The role our buildings can play in addressing climate change

In Europe, improving the energy performance of our buildings is identified a high priority in our energy and climate objectives. It is instructive to see what is happening in other countries. Meg Holden, Professor and Director, Urban Studies and Professor of Geography and Rebecca Holt, Senior Sustainable Building Advisor, Perkins+Will and Member of SFU Urban … Continue reading The role our buildings can play in addressing climate change →

The energy efficiency sector is an important job creator in Australia

It is important that we see analysis on job creation in sustainable energy. This is encouraging analysis coming from Australia, as explained by Rob Murray-Leach in an article on the Renew Economy website. Rob is head of policy at the Energy Efficiency Council. Energy efficiency employs more people than coal, oil or gas: report … Continue reading The energy efficiency sector is an important job creator in Australia →

Consumers “use vastly different amounts of energy to light our homes, watch TV and make toast”

We have a good American example that all of us should appreciate. Eric Williams, Professor of Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Ashok Sekar, Postdoctoral Fellow, Energy Systems Transformation (EST) Research Group at the University of Texas at Austin and Eric Hittinger, Associate Professor of Public Policy also at the Rochester Institute of Technology … Continue reading Consumers “use vastly different amounts of energy to light our homes, watch TV and make toast” →

Making cruise ships more energy efficient

An Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) researcher has developed a system based on fuel cells to reduce the carbon footprint and energy consumption of cruise ships, which are increasingly popular among vacation goers around the world. Pranjal Mehar explains on the Tech Explorer website. More energy-efficient cruise ships Putting in half a month … Continue reading Making cruise ships more energy efficient →

New briefing from BPIE: Policy Innovation for Building Renovation – How can policy innovation scale up the decarbonisation of the building stock in Europe?

This year with the Clean Energy Package in Europe now at the stage of implementation it is important that there are fresh ideas leading to more effective action. The Buildings Performance Institute Europe has just published an important new briefing arguing that accelerating deep renovation requires a systemic transformation of the construction sector, which can … Continue reading New briefing from BPIE: Policy Innovation for Building Renovation – How can policy innovation scale up the decarbonisation of the building stock in Europe? →

The European Investment Bank has launched consultation in support of sustainable energy goals

For our low-carbon energy transition, we definitely need more investments in renewable energy technologies. David Foxwell writes on the Offshore Wind Journal website about a new consultation by the EIB to strengthen the impact of its future energy lending. The EiB page on the consultation is here. EIB launches energy lending consultation in support … Continue reading The European Investment Bank has launched consultation in support of sustainable energy goals →

The air conditioning challenge in the Mediterranean Basin

Frédéric Dubessy writes on the econostrum.info website about a recent study by the World Bank to address the increasing penetration of air conditioning with the need to promote energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Solar power bringing energy efficiency to Mediterranean air-conditioning Faced with an explosion in the numbers of air-conditioners in the Mediterranean … Continue reading The air conditioning challenge in the Mediterranean Basin →

World Sustainable Energy Days: Industry comes into focus

World Sustainable Energy Days has been an annual event in late February or early March for over 20 years in Wels, Austria. I’ve attended several of them as a speaker, panel leader or member of the scientific committee for the Young Researchers event. WSED brings hundreds of people together with a wide variety of conferences … Continue reading World Sustainable Energy Days: Industry comes into focus →

Promising signs for Britain’s energy efficiency policies?

Andrew Warren reveals in an article on the Business Green website how three years after the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office was scrapped, a new directorate has been quietly launched within government to drive forward UK energy efficiency efforts. Andrew, a regular contributor to EiD, is a former special advisor to the House of Commons environment … Continue reading Promising signs for Britain’s energy efficiency policies? →

EEA report shows progress on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency is slowing across the European Union

Progress on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency is slowing across the European Union, putting at risk the EU’s ability to achieve its energy and emissions reduction targets. Rising energy consumption, particularly in the transport sector, is to blame for the slowdown, according to preliminary data released today in the European … Continue reading EEA report shows progress on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency is slowing across the European Union →