Category: national policies

Promoting smart buildings in New Zealand

Mike Underhill writes in The New Zealand Herald about promoting super-efficient, smart buildings in New Zealand using technology developed by Microsoft.   Ratings for buildings that get smart with energy saving In the city of the future, super-efficient, smart buildings will communicate, sharing data to optimise energy performance and dramatically reduce operating costs. This is … Continue reading Promoting smart buildings in New Zealand →

Schneider Electric busy in India and Singapore

There are two posts on the efforts of Schneider Electric to promote energy.  First, India’s Economic Times reports on the efforts of Schneider Electric to work with India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency to promote energy efficiency.  The company plans to help in technology development, innovation and deployment.  Second, Eco-Business.com reports on the efforts to promote … Continue reading Schneider Electric busy in India and Singapore →

Will the energy transition continue in Germany after its recent election?

What will happen to Germany's energy transition is the big question.  When you read some of the recent British press that have been posted in EiD, one wonders.  But in EiD’s discussions with German friends and colleagues, one becomes quite optimistic. Obviously, we have to see what happens in the negotiations to form the next … Continue reading Will the energy transition continue in Germany after its recent election? →

Taxing times in France to support renewable energy and energy efficiency

Tara Patel writes in Business Week about the recent announcement in France about a new levy on nuclear energy and a tax on carbon emissions to support the transition to a low carbon, energy-efficient economy.   France to Tax EDF Nuclear Output for Energy Shift to Renewables France will introduce a levy on nuclear energy … Continue reading Taxing times in France to support renewable energy and energy efficiency →

New homes in England not showing energy performance improvements

The Green Building Press provides some disturbing news about the average efficiency of new homes in England.   Energy efficiency of new homes goes down not up The average energy efficiency of new homes in England has dropped from last year, official figures reveal. Figures released by the Communities and Local Government department on Friday … Continue reading New homes in England not showing energy performance improvements →

New academic paper – “The Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation”

Jan Rosenow, Senior Consultant at Ricardo-AEA, and Nick Eyre, Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University, put together the first comprehensive academic peer-reviewed paper on the British Green Deal published in the journal ‘Energy’ of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The Green Deal, introduced alongside the Energy Company Obligation, marks a substantial change … Continue reading New academic paper – “The Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation” →

Germany’s energy transition certainly has its critics

Views certainly appear polarised on the success of Germany’s energy transition to date. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writing in The Telegraph certainly believes the dream is over.  It would be good to hear from EiD readers about their views.  Is it really economic suicide? Romantic Germany risks economic decline as green dream spoils Germany is committing slow … Continue reading Germany’s energy transition certainly has its critics →

United Nations having a say in Britain’s renewable energy strategy

Margareta Pagano explains in the Independent that a UN Tribunal has accused the UK government of acting illegally by not having adequate public consultation. UN ruling puts future of wind farms in Britain in jeopardy Plans for future wind farms in Britain could be in jeopardy after a United Nations legal tribunal ruled that the … Continue reading United Nations having a say in Britain’s renewable energy strategy →