Kalila MacKenzie

PhD Student at Durham University Business School

What do you do?

I am a PhD Candidate at Durham University Business School's Centre for Environmental and Energy Economics. My research investigates households' choices for low-carbon heating alternatives, using the choice experiment methodology. Prior to commencing my PhD, I completed my Masters in Science in Economics at the University of Exeter. Before that, I worked in strategy consulting for financial services in Southern Africa for over 10 years. I completed my Honours in Economics at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

How are you involved in this area of science? 

 My research is linked to the Durham University's GEMS project, looking at the feasibility of geothermal district heating in the area. Specifically, I am using choice experiments to investigate households preferences in the North East of England, for low-carbon heating alternatives. Within this choice experiment, I will look to understand how households trade off the costs of a low-carbon heating system against environmental impact (CO₂ emissions) and socio-economic impact (job creation). The research findings should yield policy impacts in terms of incentivising households to switch to low-carbon heating alternatives in the UK.

What do you love about this topic?

I am very excited about the novel heating technology, geothermal district heating, specifically that obtained from mine water by reusing existing coal mining infrastructure, as it represents a dual solution of providing low-carbon heating, but also potentially socio-economic reinvigoration of areas in the North East of England that have not recovered from mine closure.

Durham University is at the forefront of research and development in geothermal energy. I am also appreciative that my research has a local focus and potentially positive impact on my community. More broadly, the UK's transition away from fossil fuels for household heating is one of the key policy and environmental issues we are facing, and I am thrilled that my research contributes to addressing this issue.

How does this work deliver real-world impact?

The UK's transition away from fossil fuels for household heating is a particularly wicked issue, with challenges in both the demand and supply side for low-carbon heating alternatives. Various policy measures have been put in place to incentivise households to switch to low-carbon heating systems. My research has the potential to make a considerable contribution to the UK's heating transition, by using discrete choice experiments to understand households' preferences.

Beyond this, I am playing an active role in elevating the profile of geothermal district heating in my community, as it has strong potential to be a key heating source in the energy transition, particularly in the North East of England, where extensive mining infrastructure has the potential to be repurposed for geothermal district heating.