of indoor air quality under different quasi-experimental conditions: a UK case study

Emygdio, A. P. M., Jones, C. R., Kumar, P., Omidvarborna, H., Seymour, V., Valappil, A. k., Xenitidou, M.

14 Jun 2024, In: Advances in Building Energy Research, 23p.

Investigating the effect of the separation of scales in reduced order battery modelling: implications on the validity of the Newman Model

Copper, S., Foster, J., Galvis Rodriguez, A. F., Squires, I.

20 May 2024, In: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 171, 7p., 050536

Inland recreational fisheries contribute nutritional benefits and economic value but are vulnerable to climate change

Arlinghaus, R., Baigun, C., Beard, T. D., Cooke, S. J., Cowx, I. G., Embke, H. S., Golden, C. D., Koehn, J. D., Lyach, R., Lynch, A. J., Milardi, M., Nyboer, E. A., Phang, S. C., Potts, W., Robertson, A. M., Schmidhuber, J., Thorpe, A., Viana, D. F., Weyl, O. L. F., Wood, L. E.

13 May 2024, In: Nature Food. 5, 5, p. 433-443, 11p.

Exploring perceptions of smart, modular living in the UK: a think aloud study

Gatersleben, B., Gilbert, N., Hodgkins, C. E., Jones, C. R., Ratcliffe, E., Seymour, V., Timotijevic, L., Xenitidou, M.

11 May 2024, In: Behaviour & Information Technology

Our members

Mohammed Elgorani Abdelrhman Ali Portrait

Dr Mohammed Ali

Senior Lecturer

Mohammed.Ali@port.ac.uk

School of Civil Engineering and Surveying

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Muhammad Ali Portrait

Dr Muhammad Ali

Associate Professor in Materials and Environmental Innovation

Muhammad.Ali@port.ac.uk

School of Civil Engineering and Surveying

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Victor Becerra Portrait

Media ready expert

Professor Victor Becerra

Professor of Power Systems Engineering

victor.becerra@port.ac.uk

School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Fay Couceiro Portrait

Media ready expert

Professor Fay Couceiro

Professor of Environmental Pollution

Fay.Couceiro@port.ac.uk

School of Civil Engineering and Surveying

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Peter Hamilton Cruddas Portrait

Dr Peter Cruddas

Senior Lecturer

peter.cruddas@port.ac.uk

School of Civil Engineering and Surveying

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

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Anton Chinthana Sameepa Hettiarachchige Don Portrait

Dr Anton Hettiarachchige Don

Lecturer

Anton.Hettiarachchige-don@port.ac.uk

School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

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