DEMOS

Jake Chapman was an academic at the Open University for 31 years. After eight years at Cambridge University he joined the Physics department at the OU in 1970, created  the Energy Research Group in 1973 and was appointed Professor of Energy Systems in 1978, a post he held until he retired in 2001.  The main areas of his energy research were in energy policy and energy efficiency in housing (carried out in collaboration with Milton Keynes Development Corporation).

In 1983 Jake founded a company to promote the use of energy assessment software and energy ratings in housing. That company, National Energy Services Ltd, remains at the forefront of implementing energy efficiency in the domestic sector. Jake was awarded the Esso prize and Royal Society Gold Medal for his work on energy ratings in 1995.

From 1980 Jake's academic teaching and expertise focussed on the application of systemic approaches to tackling complex problems. In 2001 he contributed to the Energy Review carried out by the PIU in the Cabinet Office. In 2002 he was appointed a special advisor to the National Assembly for Wales in relation to their energy policy. He has been a Demos Associate since 2002 and has authored “System Failure: Why governments must learn to think differently” and ”The Long Game: How regulators and companies can both win”. He contributes to Demos projects (currently working for the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit on applying systems ideas to improving deprived areas) and acts as a systems consultant (current clients include Metropolitan Police and the Environment Agency).