Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering and Associate Director of the Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change (ISCC) at the University of Bath.
My research and teaching focus on embedding sustainability in design and engineering. This is essential for people to improve quality of life around the world while living within our planetary boundaries.
In particular, my team and I use life cycle assessment (LCA) to measure and reduce environmental footprints. We work in two related areas: (1) improving the methodology of LCA; (2) applying LCA in experimental research and in practical, real-world projects. We do this in a variety of applications including construction, energy, and manufacturing.
With experience in engineering, industry and Parliament, I think it is essential to collaborate across sectors to shape our research and to maximise its value. Following a PhD and research contract in mechanical engineering (life cycle energy and carbon analysis of energy supply to buildings; 2006-09), I joined the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology as POST's energy adviser. POST provides impartial and accessible research to Parliament, and I was also seconded to Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change. During 2012-18 I was a senior associate at Sustain Ltd (now Anthesis) and then director at Circular Ecology (which maintains the ICE Embodied Carbon Database). We helped companies with combined turnovers of greater than £10bn to measure and reduce their environmental footprint. Prior to 2006, I worked as an engineer in remote parts of Canada and Mexico, designing and building equipment and accommodation for ecological field research.
Willing to supervise doctoral students
Interested in supervising students studying:
- Life cycle assessment
- Sustainable materials
- Sustainable energy technologies
- Sustainable manufacturing
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Expert member of Committee on Life Cycle Assessment, British Standards Institute
2021 → …
Member of Engineering EC Forum, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
2018 → 2020
Director, Circular Ecology Ltd.
2014 → 2018
Senior Associate, Sustain Ltd
2012 → 2014
Scientific Adviser - Energy, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
2010 → 2012
Research Officer, SUPERGEN Highly Distributed Power Systems, University of Bath
2009
Engineer (Canada and Mexico), Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation
2005 → 2006
Keywords
- TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
- TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
- Sustainable energy
- Renewable energy
- Thermodynamics
- Heat transfer
- Carbon footprinting
- Energy analysis
- Life cycle assessment
- Embodied energy and carbon
- Building performance analysis
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Pioneering Zero Carbon Construction Policy in B&NES (Phase II)
Hawkins, W. (PI), Marsh, E. (CoI), Shea, A. (CoI), Demski, C. (CoI), Allen, S. (CoI) & Phelps, P. (CoI)
1/12/24 → 31/07/25
Project: Research-related funding
-
Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub
Davidson, M. (PI), Allen, S. (CoI), Buchard, A. (CoI), Chatterjee, S. (CoI), Cooper, S. (CoI), Cresswell, A. (CoI), Freakley, S. (CoI), Hintermair, U. (CoI), Leese, H. (CoI), Lupton, R. (CoI), Mattia, D. (CoI) & O'Malley, A. (CoI)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/09/24 → 31/08/31
Project: Research council
-
BuildZero: optimising the UK's buildings for zero new materials, zero waste and zero carbon
Allen, S. (PI)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/04/24 → 31/03/29
Project: Research council
-
BuildZero: optimising the UK's buildings for zero new materials, zero waste and zero carbon
Lupton, R. (PI) & Allen, S. (CoI)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/04/24 → 31/03/29
Project: Research council
-
InNovative Bio&geo-soUrced, re-used & recycled products coupled with BIM-based dIgitaL platform for very low carbon consTruction, circular economy, energy and resource efficiency - Horizon Europe Guarantee Extension
Allen, S. (PI), Cascione, V. (CoI), Maskell, D. (CoI), Shea, A. (CoI), Walker, P. (CoI), Holcroft, N. (Researcher) & Marsh, E. (Researcher)
Innovate UK, Innovate UK Business Connect
1/12/23 → 31/05/27
Project: EU Commission
-
A method to create weighted-average life cycle impact assessment results for construction products, and enable filtering throughout the design process
Marsh, E., Hattam, L. & Allen, S., 1 Feb 2025, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 491, 144467.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
An investigation into the thermal and hygric performance of bio-based wall systems
Dams, B., Cascione, V., Shea, A., Maskell, D., Allen, S., Walker, P. & Emmitt, S., 1 May 2025, In: Journal of Building Engineering. 101, 111727.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Battery electric vehicles show the lowest carbon footprints among passenger cars across 1.5–3.0 °C energy decarbonisation pathways
Simaitis, J., Lupton, R., Vagg, C., Butnar, I., Sacchi, R. & Allen, S., 5 Jun 2025, (Acceptance date) In: Communications Earth & Environment.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Circular Bio-based Walls: Applications and Challenges
Cascione, V., Dams, B., Roberts, M., Shea, A., Maskell, D., Allen, S., Walker, P. & Emmitt, S., 9 Jan 2025, The 1st International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment. NTZR 2024. Lioumarsi, M. & Shafei, B. (eds.). Cham, Switzerland: Springer, Vol. 237. p. 1231-1242 (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering ((LNCE)); vol. 237).Research output: Chapter or section in a book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter in a published conference proceeding
Open Access -
Data quality and uncertainty assessment of life cycle inventory data for composites
Balcioglu, G., Fitzgerald, A. M., Rodes, F. A. M. & Allen, S. R., 1 Mar 2025, In: Composites Part B: Engineering. 292, 112021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (SciVal)
Datasets
-
Dataset for: Does design-for-deconstruction increase upfront embodied carbon? Life cycle assessment of a deconstructable building
Roberts, M. (Creator), Allen, S. (Creator), Coley, D. (Creator) & Clarke, J. (Data Curator), University of Bath, 7 Mar 2023
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-01053
Dataset
-
Dataset for "Novel super-reduced, pedagogical model for scoping net zero buildings''
Fosas, D. (Creator), Mitchell, R. (Creator), Nikolaidou, E. (Creator), Roberts, M. (Creator), Allen, S. (Creator), Walker, I. (Creator) & Coley, D. (Creator), University of Bath, 9 Nov 2021
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-01062
Dataset
-
Embodied energy and embodied carbon of 81 shelters globally
Kuchai, N. (Creator), Matard, A. (Creator), Coley, D. (Creator) & Allen, S. (Creator), University of Bath, 16 Sept 2019
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-00550
Dataset
-
Dataset and code for: Expanding scenario diversity in prospective LCA: Coupling the TIAM-UCL integrated assessment model with Premise and ecoinvent
Šimaitis, J. (Creator), Butnar, I. (Creator), Sacchi, R. (Creator), Lupton, R. (Creator), Vagg, C. (Creator) & Allen, S. (Creator), University of Bath, 2 Jan 2025
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-01431
Dataset
-
Surveys responses for "Use of Environmental Product Declarations in Industry" questionnaire
Marsh, E. (Creator), Roberts, M. (Creator) & Allen, S. (Creator), University of Bath, 20 Aug 2024
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-01319
Dataset
Thesis
-
Micro-generation for UK Households: Thermodynamic and Related Analysis
Allen, S. (Author), Hammond, G. (Supervisor), 1 Jun 2009Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › PhD
File