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Professor Matthew Leach

PhD, DIC CEng, FEI, FRSA

Professor of Energy & Environmental Systems
Director, Centre for Environmental Strategy

In addition Matthew is the immediate past Chair of Council of the British Institute of Energy Economics, and Vice President of the Energy Institute.

Short Biography:

Matthew Leach joined the Centre for Environmental Strategy in 2007 having been a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader at Imperial College London since 1995. An engineer by training Matthew holds a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Southampton University, an MSc in Environmental Technology (Energy Policy specialisation) from Imperial College London and a PhD from Imperial in Energy Policy for Central and Eastern Europe.
Matthew remains a Visiting Professor at Imperial. He is a past Chair of Council of the British Institute of Energy Economics, and is Vice President of the Energy Institute.

Research Interests:

Matthew's research interests relate to decentralised systems (both energy and waste treatment), with a focus on both the technologies, and economic and policy aspects. Matthew has undertaken research and consultancy at local, UK, EU and international levels. He is active in support of energy policy development, having contributed to the 2003 White Paper analysis on low carbon energy scenarios, the DTI Renewables Innovation Review and preparations for the Prime Minister's G8 activities on low carbon technologies.

Current Research Projects

Research Collaborations:

Visiting Professor at Imperial College London, through the Centre for Environmental Policy (CEP) and the Imperial College cCentre for Energy Technology and Policy (ICEPT)
Engaged in numerous collaborative research projects in the UK and EU, including:
Flexnet (future of electricity system, led by Imperial College London and Strathclyde, funded by EPSRC Supergen Programme)
Transitions (low carbon economy, led by Barth University and Imperial College London, funded by EPSRC and EoN)
ReVISIONS (urban sustainability, led by University of Cambridge, funded by EPSRC SUE programme)
Waste consortium (urban waste management, led by Southampton University, funded by EPSRC SUE programme)
NextGenCell (development of fuel cells, led by Vaillant, funded by EU)

Teaching:

Surrey:

Module Convenor for Transitions to a low carbon energy economy module, CES MSc programme
Lecturer on L1 module Sustainable Engineering/Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Lecturer on L3 Electrical Engineering, Business Administration module Sustainable Development

Imperial College London:

Lecturer, MSc Environmental Technology, Energy Policy Option
Lecturer, MSc Sustainable Energy Futures

Selected Publication/Conference Presentations:

