Modelling our energy transition is important to guide our policy directions. Last year, for energy efficiency, OpenEXP questioned whether the Commission’s assessments (including its modelling) assigned the right role to energy efficiency in its clean energy package. Liam Stoker writes on the Clean Energy News website about some of the flaws in renewable energy models, … Continue reading “Real world challenges” need to be integrated into our renewable energy modelling
The concept of “carbon neutrality” is a lofty ambition for cities, but is it achievable?
Cities are playing an ever-increasing role in our low-carbon strategies. Many are working towards being 100% on renewables or carbon neutral. Joe Blakey, PhD Researcher and Sherilyn MacGregor, Reader in Environmental Politics at the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester question whether cities can truly be carbon neutral. They present a good argument … Continue reading The concept of “carbon neutrality” is a lofty ambition for cities, but is it achievable?
Using cultural analysis to explain the dynamics in our energy systems
Decision-making is not easy but we often start from a bias one way or another. Dave Toke, Reader in Energy Policy at the University of Aberdeen, provides a very thoughtful article on The Conversation website about the importance of our biases in the various technologies we tend to support in our energy system. What are … Continue reading Using cultural analysis to explain the dynamics in our energy systems
New UK Centre for Research on Energy Demand announced
If we are to get on to a sustainable path to achieve our long-term low-carbon energy transition objectives, we have much more work to do on energy demand. It was welcome news to A new research centre, the UK Centre for Research on Energy Demand (UKCRED), to develop and deliver internationally leading research, focusing on … Continue reading New UK Centre for Research on Energy Demand announced
Is there a disinformation campaign against electric vehicles?
Steve Hanley writes on the CleanTechnica website about efforts to show how bad electric vehicles are for the environment when all elements are included. What are your views? Electric Car Myth Buster — Efficiency The merchants of doubt paid for by the Koch brothers and the fossil fuel industry are out in full force, … Continue reading Is there a disinformation campaign against electric vehicles?
There are effective energy storage solutions available now
While we are always looking for new technological breakthroughs, Jake Richardson writes on the CleanTechnica website that there are already many energy storage options that can have an important impact today. No Huge Energy Storage Breakthrough Needed For Renewable Energy To Flourish In the last couple of years, there has been a growing a … Continue reading There are effective energy storage solutions available now
Bumpy road for our energy transition: consumers increasingly embracing gas-guzzling vehicles
In January the Carbuyer website wrote: “It’s no secret that British car buyers have a soft spot for SUVs. These 4x4-style vehicles have become more popular than ever before.” Hiroko Tabuchi writes in the New York Times that this is a global phenomenon. This is definitely a worrying trend. Solutions? The World Is … Continue reading Bumpy road for our energy transition: consumers increasingly embracing gas-guzzling vehicles
Global information network requires more energy than the whole of the UK – low carbon solution is needed
The carbon footprint of the Internet already exceeds that of air travel. Oscar Céspedes, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Leeds provides an informative article on unsustainability of the computing world and the need to find low-carbon solutions. He shows that there are options to continue our progress and minimise the ecological impact. … Continue reading Global information network requires more energy than the whole of the UK – low carbon solution is needed
New technology being developed to use farm manure to produce energy
One imagines there must be many modern initiatives globally to use manure. A Canadian Press article on the CBC website describes latest developments by researchers from the University of Waterloo to produce natural gas to heat homes. Farm manure could be viable renewable energy source Researchers at the University of Waterloo say farm manure … Continue reading New technology being developed to use farm manure to produce energy
Reintroducing ancient Chinese water systems into modern urban design
We realise more and more that we have much to learn from past experience. Landscape architect Kongjian Yu is making ‘friends with water’ to mitigate extreme weather events in modern metropolises. Brigid Delaney explains in an article in The Guardian. Turning cities into sponges: how Chinese ancient wisdom is taking on climate change How … Continue reading Reintroducing ancient Chinese water systems into modern urban design
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 