Research, knowledge and exchange and consultancy

The UHI partnership is building a reputation for research excellence across a range of energy topics critical to the future economic development of the Highland and Islands.

Our research addresses issues surrounding the development and management of energy resources for the future, with a focus on:

• Environmental survey/measurement/monitoring
• Marine sensing
• ­Renewable energy and the environment 
• ­Oceanographic, metocean and hydrodynamic understanding
• Innovative sensors, platforms and measurement techniques
• Energy systems ­
• Marine mammal, fish/fisheries and bird interactions
• ­Marine governance, planning and decision support tools 
• Historic environment management and mitigation
• Safety and training
• Socioeconomic impact, community energy, and carbon foot-printing
• Resource assessment and characterisation
• Hydrogen
• Sustainable water quality management
• Wastewater treatment solutions
• Sustainable aviation
• Biodiversity, ecology and species conservation
  

  How we've supported the energy sector

• Short-term projects
  We developed novel techniques for drone mapping of seabirds and surface currents to reduce the cost and risk of offshore surveys in the Validating Surface Currents at Offshore Renewable Energy sites (V-SCORES) project.
  
  
• Medium-term projects
  As part of the ECOWind PELAgIO project we’ve pioneered understanding ecosystem effects of offshore wind, completing two years of measurements around the SSE Seagreen wind farms.
  
  
• Long-term projects
  We’re working with Ørsted on the PREDICT initiative to understand fish migration patterns and the potential impact of wind farms on marine ecosystems. This includes a demonstration field campaign alongside the Simply Blue Group and Subsea7 Salamander floating offshore wind farm.