Epidemiologists learn early in their training that epidemiology is the basic science of public health, and they often think of epidemiology as a part of a larger health research enterprise. However, non-health researchers with broader interests have conceived of health as only one phenomenon epidemiology is capable of addressing. A striking example of this thinking is the adoption of epidemiology and the epidemiologic approach by engineers, sociologists, physicists, and other scientists interested in studying end-user demand for energy in built environments. Their goal, as stated by the new Centre for Energy Epidemiology (CEE) at University College London is to adapt the full range of experience of 150+ years of medical epidemiology to provide an overarching structure to “energy end-use demand research”, and to provide a stream of insight to guide policy formation and evaluation.

Making The Case

The case for energy epidemiology has been made in lengthy detail by Hamilton and colleagues (1) in a recent paper entitled “Energy epidemiology: a new approach to end-use energy demand research” published in the journal Building Research and Information in 2013. Also, energy epidemiology has been bolstered by a five-year funding grant from Research Councils UK to the new CEE.

The main features of epidemiology which appear to be attracting these non-health investigators are its population-level orientation, its whole system approach and its encouragement of an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. The goal, as stated by the new CEE, is to adapt the full range of experience of 150+ years of medical epidemiology to provide an overarching structure to “energy end-use demand research”, and to provide a stream of insight to guide policy formation and evaluation.

What Is Energy Epidemiology?

According to the CEE, energy epidemiology is “the systematic study of the distributions and patterns of energy use and their causes or influences in populations.”

The primary aim of energy epidemiology, according to Hamilton et al. is “…to investigate causes and effects of key factors on energy demand within a population or subpopulations, where…this may refer to various scales from individuals and buildings to communities of building complexes.”

Buildings are a potentially important target for abatement of greenhouse gases because energy used in buildings accounts for approximately 30% of total final energy use and global human emissions of greenhouse gases with this proportion increasing to 40% and 50% in most developed countries.

Why Should Energy Adopt Epidemiology?

According to Hamilton and colleagues, “ For end use energy demand, the need to control energy use for reasons of climate change abatement and socio-economic issues of security and access is similar in nature to the need to prevent and control the prevalence of adverse health outcomes…

…end use energy demand research can reinterpret the health sciences research structure of epidemiology in order to found a robust research and analysis framework from which to address the pressing issues surrounding end use energy demand…

…Given that a major change in the culture and practice is needed to meet the energy policy agendas, epidemiology offers a research framework that is attractive in terms of its emphasis on methodological structure, use of definitions and well-structured reviews, the use of evolving protocols and standards, in addition to the specific research designs and analysis techniques

For more information about energy epidemiology and the CEE, visit :

http://tinyurl.com/qx4xwb9

(1) Hamilton IG, et al

Energy epidemiology: a new approach to end-use energy demand research Bldg Res Inf 2013 Vol 41, No 4, 482-497  ■

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