How businesses are getting ‘smart’ about saving energy

Krystle Morey provides us with a good post from the Albany Business Review in the US about the benefits to manufacturers from investing in smart technologies. Manufacturer invests in 'smart' equipment to save on energy costs After watching his energy bill jump 40 percent last year during the winter, Scott Stevens is taking steps … Continue reading How businesses are getting ‘smart’ about saving energy →

Look who is supporting ambitious EU climate and energy targets

There are negotiations going on before the climate and energy targets for 2030 are decided upon last week. When you look at it graphically, it shows quite clearly where member states stand. The energy efficiency community has now to raise its voice. Only yesterday, the British energy secretary said there was room for compromise, but … Continue reading Look who is supporting ambitious EU climate and energy targets →

Tweaking lifestyles is not enough . . .

There is a growing number of articles showing that energy efficiency is so difficult and will produce such modest results, that needed impact will only come from the supply side. This is an article from John Hofmeister, a former president of Shell Oil Co. and founder and head of Citizens for Affordable Energy. He wrote … Continue reading Tweaking lifestyles is not enough . . . →

New IEA report on the energy efficiency market

The International Energy Agency has recently published its 2014 edition of its Energy Efficiency Market Report. This year's report includes an in-depth look at energy efficiency developments in the transport sector and in finance. Significant demand for mobility is emerging in OECD non member economies, bringing with them the challenges of pollution and congestion already … Continue reading New IEA report on the energy efficiency market →

Assessing the benefits of passive houses

Sheri Koones writes on AOL’s real estate pages on the growing trend towards passive houses. While it started in Europe, the interest is growing globally. The 'Passive House' Path to Extreme Energy Efficiency With the growing cost of fuel, increasingly stringent home construction codes, and scientific evidence that we must reduce CO2 emissions, many architects, … Continue reading Assessing the benefits of passive houses →

Energy-efficient lighting has been a boon for economic development but . . .

Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, co-founders of the Breakthrough Institute, an energy and environmental research center, provided an editorial in the New York Times about the value of energy-efficient products but to make a serious dent in carbon emissions there needs to be a shift to cleaner forms of energy. Do you agree? The … Continue reading Energy-efficient lighting has been a boon for economic development but . . . →

Coming to grips with what the energy efficiency target in the EU could be

E3G, the non-profit organisation operating to accelerate the global transition to sustainable development, has published an excellent briefing paper that takes a second look at the July Communication on energy efficiency published by the European Commission. That Communication proposed a target of a 30 % improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. As the report states, the … Continue reading Coming to grips with what the energy efficiency target in the EU could be →

Surveying what the British know about saving energy

Kieran Cooke, for the Climate News Network, that is part of the Guardian Environment Network, writes about a new survey on what the British know about saving energy. It is valuable reading for all of you. And how would this compare to other countries? Britons ill-informed on energy saving, survey finds Housing in the … Continue reading Surveying what the British know about saving energy →

Giving more attention to small and medium-sized enterprises

The International Institute for Sustainable Development reports on a new World Bank publication that quantifies the opportunities for SMEs in green industries. In most countries, SMEs are the backbone of the economy and this is a welcome report that needs to be given considerable attention. World Bank Identifies Clean-Tech Market Opportunities for SMEs The … Continue reading Giving more attention to small and medium-sized enterprises →

Identifying the positive macroeconomic impacts from improving energy efficiency

The International Institute for Sustainable Development writes about a recent report by the Asian Development Bank on its modelling exercise on the impact of improving energy efficiency. This is a welcome sign and follows the recent IEA report on multiple benefits. ADB Highlights Positive Economic Impacts of Energy Efficiency A modeling study published by … Continue reading Identifying the positive macroeconomic impacts from improving energy efficiency →