Some of us are old enough to remember the oil crises of 1973-74 and again of 1979. It wasn't funny. No driving on Sundays, lights out in stores outside business hours, turned off street lights and lower temperatures everywhere. The thing is, today we can be happy about the oil crises. If it was not … Continue reading Blog from Erik Gudbjerg: How do we turn this energy crisis to our advantage?
Category: buildings
Only by investigating how energy, gender and space intersect can we truly begin to move towards creating sustainable societies
Rihab Khalid, Research Fellow in Sustainable Energy Consumption at the University of Cambridge writes on The Conversation website that energy policies that try to be gender neutral usually leave women’s energy needs marginalised and there is a need to think about how women use energy and space. If we want to build truly sustainable … Continue reading Only by investigating how energy, gender and space intersect can we truly begin to move towards creating sustainable societies
“No matter how many supply-side resources we pour into the mix, the perfect blend will elude us until we stop treating demand-side flexibility as a final flourish of glitter”
With REPowerEU underway, Europe’s energy and climate strategy demands a rapid change of scenery. We must utilise the full palette of solutions available, including household flexibility, says Sophie Yule-Bennett from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) in an article on the FORESIGHT Climate & Energy website. House power: the hidden powerhouse of the new energy … Continue reading “No matter how many supply-side resources we pour into the mix, the perfect blend will elude us until we stop treating demand-side flexibility as a final flourish of glitter”
New EEA briefing on how circular economy principles can enhance the benefits of building renovation
Building renovation is a key contributor to improving energy efficiency and to achieving a climate neutral European Union (EU) by 2050. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, investigates how circular economy principles can enhance the benefits of building renovation. It finds that, through 2050, circularity can significantly reduce the use of materials … Continue reading New EEA briefing on how circular economy principles can enhance the benefits of building renovation
A review of recent studies has ruled out hydrogen playing a major role in the heating of buildings
Investigations repeatedly find that H2 will prove to be too expensive and inefficient compared to other clean alternatives such as heat pumps. In an article on the RECHARGE website, Leigh Collins discusses the findings of a total of 18 independent studies. Revealed | What 18 independent studies all concluded about the use of hydrogen … Continue reading A review of recent studies has ruled out hydrogen playing a major role in the heating of buildings
Landlords in UK face challenge to upgrade their properties
Three million buy-to-let landlords will have to pay thousands to upgrade homes. Owners will have to pay to upgrade their properties to meet a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating of "band C". The planned deadline for newly let properties is 2025. For all existing lets, the deadline will be 2028. Of the 5.6 million rental … Continue reading Landlords in UK face challenge to upgrade their properties
Without adequate funding, meeting Britain’s net zero target is doomed
In an article on The Conversation website, Keith Baker, Researcher in Fuel Poverty and Energy Policy, Built Environment Asset Management (BEAM) Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University argues why the UK government needs to come up with a clear funding plan if long-term climate and energy objectives are to be met. This is not just a … Continue reading Without adequate funding, meeting Britain’s net zero target is doomed
We know how to mobilise consumers to take action to deliver energy efficiency, now let’s do it
Minimum energy consumption standards for products and rented homes have galvanised improvements in energy efficiency in recent years, argues Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation in an article on the Business Green website. Why the government should stick with sticks to deliver energy efficiency Effective energy saving programmes need three mutually … Continue reading We know how to mobilise consumers to take action to deliver energy efficiency, now let’s do it
Blog from Catrin Maby: How can we regulate for energy efficiency in owner occupied homes? Scotland steps forward
The sharp rise in energy prices this winter has added to the cost of living struggle that many households were already facing across the UK. Our housing is particularly old and thermally inefficient, and the levels of fuel poverty are on the rise again. At the same time, we are painfully aware of the impact … Continue reading Blog from Catrin Maby: How can we regulate for energy efficiency in owner occupied homes? Scotland steps forward
Japan beefing up its building codes
Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) and Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) guidelines will be used to enforce the revised building codes according to a news item on the Rethink Tokyo website. They will come into effect after 2025. Energy conservation architecture to be mandatory for Japan real estate from 2025 On April 22nd, the Cabinet of … Continue reading Japan beefing up its building codes
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 