Dr David Barns

Profile

I am an interdisciplinary social scientist and policy specialist in heat decarbonisation, with a particular focus on geothermal energy systems and the governance of urban heat networks. My current role is Research Fellow in Geosolutions within Geosolutions Leeds and the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), where I lead and co-investigate research at the intersection of energy systems analysis, planning policy, and institutional governance.

My work is animated by a core question: why does technically viable low-carbon heat infrastructure so rarely get built? I approach this through close empirical study of cities, using Leeds as a "living laboratory", whilst developing frameworks and findings with broader relevance for urban heat decarbonisation across the UK and internationally.

Over the past decade, I have combined academic research with professional practice, drawing on earlier roles managing district heat network performance in local government settings. I’ve used this expereicne to ground my research and policy engagement in the realities of delivery.

Research interests

My research focuses on the sociotechnical and governance dimensions of the heat transition, with particular attention to geothermal energy and urban heat networks. A central contribution of my recent work has been developing an integrated analytical framework which maps urban heating systems across three interdependent dimensions: technical integration, institutional coordination, and subsurface utilisation. The framework helps diagnose why geothermal potential, abundant in cities like Leeds, is routinely excluded from heat planning processes, and identifies the governance interventions needed to unlock it.

I am also interested in the political economy of heat policy – how energy security framing, bill reduction imperatives and local economic development can be marshalled to build the coalitions needed to advance geothermal deployment in the current policy environment.

Community and policy engagement

Alongisde my academic work, I hepled co-found the climate and social justice organisation Our Future Leeds, through which we achieved a £2.5m National Lottery-funded project to enable the creation of Climate Action Leeds. More recently, I’ve helped establish Leeds Community Energy, supporting city-wide community energy initiviates and connect research findings to local delivery.

Qualifications

• PhD 'Unlocking the potential for thermal energy storage in the UK’, University of Leeds
• MSc Renewable Energy Development, Heriot-Watt University
• BSc Management & International Relations, Lancaster University

Student education

• Guest lecturer MSc programmes
• Supervisor for SOEE5020M Research Project

Research groups and institutes

• Sustainability Research Institute
• Geosolutions Leeds