According to Giles Parkinson, writing on the RenewEconomy website from Australia, a combination of renewable energy, storage and big data may deliver what we thought nuclear energy was going to do in the 1960s – provide energy that is essentially free. This is interesting to read as we reflect on the British decision to delay … Continue reading Too cheap to meter?
Alarm about home energy efficiency loans in the US
To help fund building renovations, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans became popular in the United States. The Scotsman Guide, the leading resource for mortgage originators in US, writes that the financial industry has some concerns. Energy-efficient PACE loans draw industry fire The powerful Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is raising warning alarms about home … Continue reading Alarm about home energy efficiency loans in the US
Important insights from sociologists about responding to climate change
Donald Brown, Scholar In Residence and Professor, Sustainable Ethics and Law at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in the US provides an excellent article on what we should be learning from the field of sociology in addressing climate change. As Don Brown wrote in an introductory email, the article provides important insights that sociologists have … Continue reading Important insights from sociologists about responding to climate change
It takes money to make money: getting money to flow into energy efficiency projects
Jim Barrett, Chief Economist, for ACEEE, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, writes an excellent blog on the ACEEE website about an initiative by the Bank of America to increase investments at the community level. Bank of America’s Energy Efficiency Financing Program shows path to combining energy savings and community development If you … Continue reading It takes money to make money: getting money to flow into energy efficiency projects
Ramping up energy efficiency in leading cities
There is an increasing recognition that cities have an important role to play in our global efforts to promote energy efficiency. There is a good article on the blue&green tomorrow website about a new initiative led by the World Green Building Council and the World Resources Institute-led Building Efficiency Accelerator. Leading cities around the … Continue reading Ramping up energy efficiency in leading cities
Analysing the energy performance of commercial buildings in London
The Association for the Conservation of Energy has recently published a report that assesses the general state of non-domestic buildings in London. David Pratt reviews the report in an article on the Clean Energy News website. ACE report reveals poor energy efficiency of London’s buildings Over a third of non-domestic buildings in London have … Continue reading Analysing the energy performance of commercial buildings in London
Reviewing Japan’s energy transition
Being a country with few domestic energy resources, energy policy has been a priority for Japan. It is obvious at organisations such as the International Energy Agency, how Japan gives attention to energy security. Obviously, the nuclear disaster only a few years ago has forced Japan to re-think its approach. Jarni Blakkarly writes in The … Continue reading Reviewing Japan’s energy transition
The hydrogen future for vehicles has been slow to arrive but maybe that will change
Neal Boudette writes a good article in the New York Times about the increasing interest in fuel cells for vehicles. There have been efforts for many years without any market breakthrough. Could that change? Water Out of the Tailpipe: A New Class of Electric Car Gains Traction Steve Manning, a financial consultant in Southern … Continue reading The hydrogen future for vehicles has been slow to arrive but maybe that will change
Starting to target airlines in our climate change strategies
Many have argued that air transport has been given too free a ride in pushing for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It is complex because it is international in scope and complicated to address. It is encouraging to see in an article by Associated Press that the Obama administration has taken the first steps to … Continue reading Starting to target airlines in our climate change strategies
Understanding sufficiency
Led by Dr. Adrian Muller, Senior Researcher at the Chair of Environmental Policy and Economics at the Institute for Environmental Decisions of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, an opinion paper attempts a new approach on what sufficiency may be, how it may be used and how rather not. The abstract states: Sufficiency is … Continue reading Understanding sufficiency
