Biking in Italy

In Italy we once had to watch out for cars and scooters but now, since the financial crisis has taken hold, bicycles are increasingly being used. In fact, according to Nick Squires of The Telegraph, more bikes were sold than cars last year. More bikes sold than cars in Italy for first time since … Continue reading Biking in Italy →

Retrofitting Spain’s hotels

EurActiv recently published a report on how Spain’s hotels are getting support from an EU-funded project to help them improve the energy performance of their buildings. Spanish hotels to get energy-efficiency revamp Spanish hoteliers can now give their buildings an energy-efficient revamp with the help of an online tool calculating their needs, costs and investment … Continue reading Retrofitting Spain’s hotels →

Energy efficiency and buildings

Allison Asplin of Bloomberg News Energy Finance wrote the following post for Banking Energy. IT is an excellent article outlining the issues concerning the real estate industry and energy efficiency. This report was commissioned by Banking Energy, part of Consumer Energy Report. Why Energy Efficiency and Buildings Don’t Mix How does the real estate industry … Continue reading Energy efficiency and buildings →

How shale gas is affecting energy efficiency discussions

John Funk of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on the discussions underway at an energy efficiency conference at the end of September. What it shows is that there are many who are now questioning the focus on energy efficiency when such cheap energy supply is available. Shale gas dominates energy efficiency conference The steady … Continue reading How shale gas is affecting energy efficiency discussions →

RE + build 2012

Rod Janssen recently attended Italy's first national convention on best practices, case studies, and experience to retrofit buildings. The conference was to kickstart the transformation of Italy’s retrofit construction market. Rod spoke at one session on the impact of EU legislation on retrofitting buildings. It is useful for EiD readers to read some of the … Continue reading RE + build 2012 →

Retrofitting older homes in Canada

After the second war, there was a big effort in Canada to ensure that returning soldiers and other needy families were provided with basic housing. These wartime houses were built throughout Canada. Unfortunately, while they were built quickly, they were not always the most energy efficient. This is a good article by the Daily Commercial … Continue reading Retrofitting older homes in Canada →

The challenge of meeting energy efficiency obligations in the UK

Terry Macalister of the Guardian writes the efforts of Britain’s energy regulator, Ofgem, to ensure the big six energy suppliers to ensure they meet their legal obligations. Energy firms face fines over obligations to vulnerable customers Suppliers have until 31 December to meet commitments to make homes more efficient after data reveals failings, says Ofgem … Continue reading The challenge of meeting energy efficiency obligations in the UK →

New guidebook outlines technologies for climate change mitigation in the building sector

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Risø Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have published a guidebook on mitigation technologies and practices in the building sector, with examples of the use of solar energy, energy efficient building materials, and urban planning for storm water management. Such a "green building" … Continue reading New guidebook outlines technologies for climate change mitigation in the building sector →

New study on the use of financial instruments to retrofit buildings in Europe

The Buildings Performance Institute Europe has come out with a new report reviewing the use of financial instruments in the European Union. The paper presents an overview of the various financial schemes in place dedicated to the energy efficient renovation of buildings in 2011. It makes a quantitative analysis of the different financing mechanisms and … Continue reading New study on the use of financial instruments to retrofit buildings in Europe →

German bank helps India finance the retrofit of houses

Rashme Sehgal of the news service deccanchronical.com provides details of support by the state-owned German bank, KfW providing a loan to an Indian bank to finance retrofitting houses in India. German bank push for energy efficient homes In a strong bid to promote energy conservation in the residential sector, German KfW Development Bank is … Continue reading German bank helps India finance the retrofit of houses →