Reuter’s news agency reports that of Romania’s 19 million population, less than five million are workers paying taxes, with most of the rest pensioners, children, subsistence farmers or people working illegally. Costs for the more than five million pensioners amounted to 9% of GDP in 2010. Also, Romania, the EU’s second-poorest member with an average … Continue reading Question of the week
Tag: buildings
Housing project becomes a beacon
This is a very good article from the New York Times about a housing project about a 15 minute walk from the EiD office. The results on energy performance are good and can probably even be better. But they show that important upgrades can be made to public housing. Hopefully this "beacon" will inspire changes … Continue reading Housing project becomes a beacon
China making significant progress in building energy code compliance
A new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Global Buildings Performance Network, published mid March, shows that compliance on building codes in China has been steadily improving since 2005. "The significant improvement is rooted in strong governmental regulatory support; clear rules about the responsibilities of key stakeholders and penalties for … Continue reading China making significant progress in building energy code compliance
Consumer energy bills rise dramatically since 2001 in UK
Newspaper reports show that, according to official figures, average household consumption of gas and electricity fell by 11.3% between 2001 and 2011 as people tried to protect themselves against spiralling prices. Despite this reduction in use, the amount families, pensioners and others spent on keeping warm rose by 23.5%, according to the Office of National … Continue reading Consumer energy bills rise dramatically since 2001 in UK
Financing energy efficiency in buildings – the American way
Financing energy efficiency in buildings is a challenge to policy makers, to consumers and to the energy efficiency industries (services and products). Two innovative approaches have recently been discussed in the US. SolarCity SolarCity, a national provider of clean energy services, on March 27th unveiled a Home Energy Loan for energy efficiency upgrades that will … Continue reading Financing energy efficiency in buildings – the American way
Cost optimality
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. The publication sets a deadline of one year from March 21st for member states to submit their first report on cost optimality concerning all input data … Continue reading Cost optimality
Public consultation on financial support for energy efficiency in buildings
A two-month public consultation on "Financial Support for Energy Efficiency in Buildings" has been launched by the Directorate General for Energy. The consultation period expires on May 18th. The objective is to obtain the views of the wide range of stakeholders throughout Europe on ways to improve the financial support for energy efficiency measures that … Continue reading Public consultation on financial support for energy efficiency in buildings
IEA unveils new initiatives on sustainable energy policies and technologies in the buildings sector
Cutting back on the amount of energy consumed in buildings all over the world will represent a significant step forward in efforts to strengthen energy security and combat climate change, International Energy Agency Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said as she announced new IEA initiatives on sustainable energy policies and technologies in the buildings … Continue reading IEA unveils new initiatives on sustainable energy policies and technologies in the buildings sector
More interesting reading . . .
Two new reports from the OECD and the UK government should definitely be on EiD readers’ bookshelves. From the OECD The OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: The Consequences of Inaction presents the latest projections of socio-economic trends over the next four decades, and their implications for four key areas of concern: climate change, biodiversity, water and health … Continue reading More interesting reading . . .
Video-in-Demand
EiD has come across two excellent videos for EiD readers. The first is by Peter Sweatman for Eurima, the European Insulation Manufacturers, on Financing Mechanisms for Europe’s Buildings Renovations. This is an excellent argument for an ambitious energy efficiency directive and the need for incentives for building refurbishment. The second is by the UNFCCC Executive … Continue reading Video-in-Demand
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 