The European Wind Energy Association has just published 2011 data on wind energy. Wind power capacity of 9616 MW was installed in the EU in 2011, at a value of €12.6 billion. This was down only slightly from 2010, when 9648 MW was installed. Wind power represented 21.4 % of total power capacity installations in … Continue reading Renewables news
Category: national policies
Reliance on compliance
One six-storey building housing Canterbury Television in Christchurch, New Zealand collapsed during last year’s earthquake killing 115 people. New Zealand's department of building and housing found that the building did not meet minimum requirements, even when it was built in 1986. The report concluded that load-bearing concrete columns were reinforced with insufficient steel, making them … Continue reading Reliance on compliance
How To Achieve A Low Carbon Society #1
There is an interesting debate in the UK at the moment concerning the role of nuclear energy in a future low-carbon society. A recently published cross-party report finds that Ministers misled parliament about the need for new nuclear plants. According to the government's own figures, "there is absolutely no need for any more nuclear power … Continue reading How To Achieve A Low Carbon Society #1
Everyone is Watching
There are a lot of financial instruments in Europe being used to help consumers improve the energy performance of buildings. The recent study by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe on “ Europe’s Buildings Under the Microscope” documents many of them in place today. Yet, everyone knows that those incentives are not enough if Europe is … Continue reading Everyone is Watching
