This week’s briefs

There are quite a few briefs this week that should be of interest to EiD readers.  These include on the eceee industrial summer study, BPIE events, IEA webinars and the G7 joint statement on the energy initiative for energy security.

• eceee industrial summer study

Please mark it in your calendar to attend the upcoming Summer Study, June 2-5th, in Papendal, Arnhem, the Netherlands. The theme is “Retool for a Competitive and Sustainable Industry.” It covers all types of industry, from manufacturing and food processing to heavy process industry, and it covers large companies as well as SMEs. There are six themes for the 2014 Summer Study:

– Programmes to promote industrial energy efficiency

– Sustainable production design and supply chain initiatives

– Matching policies and drivers: Policies and directives to drive industrial efficiency

– Undertaking high impact actions: The role of technology and systems optimisation

– The role of energy management systems, education, outreach and training

– Business models to improve industrial efficiency, global perspective.

On Thursday, July 5^th there will also be a special workshop on financing energy efficiency investments in industry. Invited guests to give key statements at the workshop are Miguel Sanz of SUSI Energy Efficiency AG (Switzerland) and Stephen Hibbert from ING Commercial Banking. The workshop will be moderated by Rod Janssen and Luigi Meli, panel leaders for the Summer Study panel on financing and new business models. Information on the workshop is available here.

You can come and help EiD do some blogging and tweeting since Rod, together with Luigi Meli, will be one of the panel leaders for the panel on Business Models. Industrial energy efficiency is starting to get the attention from policymakers that it should have had years ago. The new Energy Efficiency Directive is a major step forward. The Summer Study will be an ideal opportunity to come and discuss the topic in a convivial and relaxed atmosphere.

More information on the Summer Study programme is available on the eceee website.

• BPIE event in Brussels

As mentioned last week, the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), the state of Baden-Württemberg and the German Institute for Energy and Environment (IFEU) are organising an event dedicated to renovation strategies on May 16^th. You can register or get more information by sending an email to info@bpie.eu before May 12.

Watch BPIE’s website because they will be holding more events in June, including at EU Sustainable Energy Week.

• IEA webinar on buildings energy efficiency

The IEA is holding a series of webinars to seek advice from key global building stakeholders in the development of the IEA’s new initiative for Sustainable Buildings. The first webinar will be on May 21^st. Rod will be speaking on nearly zero energy buildings. For information on the webinar and to register for the event go to the IEA’s website.

• G7 Joint Statement May 6, 2014 from Rome G7 Energy Initiative for Energy Security

It is interesting to read the statement. You can see it here. You will note that renewable energy is mentioned together with nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage. It is somewhat referred to in encouraging indigenous energy sources. It is included in the actions to be taken as shown below.

Paragraph 6 is entirely on energy efficiency:

Energy efficiency needs to be further addressed by proactive policies in industry, in all kinds of power generation, transport, and the building and household sectors, through cooperation to deploy energy efficient technologies and the development of necessary, including financial, capabilities. We support the removal of barriers that limit the diffusion of energy efficient technologies by means of enhanced cooperation with international organizations and international fora.

The joint statement ends:

We have also agreed to take these immediate actions:

• G7 members will work to complement the efforts of the European Commission to develop energy emergency plans for winter 2014-2015 at a regional level.

• Experts from G7 and other invited countries will exchange best practices for assessing energy security vulnerabilities.

• We ask the International Energy Agency, in close relation with the European Commission, to present within six months options for individual and collective actions of the G7 in the field of gas security.

• Working with institutions such as the IEA, the International Renewable Energy Agency and international financial institutions, we will supply technical assistance, including leveraging the private sector, and facilitate exchanges with Ukraine and other European countries seeking to develop their indigenous hydrocarbon resources and renewable energies, and improve energy efficiency.

We also agree to sustain our engagement for the medium and long term.

We propose to G7 Leaders to establish a working group to develop comprehensively the Rome G7 Energy Initiative and to report back to Ministers within six months.