Quote of the week

This quote is from the German embassy website in UK concerning the country’s “Energiewende” (energy transition) “Germany aims to generate its energy supply primarily from renewables by 2050. This requires the fundamental restructuring of the energy supply system. This process is a fundamental ethical and cultural decision that offers the unique opportunity to show the world how competitiveness … Continue reading Quote of the week

What do you know about carbon capture and storage?

Fiona Harvey recently wrote in the Guardian about a research study by the UK Energy Research Council that was trying to better understand what the public thought about the future of energy policy.  CCS is considered by the government’s climate advisors to be a major way of helping to take carbon out of electricity generation. … Continue reading What do you know about carbon capture and storage?

UK promotes heat from renewable energy

Jasveer Matharu, who has recently started an MSc in Consumer Psychology, provided a short summary of the proposal to raise the tariffs under the Renewable Heat Incentive.  This is an important financial measure that could encourage other EU countries to do the same. UK Government’s proposal to raise the Renewable Heat Incentive Tariffs  The UK’s … Continue reading UK promotes heat from renewable energy

UK energy company disputes government estimates

Mat Hope provides an excellent article on the Carbon Brief website of the energy company, Npower, disputing the estimates for the increase of gas and electricity bills in 2020.  This is an important topic as energy companies throughout Europe are expected to play an ever increasing role in promoting energy efficiency.  And, daily one is … Continue reading UK energy company disputes government estimates

Kenya doing much to promote renewables

Ray Obiero writes for the Thomson Reuters Foundation about the efforts underway in Kenya to promote renewable energy. Kenya is attracting funding for its renewable energy sector because of green policy changes in recent years.  Kenya shifts renewable energy funding The recent announcement by the Kenya electricity generating company (Kengen) inviting bids for joint development … Continue reading Kenya doing much to promote renewables

‘Fuel poverty’ policy changes in the UK

Steve Hawkes writes in The Telegraph about the change in definition of fuel poverty that will remove up to one million people from being considered fuel poor. Is this a good move or not? Campaigners certainly do not think so.   Government takes 1m out of fuel poverty - by changing the rules Campaigners criticised … Continue reading ‘Fuel poverty’ policy changes in the UK

UK struggling to reduce carbon emissions

Roger Harrabin writes on the BBC website about warnings that the UK will not meet its climate change targets. This is somewhat surprising given that the UK showed such confidence that achieving the climate change targets were not in doubt.   UK given carbon emissions warning The UK is not on track to hit its … Continue reading UK struggling to reduce carbon emissions

Loopholes in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive

Diarmaid William writes for Power Engineering International about how the UK is trying to avoid having to implement some of the main elements of the recently approved Energy Efficiency Directive.  So far the UK has not succeeded but there are concerns that loopholes still exist and there is every chance that some EU member states … Continue reading Loopholes in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive

China taking more action to address air pollution

Keith Bradsher reports in the New York Times that the Chinese cabinet recently approved new measures to tackle the increasing problem of air pollution.   China Sets New Rules Aimed at Curbing Air Pollution China’s cabinet has adopted 10 measures to improve air quality in the latest move aimed at responding to the dense smog … Continue reading China taking more action to address air pollution

Negawatts gains acceptability in the United Kingdom

SustainableBuilding reports that the UK government is going to include “negawatts” into their energy bill.  Negawatts is a term coined by the chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute and environmentalist Amory Lovins in 1989, who recently spoke at the eceee summer study. Government puts ‘negawatts’ in Energy Bill The Government included the ‘negawatts not … Continue reading Negawatts gains acceptability in the United Kingdom