A high-rise Active House in Germany

Planetsave writes about a new residential building in Franfurt that shows what can be done combining energy efficient measures and solar. It does not state what the consumption per square metre is and it would be good if any EiD readers could let us know.   Tallest German Residential High-Rise Will Also Be Solar Aktivhaus … Continue reading A high-rise Active House in Germany

Energy efficiency in old buildings

The UK’s Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings has provided a valuable briefing on energy efficiency in old buildings. As they state, old buildings are sustainable, their very existence demonstrates this, but they can still frequently benefit from sensitive, well-informed energy efficiency measures. They knew that accurate information is a pre-requisite for good building … Continue reading Energy efficiency in old buildings

New tool for building energy performance scenarios: choosing the right energy path for buildings

The Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) launched a new open source interactive tool for identifying the best possible policy scenarios for saving energy in the building sector worldwide. The new Tool for Building Energy Performance Scenarios (BEPS) enables those interested in energy efficiency in buildings to access data and projections and find out where we … Continue reading New tool for building energy performance scenarios: choosing the right energy path for buildings

New funding to support fuel poverty in Scotland

Scotland has announced more funding for an energy efficiency retrofit scheme that will help address fuel poverty. ClickGreen provides the details.   Scottish Government announces £60m energy efficiency programme The Scottish Government has announced a £60 million energy efficiency fund and confirmed plans to permanently take on responsibility for the ECO and Warm Homes Discount … Continue reading New funding to support fuel poverty in Scotland

How improved controls can improve energy performance of commercial buildings

Azocleantech.com reports on a new study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the US about the impressive improvement of energy performance through the use of energy-efficient controls in commercial buildings. PNNL Finds Commercial Buildings Could Cut HVAC Costs by 57% with Energy-Efficiency Controls Commercial buildings could cut their heating and cooling electricity use by … Continue reading How improved controls can improve energy performance of commercial buildings

New BPIE study: Alleviating Fuel Poverty in the EU

The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) has published a new report that should be mandatory reading for all EiD followers. While the topic comes up regularly, we are getting nowhere to resolving the issue of fuel poverty. As the new BPIE report explains, fuel poverty is a major problem in and for Europe. In 2012, … Continue reading New BPIE study: Alleviating Fuel Poverty in the EU

Financing energy-efficient homes

Dan Reicher and Andrew Peterman provide a thoughtful article in The Hill about linking the purchase of energy-efficient homes with better mortgages. Reicher is executive director of Stanford University’s Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance. He was assistant secretary of Energy in the Clinton administration and a member of President Obama’s transition team. Peterman, … Continue reading Financing energy-efficient homes

New energy efficiency fund in Ireland

Recently, the Irish government announced a new energy efficiency fund that focuses on commercial buildings. While many news services reported this news, an article by Siliconrepublic.com was particularly good. €70m Irish Energy Efficiency Fund could be leveraged up to €300m A new €70m Energy Efficiency Fund led by Sustainable Development Capital and supported by the … Continue reading New energy efficiency fund in Ireland

Up against the (solid) wall

EiD has presented reports prepared by Jan Rosenow, a senior consultant at Ricardo-AEA and an associate lecturer at Oxford University, before. Now Jan together with Reg Platt of the Institute for Public Policy Research has produced an excellent report on solid wall insulation. It is definitely worth the ready. Final Ricardo-AEA and IPPR report published … Continue reading Up against the (solid) wall