Calling for common sense to promote energy efficient lighting

Simon Brammer, who works for works for the sustainable energy charity Ashden, writes an excellent article in the Guardian Professional about consumer confusion over choosing energy efficient lighting. His suggestions call for common-sense labelling and better marketing. How many incentives does it take to change a light bulb? If I asked you to give me … Continue reading Calling for common sense to promote energy efficient lighting →

Agreeing on 2030 climate and energy goals proving illusive within European Commission

Reuters news service provided an article in The Guardian about the controversy within the European Commission itself in agreeing on climate and energy goals for 2030. Undoubtedly, the EU wants to be a global leader but there is also the cold reality of trying to re-build momentum in the lagging economy. Can the two be … Continue reading Agreeing on 2030 climate and energy goals proving illusive within European Commission →

Harvesting the benefits of LED lighting

Eleanor Harding recently wrote in the UK’s Daily Mail about the effect that LED lighting is having on growing strawberries. Essentially, LED lighting confuses the fruit into thinking it is summer. Wish it worked that way for all of us but this is a good start.Strawberry yields forever: LED lighting fools plants into thinking it's … Continue reading Harvesting the benefits of LED lighting →

Evaluating behavioural energy efficiency programmes

Katherine Tweed writes on the Greentechefficiency website about the difficulty in evaluating many energy efficiency programmes in the US. She reviews a recent report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). She explains that a dearth of data is making it difficult to effectively evaluate nearly 300 programmes across the U.S. Can … Continue reading Evaluating behavioural energy efficiency programmes →

More gloom in retrofitting houses in Britain

Several EiD posts in the past few months have reported on the difficulties in getting the new energy efficiency financing schemes in the UK – the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation – to achieve their expected impact. Damian Carrington writes in the Guardian about, as Andrew Warren of the Association for the Conservation … Continue reading More gloom in retrofitting houses in Britain →

Focus on 2030: new report and blog by E3G

Ingrid Holmes and Luca Bergamaschi of E3G recently published a briefing report on why energy efficiency is a key component for making the 2030 energy and climate package work. The European Commission is therefore developing a 2030 framework for EU climate change and energy policies following a consultation that took place in 2013. This briefing … Continue reading Focus on 2030: new report and blog by E3G →

Energy efficiency programmes need to reflect needs of consumers

The Dromore Leader in Lisburn, Northern Ireland writes about findings from the Consumer Council on the need for better targeted energy efficiency programmes. Hopefully others outside Northern Ireland will also listen to this advice. Energy schemes need to be smarter, says consumer council Reduce the number of energy efficiency schemes and concentrate spending on high … Continue reading Energy efficiency programmes need to reflect needs of consumers →

Here and there

There are some good news briefs on sustainable energy topics this week. Industrial Insulation EiD reported on a recent roundtable on industrial insulation organised by the European Industrial Insulation Forum. Videos of the main statements are now available here. New reports from European Environment Agency • Global megatrends shaping Europe's environment – Surging economic … Continue reading Here and there →

Scaling back efforts to combat climate change will come at a price

As mentioned in EiD last week, the UK government is re-thinking its climate change initiatives and giving more emphasis to energy supply options such as shale gas and nuclear energy expansion. Pilita Clark writes in the Financial Times about a new report from the Committee on Climate Change, an independent, statutory body established under the … Continue reading Scaling back efforts to combat climate change will come at a price →

Investing in China’s energy efficient future

Viola Caon writes in Invest Europe about a new UK China Energy Efficiency Investments Fund that has been set up to help support a new partnership in energy efficiency investments. SDCL Asia to launch UK China Energy Efficiency Investments Fund Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL) Asia has announced its plan to launch the UK China … Continue reading Investing in China’s energy efficient future →