Dr Ray Galvin
Author, Researcher, Activist
on saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions
Ray's underlying concern is that everyone should benefit from the planet’s abundant
resources and the wealth of human labour and technology. He works in two main
areas: a climate-friendly energy transition, and exploring the nature and untapped
potential of money.
Dr Ray Galvin
Ray Galvin’s main field of work is environmental science, with an interdisciplinary
background in engineering, social sciences, policy studies, and more recently economics.
His research of the past decade has mostly focused on energy efficiency and renewable
energy, particularly in buildings, transport and ICT.
He’s recently been developing two new fields of research: how we can reduce poverty while
transitioning to low-carbon, climate-friendly economies; and how we can better understand
the nature of money and how to make it work better for all people everywhere.
His research brings together the influences of policy, technical design, consumer behaviour,
social structure, economics, and monetary and fiscal policy.
Ray does contract research and teaching for the University of Cambridge, UK and is an
Associate Researcher at RWTH-Aachen University, Germany.
He also works as an expert evaluator for European Commission research projects and for
several European government agencies, as well as for a number of academic publishers.
Ray is Senior Associate Editor of the journal Energy Research and Social Science.
Fields of Activity
The transition to a clean energy future
How to pay for a just, sustainable energy transition
The role of renewable energy and how to phase it in
Overcoming political and corporate resistance to a clean energy future
Energy Policy
The Green New Deal in the US
German, UK and EU-wide policy on energy and climate change
The European Green Deal and how it could be implemented
Energy and Buildings
Technical, economic and behavioural issues in reducing energy consumption in buildings
Rebound and prebound effects in home heating
German thermal retrofit policy
Photovoltaics and renewable energy
Transport and Energy
Energy consumption in cars, SUVs and trucks
The US auto-industry and its political power
Commuter travel
Rebound effects and economic determinants of personal travel
Social Theory
Why we need social theory to understand energy transitions
Power and influence, who wields it, and how to deal with it
Understanding money: what it is, and how to utilise it for a clean, just future
