Classification and Subject Schemes used in the EDC
July 7, 2026
All content held in the Energy Data Centre has one or more energy categories assigned to it. This means for a particular subject you will be able to discover everything we hold. In addition we add a subject to Data and Publications and a science and technology subject to projects which provides additional context. Finally for projects we also add a cross-cutting subject indicator to address some energy specific multidisciplinary areas and a research type to denote what type of R&D is being undertaken.
Energy categories are based on the IEA classification scheme.
Science and Technology based on the UNESCO scheme and the RAE schemes.
Subjects and Cross cutting were devised by UKERC and the EDC.
| Area | Sector | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| ENERGY EFFICIENCY | Industry | |
| Residential and commercial | ||
| Transport | ||
| Other | ||
| FOSSIL FUELS: OIL, GAS and COAL | Oil and Gas | Enhanced oil and gas production |
| Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas | ||
| Non-conventional oil and gas production | ||
| Oil and gas combustion | ||
| Oil and gas conversion | ||
| Other oil and gas | ||
| Coal | Coal production, preparation and transport | |
| Coal combustion | ||
| Coal conversion (excluding IGCC) | ||
| Other Coal | ||
| CO2 Capture and Storage | CO2 capture/separation | |
| CO2 transport | ||
| CO2 storage | ||
| RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES | Solar Energy | Solar heating and cooling (including daylighting) |
| Photovoltaics | ||
| Solar thermal power and high-temp. applications | ||
| Wind Energy | ||
| Ocean Energy | ||
| Bio-Energy | Production of transport biofuels (incl. Production from wastes) | |
| Production of other biomass-derived fuels (incl. Production from wastes) | ||
| Applications for heat and electricity | ||
| Other bio-energy | ||
| Geothermal Energy | ||
| Hydropower | Large hydropower (capacity of 10 MW and above) | |
| Small hydropower (less than 10 MW) | ||
| Other Renewables | ||
| NUCLEAR FISSION and FUSIONS | Nuclear Fission | Light-water reactors (LWRs) |
| Other converter reactors | ||
| Fuel cycle | ||
| Nuclear supporting technologies | ||
| Nuclear breeder | ||
| Other nuclear fission | ||
| Nuclear Fusion | ||
| HYDROGEN and FUEL CELLS | Hydrogen | Hydrogen production |
| Hydrogen storage | ||
| Hydrogen transport and distribution | ||
| Other infrastructure and systems R&D | ||
| Hydrogen end uses (incl. combustion; excl. fuel cells) | ||
| Fuel Cells | Stationary applications | |
| Mobile applications | ||
| Other applications | ||
| OTHER POWER and STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES | Electric power conversion | |
| Electricity transmission and distribution | ||
| Energy storage | ||
| OTHER CROSS-CUTTING TECHNOLOGIES or RESEARCH | Energy system analysis | |
| Environmental, social and economic impacts | ||
| Demographics | ||
| Energy Economics | ||
| Energy Models | ||
| Other Supporting Data | ||
| NOT ENERGY RELATED | Not Energy |
| Subject |
|---|
| Buildings |
| Domestic Energy Use |
| Economic Factors |
| Energy Demand |
| Energy Generation plants |
| Energy Scenarios |
| Energy Storage Plants |
| Environmental Factors |
| General Energy Statistics |
| Modelling |
| Policy |
| Social Factors |
| Technology |
| Transport |
| UK Electricity Market |
| UK Energy Market |
| UK Gas Market |
| UK Government Statistics |
| Scientific Field | Discipline |
|---|---|
| BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES | Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science |
| Biological Sciences | |
| PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | Applied Mathematics |
| Chemistry | |
| Computer Science and Informatics | |
| Metallurgy and Materials | |
| Physics | |
| Pure Mathematics | |
| Statistics and Operational Research | |
| ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY | Architecture and the Built Environment |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Civil Engineering | |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | |
| General Engineering and Mineral & Mining Engineering | |
| Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | |
| SOCIAL SCIENCES | Business and Management Studies |
| Development Studies | |
| Economics and Econometrics | |
| Education | |
| Law | |
| Politics and International Studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Sociology | |
| Town and Country Planning | |
| AREA STUDIES | American Studies and Anglophone Area Studies |
| Asian Studies | |
| European Studies | |
| Middle Eastern and African Studies |
| Class | SubClass |
|---|---|
| Not Cross cutting | |
| Systems Analysis related to energy R&D | |
| Energy modelling | |
| Other Systems Analysis | |
| Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy | Consumer attitudes and behaviour |
| Environmental dimensions | |
| Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy | |
| Policy and regulation | |
| Technology acceptance | |
| Other | Energy technology information dissemination |
| Studies not related to a specific technology area |