Fuel poverty had slipped down the political agenda for many years. With one in six households now having to face the choice of eating or heating it is now back with a vengeance. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, a long-time follower of policies and programmes related to fuel poverty, discusses latest … Continue reading The appalling neglect of fuel poverty in England is now being starkly revealed
Category: energy transition
IPCC: New climate change report to sound warning on impacts
This coming week, the IPCC will be publishing its second of three major reports. The study will focus heavily on regional impacts as well as on cities and coastal communities. Matt McGrath previews the findings in an article on the BBC News website. A new report on the impacts of climate change will likely … Continue reading IPCC: New climate change report to sound warning on impacts
Low-tech sustainable solutions prioritise simplicity and durability, local manufacture, as well as traditional or ancient techniques
Chris McMahon, Senior Research Fellow in Engineering at the University of Bristol explains the benefits of low-technology in our path to sustainability without the need to always look towards high-tech solutions in an article on The Conversation website. Low-technology: why sustainability doesn’t have to depend on high-tech solutions It’s a popular idea that the path … Continue reading Low-tech sustainable solutions prioritise simplicity and durability, local manufacture, as well as traditional or ancient techniques
What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis?
The German government has been worried about being sued by the fossil fuel companies behind the Russian gas pipeline. This potential litigation is due to the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). Yamina Saheb, a friend of EiD used to head the ECT’s energy efficiency unit and is now an energy policy analyst at the OpenExp think … Continue reading What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis?
The development of a green hydrogen economy in Africa is gathering considerable attention
Patrick Prestele writes on the ESI-Africa website. Africans realise that to meet their Paris climate obligations they need to achieve significant carbon emission reductions, even though the carbon footprint is relatively low. Green hydrogen is seen as a major solution. Analysis: Green hydrogen, the new energy frontier in Africa The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, … Continue reading The development of a green hydrogen economy in Africa is gathering considerable attention
China’s removal of renewable energy subsidy will affect fight against climate change
China, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is also the largest user of energy and amid this, the country's growing population is putting pressure on Beijing to amend plans to fulfil its ever-growing energy needs. China's subsidy policy was mostly to cover excessive installation and production costs of renewable energy but the country has decided … Continue reading China’s removal of renewable energy subsidy will affect fight against climate change
If the cement industry were a country its yearly pollution would only be topped by the US and China
The cement and concrete industry is one of the most neglected in the fight against climate change. It's responsible for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, more than double those from flying or shipping. In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Ajit Niranjan discusses the options to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. … Continue reading If the cement industry were a country its yearly pollution would only be topped by the US and China
Discouragingly, the door is open in the EU for more “blue hydrogen” projects
The oil and gas industry is promoting the use of “low-carbon” hydrogen derived from methane that is potentially dirtier than burning fossil gas for energy, scientists and analysts. EU green investment rules facilitate the rollout of blue hydrogen, a fuel that could be more polluting than the fossil gas it is set to replace. Not surprisingly, … Continue reading Discouragingly, the door is open in the EU for more “blue hydrogen” projects
Scientists have developed a prototype window that can harvest heat in the winter and reflect it in the summer
A prototype window with switchable absorption properties, so that it can be set to harvest heat in the winter and reflect it in the summer, has recently been developed. The window relies on a film just 12 nanometres thick, containing a material that changes its state when heated up to high temperatures, using a transparent … Continue reading Scientists have developed a prototype window that can harvest heat in the winter and reflect it in the summer
The British energy rating scheme, recognised in law, offers a distinctly cold shoulder to the installation of heat pumps
Andrew Warren, who chairs the British Energy Efficiency Federation, warns in an articel on the Business Green website the already considerable challenge of reducing the cost of heat pumps is being complicated by the inability of Energy Performance Certificate surveyors to recommend a switch to greener heating systems EPCs don't like heat pumps - … Continue reading The British energy rating scheme, recognised in law, offers a distinctly cold shoulder to the installation of heat pumps
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 