Author: Rod Janssen

EU energy efficiency policies under fire in Ireland

One of the main elements of the 2012 EU Energy Efficiency Directive is a requirement to have energy distribution and retail companies provide measures to consumers that achieve quite ambitious targets. Member states are allowed alternative measures but not all have opted for that. The Irish Times had a news item this week stating that … Continue reading EU energy efficiency policies under fire in Ireland →

New infographic debunks energy efficiency myths

It is always good to visualise solutions. You should enjoy this infographic from Greener Ideal. The infographic comes from the website GreenMatch.co.uk.   19 Energy Efficiency Myths Debunked Climate change is becoming a real and scary threat. Over the last couple of years, we have seen numerous temperature records thanks to our increasing energy demand … Continue reading New infographic debunks energy efficiency myths →

Energy transition in the US shows impact of wind power

There was an important development in the energy transition in the US recently. A major 14-state power pool had half of its electricity come from wind power recently. Scott DiSavino explains in a news item in The Independent.   Wind power provides half of the electricity on US grid for first time ever Wind briefly … Continue reading Energy transition in the US shows impact of wind power →

Importance of public-private cooperation to close investment gap in energy efficiency

In Europe, as elsewhere, ensuring there is sufficient funding for energy efficiency measures in all sectors is essential. It is important to look at the financing issue from different perspectives, starting with the financial sector. From a banking perspective, energy efficiency is difficult to classify in terms of business opportunities because its benefits are so … Continue reading Importance of public-private cooperation to close investment gap in energy efficiency →

How much bang do we get for every energy efficiency buck?

Anyone involved in energy efficiency programmes wants to make sure they are as effective as possible. Catherine Wolfram, Cora Jane Flood Professor of Business Administration at the Haas School of Business of the University of California at Berkeley, writes on the Energy Collective website about what counts as a successful energy efficiency programme. As the … Continue reading How much bang do we get for every energy efficiency buck? →

Britain’s sustainable energy transition

This coming week, the UK will be formally notifying the EU of its decision to leave. The “divorce” is not simple, there has been much hostility raised about the “interference” of EU directives, and there are many issues about what energy efficiency legislation makes sense to retain. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency … Continue reading Britain’s sustainable energy transition →

Evidence that the sustainable energy transition can lower costs

The energy transition is still in early days but we are getting more and more proof of the benefits. Frank Jossi writes on the Midwest Energy News website in the United States about the benefits that have come to Minnesota. Are we seeing similar experience elsewhere?   As energy mix becomes cleaner, Minnesotans paying less … Continue reading Evidence that the sustainable energy transition can lower costs →

The Brussels Winter Package whirlwind

The European Commission’s clean energy - or 'winter' - package is producing a whirlwind of activity in its approval process. I have seen it at first hand over the past few weeks, at meetings, workshops and conferences reviewing impact assessments, addressing energy efficiency financing, and discussing the central role of consumers in the winter package. … Continue reading The Brussels Winter Package whirlwind →

Energy trading in the twenty-first century

Diane Cardwell write in the New York Times about a neighbourhood in the New York that has created a virtual trading platform for solar energy producers to sell excess electricity. Is this the model for the future?   Solar Experiment Lets Neighbors Trade Energy Among Themselves Brooklyn is known the world over for things small-batch … Continue reading Energy trading in the twenty-first century →