Call for Canada to bring energy efficiency to the forefront in its climate strategy

This week, EiD has a good article on carbon pricing in British Columbia. There is some reference to energy efficiency but not much. To build on what is going on -- or what should go on in Canada -- here is an important post by Martin Adelaar, explaining why energy efficiency needs to be given … Continue reading Call for Canada to bring energy efficiency to the forefront in its climate strategy →

Using paint for a DIY retrofit

We are seeing many technological developments. One of the most intriguing is using a paint-on coating to improve the energy performance of windows. Dawn Killough provides a good account of recent developments on the Green Building Elements website. Scientists Developing Paint-On Coating For Energy Efficient Windows US Dept. of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National … Continue reading Using paint for a DIY retrofit →

New report shows gaps in gaps in EU Energy Efficiency Directive renovation strategies

This year, the European Commission will be providing its recommendations for changes in the 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive following a recent consultation. One of the important articles concerns Member States obligation to prepare long-term renovation strategies. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission recently published an analysis about the Member States renovation strategies as … Continue reading New report shows gaps in gaps in EU Energy Efficiency Directive renovation strategies →

Reviewing China’s progress in promoting energy efficiency

China is regularly in the news as we watch its progress in shifting to a more sustainable energy path. Michael Lelyveld analyses on the Radio Free Asia website about some of the data concerns that raise concerns about how much progress has been made. China Downplays Energy Efficiency Gain While China's economic growth continues … Continue reading Reviewing China’s progress in promoting energy efficiency →

“Marijuana is the most energy-intensive agricultural commodity that we produce . . .”

In the US, 23 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. This means marijuana is becoming big business. As Chelsea Harvey writes in the Washington Post, it is also a very energy-intensive industry but there are opportunities to reduce the huge energy footprint. The surprisingly huge energy … Continue reading “Marijuana is the most energy-intensive agricultural commodity that we produce . . .” →

Government policies are important for promoting energy efficiency

The Energy Collective website provides an excellent infographic on the most energy-efficient countries. Hope you enjoy. World's Most Energy Efficient Countries There is a sense of excitement in the wake of a momentous Paris Climate Agreement and adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals last year. The “energy revolution” is already underway, the consequences of … Continue reading Government policies are important for promoting energy efficiency →

17 US states agree on commitments to expand energy efficiency and renewable energy

Everyone knows the difficulty of getting agreements through America’s federal system, especially with the current Congress. Oliver Milman provides a good review in The Guardian of the bipartisan approach of governors from 17 states to accelerate the energy transition. Coalition of US states pledge to accelerate renewable energy efforts A bipartisan group of governors … Continue reading 17 US states agree on commitments to expand energy efficiency and renewable energy →

The European Commission publishes its new heat and cooling strategy communication

On February 16th, the Commission published its new strategy for heat and cooling in its series of initiatives as part of the Energy Union. This is a most welcome communication. The press release is provided below. In reading the strategy, EiD was a bit puzzled by a few of the elements. Page 4 provided a … Continue reading The European Commission publishes its new heat and cooling strategy communication →

Reflections on the annual eceee policy seminar

The annual eceee policy seminar took place on February 8th in Brussels. More than 60 experts from industry, academia, NGOs and national energy agencies attended the event. Unfortunately, EC representatives declined the invitation. The seminar was articulated around 4 presentations. First, the IEA presentation of the main findings of its 2015 Energy Efficiency Market Report. … Continue reading Reflections on the annual eceee policy seminar →

New US energy efficiency standard to bring big savings

Power adapters may be small, but they consume a lot of energy. Pierre Delforge writes on the National Resources Defense Council Staff Blog about the impact from the new performance standards that came into effect this week. Energy Efficiency Standard Effective This Week Affects Virtually All of Us A measure took effect this week … Continue reading New US energy efficiency standard to bring big savings →