The UK Energy Research Centre holds a summer school each year aimed at giving PhD students an understanding of energy systems as a whole and of pathways to low-carbon and resilient energy systems. There is no charge to attend the summer school, and the UKERC provide all accommodation and food. The 2012 summer school will be held at the University of Warwick on the 17-22 June. The summer school is usually oversubscribed so places are allocated based on each student’s application, for which I believe the deadline is 8 March. Two second year PhD students attended the school last year from the Southampton Agents group and would recommend it to anyone wishing to gain a broad understanding of both national and global energy problems.
http://www.ukerc.ac.uk/support/tiki-index.php?page=SummerSchool2012