Ellen Zapata-Webborn

I am a Senior Research Fellow in Data Science and End Use Energy Demand at the UCL Energy Institute working on the Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) project - developing a longitudinal smart meter dataset (with contextual data) for UK-based researchers.

Interests

  • Smart meter data
  • Machine learning
  • Power system operation and flexibility
  • Demand response
  • Energy consumption patterns
  • Fuel poverty

Education

  • PhD in Mathematics and Complexity Science, 2018

    University of Warwick

  • MSc in Complexity Science, 2012

    University of Warwick

  • BSc in Mathematics with Intercalated Year, 2011

    University of Warwick

Recent Posts

Why nuclear power will (and won't) stop climate change

I was recently interviewed by science communicator Simon Clark for his latest science video “Why nuclear power will (and won’t) stop climate change” (below). The final result is a brilliant deep dive into nuclear power, and the nuclear versus renewables decarbonisation debate.

Bringing papers alive with video abstracts

As an early-career researcher, building up a decent publication record can feel like a real battle. By the time you’ve finished your work and written it up according to your chosen journal’s particular specifications, the last thing you might feel like doing is spending more time getting it publication-ready.

Recent Publications

Winter demand falls as fuel bills rise: Understanding the energy impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on British households

In October 2022 British households entered a heating season amidst exceptionally high energy prices – squeezing household incomes and increasing fuel poverty. This study analyses electricity and gas …

Settling for colder homes as energy prices rise: evidence from 4200 households in Great Britain

2022 saw steep rises in energy prices in Great Britain. With gas space heating responsible for around half of domestic energy consumption, reducing home thermostat setpoints has the potential to …

The impact of COVID-19 on household energy consumption in England and Wales from April 2020 to March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people lived, worked, and studied around the world, with direct consequences for domestic energy use. This study assesses the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns in the …

The over-prediction of energy use by EPCs in Great Britain: A comparison of EPC-modelled and metered primary energy use intensity

This analysis compares the difference between the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)-modelled and smart-meter measured annual energy use on a like-for-like basis in 1,374 gas-heated British …

Smart Energy Research Lab: Energy use in GB domestic buildings 2021

This report describes domestic gas and electricity energy use in Great Britain in 2021 based on data from the Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) Observatory, which consists of smart meter and contextual …

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