Geneva: owners required to improve energy efficiency

In Geneva, the results of an aerial thermography targeting all the cantonal territory roofs are available on the Internet. Homeowners can benefit from expert advice for data interpretation and diagnosis of their building energy. "More than 35,000 buildings consume half the energy used in the township," said Isabel Friday Rochat, head of the Department of … Continue reading Geneva: owners required to improve energy efficiency →

Short Takes

Important Comment On May 15th, at an event on Energy Efficient Buildings and Districts: Research to Accelerate Innovation at the European Economic and Social Committee, Ms. Silvia-Adriana, MEP and former rapporteur for the recast of the buildings directive said: “Energy efficiency is important for each household and not just for the European Union. We need … Continue reading Short Takes →

Carbon footprints of hotels

If you want to shrink your carbon footprint when you check into a hotel, you may be better off staying at a mid-range or budget chain hotel. That's the conclusion from a report released by Brighter Planet, the eco-minded tech firm in Vermont that creates digital apps and other technology to measure environmental effects. The … Continue reading Carbon footprints of hotels →

New energy efficiency organisation launches in the UK

A new not-for-profit organisation the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Buildings (EEPB) has been launched in the UK. It replaces the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, which traditionally did a lot of work with local authorities, housing associations and charities, particularly in regards to fuel poverty. The EEPB’s objectives include the development of industry-agreed solutions to barriers … Continue reading New energy efficiency organisation launches in the UK →

French partnership between construction economists and Electricité de France

The National Union of Economists of the Construction Industry in France and EDF signed a partnership to contribute jointly to improving the energy performance of buildings. Economists accompany construction projects to renovate buildings, to optimise cost, quality and timeliness of design and production operations. Guarantors of budget estimates, they work with builders or contractors to … Continue reading French partnership between construction economists and Electricité de France →

All the world’s a stage but efficiency, efficiency, wherefore art thou . . .

This is an interesting article from The Stage website in the UK showing that the size of a theatre has no bearing on its efficiency. The organisation referred to in the article, Julie’s Bicycle, makes environmental sustainability intrinsic to the business, art and ethics of music, theatre and the creative industries. Research finds energy efficiency … Continue reading All the world’s a stage but efficiency, efficiency, wherefore art thou . . . →

Employment impacts from retrofitting Poland’s buildings

Central European University in Budapest has just published Employment Impacts of a Large-Scale Deep Building Energy Retrofit Programme in Poland. The report was funded by the European Climate Foundation. The research demonstrates that up to 84% of energy used to heat Polish buildings, and corresponding CO 2 emissions – can be avoided by a wide-spread … Continue reading Employment impacts from retrofitting Poland’s buildings →

Guidance document on cost optimality

The EiD post of March 23rd stated that on Wednesday, March 21st, the European Parliament and the Council published a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements. This was required under the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Guidelines as intended by Annex … Continue reading Guidance document on cost optimality →

Energy efficiency laws in Russia – starting the journey

With high potential, Russia has much to do to improve its energy efficiency in all sectors. Rod Janssen of EiD has worked in many parts of Russia and knows first hand the problems that the country faces. This is an excellent article from the Moscow Times giving an overview of the policies and the challenges … Continue reading Energy efficiency laws in Russia – starting the journey →

Why are few Singaporeans going ‘green’?

This is a question that many if not most countries should be asking. This is a good article from the Straits Times of Singapore showing the behavioural studies that Singapore is undertaking to understand more about consumer behaviour. Interestingly, the International Energy Agency’s Implementing Agreement on Demand Side Management has a new focus on behavioural … Continue reading Why are few Singaporeans going ‘green’? →