This week’s briefs

While it is summer in Europe, there is no let up in the news related to sustainable energy. EiD thought you would enjoy these few briefs.

• Australia’s National Energy Efficiency Conference 2014

The National Energy Efficiency Conference 2014, run by the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC), is Australia’s premier annual event for energy efficiency, demand-management and cogeneration.

Taking place on 11/12 November in Sydney, Australia the event will bring together up to 300 leading thinkers from business and government to hear about the latest local and global thinking about saving energy.

Key sessions include Gas & Efficiency, the Future of Energy Management, Dealing with Excess Capacity and much more. The programme will feature presentations from ministers and international and national experts, a range of workshops and technical sessions, networking opportunities, an exhibition and the third Annual Energy Efficiency Industry Awards and Gala Dinner.

This conference is considered essential attendance for senior figures with an interest in energy efficiency.

Further information and registration is available on the EEC website.

• £50m energy efficiency funding to help Londoners this winter

As reported in H&V news, the Mayor of London has announced that £50 million (€62 million) will be allocated to improve the energy efficiency of more than 175,000 homes in the capital.

The Mayor Boris Johnson has contracted Capita Symonds to provide support to ensure energy efficiency improvements, worth at least £50 million, to homes by 2017.

It is estimated that these measures could save residents up to £180 a year on their energy bills.

UK Green Building Council director of policy and communications John Alker said: “With rising energy bills sure to be hitting the headlines over the coming months, energy efficiency is by far the most cost effective way to permanently bring them down. This funding will help hard-pressed Londoners this winter and is a welcome boost for the capital’s green housing ambitions.”

A further £145m has been secured from the Government’s ‘Decent Homes Funding’ that will be distributed to London boroughs to improve housing standards.

• Solar panels ‘ideal’ green improvement for householders

Priyanka Shrestha writes on the Energy Live News website about a new householder survey.

Nearly half of householders (44%) claim to live in homes with draught problems and 24% are considering installing energy efficiency upgrades in the next year, according to a new survey.

Home renewables such as solar panels were considered to be the “ideal” energy efficiency improvement “if money and hassle were no object” – rated above wall and loft insulation – the Energy Saving Trust’s (EST) survey found.

It also revealed condensation was a problem for 38% of those asked and 29% said they had mould.

The EST is calling for a “radical shift” in how the industry sells home energy efficiency.

David Weatherall, Energy Efficiency Expert at EST said: “We need to move away from big messages for broad audiences to information that is tailored to people’s individual motivations, their lifestyle and their home.

“We can no longer get away with a ‘one size fits all’ energy efficiency message for UK consumers.”

• New IEA report on multiple benefits of energy efficiency coming in September

IEA’s upcoming publication, Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency: Measuring the Positive Impacts, will be officially launched by Maria van der Hoeven, the Executive Director of the IEA at the Opening Plenary of the International Energy Policy Evaluation Conference (IEPEC) in Berlin on Tuesday, 9 September. Information is available on the IEPEC website.