Oliver Broad

Oliver Broad is a Senior Research Fellow at University College London's Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, affiliated with the Institute for Sustainable Resources. His work focuses on developing and applying optimization modeling frameworks to support long-term energy planning, with particular expertise in whole systems approaches to assess future energy pathways and their policy implications.

His educational background includes dual MSc degrees: an MSc in Engineering from Ecole Centrale de Nantes (2008-2012) and an MSc in Energy Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (2010-2012). He has been with UCL since 2017, initially as a Research Fellow before advancing to his current Senior Research Fellow position.

Dr. Broad's research spans multiple critical areas of energy transition including renewables integration, residential and industrial heat decarbonization, biomass and bioenergy systems, carbon capture and storage, and crucially, low energy demand scenarios. His work bridges technical modeling with social science perspectives, recognizing the inherently social nature of energy-climate challenges. He has significant experience working both in the UK context and internationally, particularly in the Global South.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on practical policy applications for climate mitigation, with particular emphasis on greenhouse gas removal technologies, energy security challenges during transition, and inclusive climate-compatible growth pathways in developing countries. His work consistently addresses the intersection of technical feasibility, economic viability, and social acceptability in energy system transformation.

As an educator, Dr. Broad served as module lead for the 'Introduction to Energy, Economics and Policy' course in the UCL Centre for Doctoral Training focused on Energy Resilience and the Built Environment (ERBE) between 2019 and 2023. This collaborative course with Loughborough University introduced doctoral students to microeconomics, market structures, decision-making frameworks, and energy policy considerations relevant to energy system design.

His collaborative approach is evident through numerous multi-institutional projects, particularly those addressing energy challenges in Ethiopia and Zambia. Dr. Broad actively contributes to policy debates through consultation responses to UK government initiatives on biomass strategy, greenhouse gas removals, and energy security, demonstrating the real-world impact of his research.