Overview

This workshop will discuss topics of sustainable energy for all and how it impacts on the economic development and social welfare of people, particularly the vulnerable or those with lower incomes, in Tibet.

Tibet covers nearly a quarter of China's territory and has a fragile ecological environment. There is an urgent need to form novel building energy systems that suit Tibet’s geographical conditions and its urbanisation to avoid pollution. Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, has 2333 kWh/m² annual solar radiation which is 2-3 times that compared to the UK. It provides an excellent opportunity for the utilisation of solar energy for buildings and poverty alleviation.

The Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China has funded the basic theory of renewable heating and air conditioning in Northwest China as its National Key Research and Development Programme (2016-20) which tackles critical bottlenecks that the nation faces. The timing of this workshop is ideal for enhancing the ongoing national key research programme.

Workshop opportunities

The workshop will be highly interdisciplinary and will bring together 39 researchers from China (20) and the UK (19) with research interests relevant to Renewable Energy Systems in Zero Carbon Villages. It will provide a unique opportunity for sharing research expertise, networking and developing new research proposals.

During the workshop, Early Career Researchers (ECRs) will have the opportunity to present their research in the form of a short oral presentation and discuss this with established researchers from the UK and China. There will be a focus on building links for future collaborations. Participants will be selected on the basis of their research potential and ability to build longer-term links.