Skea J, Green T, Gross R, Heptonstall P, Leach M (2008). Intermittent renewable generation and the cost of maintaining power system reliability. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution 2(1)82-89
Hawkes, AD and MA Leach (2008). "The Capacity Credit of Micro Combined Heat and Power". Energy Policy.
Keirstead J, Leach M (2007) Overcoming gaps between theory and practice: a service niche approach to urban sustainability indicators. Sustainable Development
Hawkes A.D., Aguiar, P., Croxford, B., Leach, M.A., Adjiman, C.S., and Brandon, N.P. (2007). "Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Micro Combined Heat and Power System Operating Strategy: Options for Provision of Residential Space and Water Heating". Journal of Power Sources Vol 164/1 pp 260-271
Hawkes AD and Leach MA (2007). "Cost Effective Operating Strategy for Residential Micro Combined Heat and Power". Energy, 2007. 32(5): p. 711-723
Gross R, Heptonstall P and Leach M (2007). "Renewables and the grid: understanding intermittency". Energy (Thomas Telford)
Hawkes AD, Aguiar P, Hernandez-Aramburo CA, Leach MA, Brandon NP, Green TC, Adjiman CS (2006) "Techno-Economic Modelling of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack for micro-CHP". Journal of Power Sources. Vol 156/2 pp 321-333
Anderson D and Leach M (2005). "The Costs of Mitigating Climate Change". World Economics. 6(3)71-90
Butler, D., Jowitt, P., Ashley, R., Balckwood, D., Davies, J., Oltean-Dumbrava, C., McIlkenny, G., Foxon, T., Gilmour, D., Smith, H., Cavill, S., Leach, M., Pearson, P., Gouda, H., Samson, W., Souter, N., Hendry, S., Moir, J. and Bouchart, F. (2003) "SWARD: decision support processes for the UK water industry". Management of Environmental Quality, 14, 4, 444-459
Gross R, Leach M, Bauen A (2003). "Progress in renewable energy". Environment International 29 105-122, Elsevier.
Barnes, F, Leach, M, Ruth, M (2002). "The Mexican energy sector: Integrated Dynamic Analysis of the Natural Gas/Refining System". Energy Policy 30 (9) 767-779
Karakoussis, V, Brandon, N, Leach, M., van der Vorst, R (2001). "The Environmental Impact of Manufacturing Planar and Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells". J. Power Sources 101, 10-26
Grimston, MC, Karakoussis, V, Fouquet, R, van der Vorst, R, Pearson, P and Leach, M (2001). "The European and global potential of carbon dioxide sequestration in tackling climate change". Climate Policy 1, 155-171
Jones, E, Leach, M and Wade, J (2000). "Local policies for DSM: the UK's Home Energy Conservation Act", Energy Policy 28, 201-211
Foxon, TJ, Butler, D, Dawes, J, Hutchinson, D, Leach, M, Pearson, PJ and Rose, DJ (2000). "An Assessment of Water Demand Management Options from a Systems Approach". J. CIWEM 14, 171 - 178
Jones, E and Leach, M (2000). "Devolving domestic energy efficiency responsibility to local government: the case of HECA". Local Environment 5, 69-81
Foxon, TJ and Leach, M with Butler, D, Dawes, J, Hutchinson, D, Pearson, PJ and Rose, D (1999). "Useful indicators of urban sustainability: some methodological questions". Local Environment 4, 137-149
Leach, M (1997). "Not for burning?". New Scientist 156(2112):56-56
Leach, M, Bauen, A and Lucas, NJD (1997). "A Systems Approach to Materials Flow in Sustainable Cities. Case study of paper". J. Env. Plan. and Man. 40, 705-723

Books:

Books authored:

Hart, D, Leach, M, Bauen, A and Papathanasiou D. (2000). Decentralised Electricity. Financial Times Energy, London. ISBN: 1 84083 369 6

Contributions to Books Edited by Others:

AD Hawkes, L Exarchakos, D Hart, MA Leach, Ir. D. Haeseldonckx, Ir. L. Cosijns, Prof. Dr. Ir. W. D'haeseleer (Expected Feb 2008). Fuel Cells, In "Towards greener, Cleaner Energy Sources".
Gross R, Heptonstall P, Leach M "The UKERC review of the costs and impacts of intermittency". Chapter for (2007) Renewable Energy and the Grid: The Challenge of Variability Earthscan, London.
Leach M, Bilton M, Ramsay C, Devine Wright H, Johnstone C, Kirschen D (in press, due early 2007). "Demand Side Management" in Delivering a Low Carbon Electricity System: Technologies, Economics and Policy, Grubb, Jamasb and Pollitt (eds.), Cambridge University Press.
Wade J and Leach M (2006). "Energy Efficiency in UK Energy Policy: a step change towards a low carbon economy". In Energy Efficiency: Country Experiences and Practices. The ICFAI Press, Hyderabad, India.
Elders I, Ault G, Galloway S, McDonald J, Kohler J, Leach M, Lampaditou E (2006) "Electricity Network Scenarios for the UK in 2050", in Future Technologies for a Sustainable Electricity System, Cambridge University Press.
Leach, M, Bauen, A and Lucas, NJD (2001). "A Systems Approach to Materials Flow in Cities - A case study of paper" in Waste Management and Planning, Turner, RK, Bateman, I, and Powell, J, eds, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham. ISBN 1 84064 217 3
Leach, M (1996). "Energy" Ch. 6 in European Environmental Almanac. Hewett, J, ed. Earthscan, London, 44-56. ISBN1853831433

Television & Radio:

Occasional commentator on Energy Policy and low carbon technologies, for print, radio and television.
Chair of the Communications Panel for the Energy Institute, which advises the EI on its media strategy.

Contact Details

Email	m.leach@surrey.ac.uk
Telephone	+44 (0)1483 689170
Fax	+44 (0)1483 686671
Postal Address	Centre for Environmental Strategy Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences University of Surrey (D3) GU2 7XH United Kingdom