Ground-breaking retrofit approach, Energiesprong, wins prestigious global award

In Europe, plummeting temperatures pose challenges for those in inefficient buildings, especially vulnerable individuals struggling to heat homes. A revolutionary approach to renovating homes has won the prestigious Gold World Habitat Award. Details are available on the EC CINEA website. Energiesprong wins prestigious Gold World Habitat Award Buildings are the single largest energy consumer … Continue reading Ground-breaking retrofit approach, Energiesprong, wins prestigious global award →

Reaction to the European Council and Parliament reaching a deal on the proposal to revise the energy performance of buildings directive

The European Council and the European Parliament this week reached provisional political agreement on a proposal to revise the energy performance of buildings directive. The revised directive sets new and more ambitious energy performance requirements for new and renovated buildings in the EU and encourages member states to renovate their building stock. Under the deal, … Continue reading Reaction to the European Council and Parliament reaching a deal on the proposal to revise the energy performance of buildings directive →

Why you should be doing an energy renovation of your home

Teresa Siqueira writes on the Porch website about the many benefits from renovating your home. Porch sprang to life in 2013 to tackle the age-old problem of connecting homeowners with high-quality home improvement professionals. While it is based in Seattle, there are lessons for all of us. Renovation Strategies for Long-Term Value: Investments That … Continue reading Why you should be doing an energy renovation of your home →

Energy in Demand News, September 24, 2023

The UN Climate Ambition Summit was held this week, and there were great expectations that this would be the occasion when the world’s leaders would finally understand that it was their most critical priority to address the climate crisis. Yet at the summit, UN Secretary General António Guterres could not hold back his concerns: “Humanity … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 24, 2023 →

One local authority’s launch of a retrofit academy to create jobs address skill shortages

Martin Guttridge-Hewitt writes on the Environmental Journal website about the initiative of Essex County Council in England to develop a training pipeline in order to plug a skill shortage in the region. They were faced with 68% of the local homes with an EPC rating of D or below and they seriously needed an upgrading. … Continue reading One local authority’s launch of a retrofit academy to create jobs address skill shortages →

Canada’s energy transition to net-zero emissions: need to upgrade 600,000 existing homes and 750 million square metres of existing commercial space per year between now and 2040

have to act now, and the shift will require a co-ordinated effort between government, industry and residents. Abdul Matin Sarfraz discusses the challenges and costs in an article on the National Observer website. The cost of turning older buildings into climate-fighting machines While Canada has set a deadline to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions … Continue reading Canada’s energy transition to net-zero emissions: need to upgrade 600,000 existing homes and 750 million square metres of existing commercial space per year between now and 2040 →

Update on the energy performance of buildings

Improving the energy performance of our buildings is a high priority as countries roll out their net-zero energy transition strategies. This week there were two interesting articles you should be aware of: The Mortgage Solutions website writes that around 80 per cent of landlords have already completed energy efficiency works in the UK. Check out … Continue reading Update on the energy performance of buildings →

Britain’s energy transition: looking at its building stock, the challenges are daunting to meet the net-zero target

Thursday, March 30th, the UK government announced its net-zero strategy and you can get the main elements of it here in an article on the Guardian website. Jillian Ambrose wrote a very important background article on Monday on the Guardian website, focusing on the negligible progress made in improving the energy efficiency of its building … Continue reading Britain’s energy transition: looking at its building stock, the challenges are daunting to meet the net-zero target →

New financial support to address energy poverty in Ireland

Kira Taylor writes on the Euractiv website about new support for people at risk of energy debt and to retrofit low-income homes. Dublin approves plan to tackle energy poverty The government approved on Tuesday its plan to tackle energy poverty and to help the poorest households adequately heat their homes amid cold snaps and … Continue reading New financial support to address energy poverty in Ireland →

We have a lot of work cut out for us to get the energy efficiency improvements we need

Minimum energy performance standards for buildings coupled with generous tax rebates for renovations – 110% in Italy – could unlock the energy service company market in Europe. Sonja van Renssen discusses the main issues with Jessica Stromback in an article on the Energy Monitor website. Expect a “seismic shift” on energy efficiency – Jessica … Continue reading We have a lot of work cut out for us to get the energy efficiency improvements we need →