Themes:
Energy storage; energy economics; thermomechanical energy storage systems; thermodynamics; renewable energy; climate change.
Activity:
At the Centre for Energy Storage at the University of Birmingham, Dr Barbour primarily focuses on the economics of energy storage systems. His aim is to improve our understanding of how energy storage can form an integral part of the electricity systems of the future.
He has developed a techno-economic computer model of energy storage, which considers the technical performance of the storage system and several potential revenue streams from the electricity market. This is being used to schedule the operation of the pilot Cryogenic Energy Storage (CES) plant at the Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage
He is also interested in Compressed Air Energy Storage, especially in advanced fuel-less CAES systems and continues to carry out research out these systems. During his PhD he performed experimental testing on small-scale CAES systems.
Previously he has carried out research on solar energy and climate change, investigating how the future solar energy resource will change as a result of climate change. He has also been involved with tidal energy research.