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Welcome to the library of resources of this website. Browse through a large number of whitepapers, tutorials, Good Practice Guide application notes, and webinar recordings, and download at will.

You can search for them by ticking off the technology, sector, purpose, channel, and/or country your choice in the menu to the left. You can further narrow down your choice by ticking off as many boxes as you want, one by one. All relevant articles will appear in the list hereunder.

Photovoltaic Grid Parity – Webinar Series

By
Fernando Nuno
Tue, 06/04/2013 - 13:56

PV Grid Parity is defined as the moment when PV Levelized Cost of Energy becomes competitive with retail electricity prices, assuming that 100% of the electricity is self-consumed instantaneously. This point has already been reached in many regions of the world.

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Webinar - Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings and Offsite Renewables

By
Andreas Hermelink
Tue, 05/14/2013 - 10:59

Date : 29th May 2013

Summary : The energy performance of buildings is key for reaching the European Union’s very ambitious climate targets. “Nearly zero energy building (nZEB)” is the term for a building standard that complies with this ambition.

Living in 2013 we have 8 years to go until every single Member State will have to build every new building as nearly zero energy building, and even only 6 years to go for nearly zero energy public buildings.

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The end-users as starting point for designing dynamic pricing approaches to change household energy consumption behaviours

By
webmaster
Fri, 05/10/2013 - 16:54

Introduction

The increasing deployment of intermittent resources, decentralised generation, and the expectation of further electrification pose a number of challenges to DSOs and TSOs in relation to the balance of supply and demand. The increasing interest in demand reduction and demand shifting has resulted in discussions about how dynamic pricing can be used to best encourage household end-users to change their energy behaviours - more specifically to shift (and reduce) energy consumption.

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A new generation of small PV systems for lighting and communication

By
Fernando Nuno
Wed, 04/24/2013 - 11:11

The IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) is one of the collaborative R & D agreements established within the IEA and, since 1993, its participants have been conducting a variety of joint projects in the applications of photovoltaic conversion of solar energy into electricity.

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Heat Pumps for Larger Buildings

By
Keeran Jugdoyal
Fri, 04/05/2013 - 11:15

Heat pumps are increasingly being used in medium and large buildings to provide both heating and cooling. If specified and installed correctly they present a very good opportunity to save energy and reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional building heating and cooling technologies. This application note provides an overview of the types of heat pumps available along with the advantages and constraints of installing them in larger buildings.

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Energy Efficiency Self-Assessment in Buildings

By
Bruno De Wachter
Tue, 01/29/2013 - 18:14

Energy efficiency has been a key topic for many years now, yet there still remain opportunities to reduce energy use in existing buildings. With existing buildings making up a significant proportion of Europe’s building stock, reducing the energy they consume can help make inroads to meeting carbon reduction targets.

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The impact of energy-saving installations in European homes on the life cycle cost

By
Guy Kasier
Tue, 09/11/2012 - 10:23

The energy-saving measures most often applied in homes relate to better insulation of the outer shell. Nevertheless, other technologies and installations can drastically drive down the energy consumption of a home. These include, amongst others, the solar boiler, heat pump, and integrated home system. Some of these less well-known techniques do even better than additional insulation, depending, of course, on the climate, the type of building (apartment or house), and the age of the building (new construction or renovation).

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Checklist - Design Guide for Integrated Home Systems

By
Guy Kasier
Wed, 08/29/2012 - 16:36

Most people these days are familiar with the term ‘Integrated Home Systems’ (hereafter abbreviated to IHS). However, when people begin to talk about IHS it quickly become apparent that nearly everyone interprets this term differently. For one person it is a lighting control system, for another a sound distribution system, and for yet another it is a system which ensures that older people are able to go on living independently at home for longer.

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A low-energy building policy starts with clear definitions

By
Bruno De Wachter
Thu, 08/23/2012 - 17:55

Is it a zero energy, net zero energy, low carbon, or renewable energy building?

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Considerations in Selecting Home Security Systems

By
Mary Baker
Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:14

One increasingly popular feature of the modern home is a security system that is capable of being monitored by the homeowner using an internet connection or a cell phone.  Traditional security systems have used motion sensors, glass break detectors, and magnetic switches to monitor entryways for intruders.  Using new, low-cost digital video cameras and digital video recorders, not only can an intrusion be detected, but the identity of the intruder can be captured and recorded.

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The Home Office – How Will it Change in the Next Few Years?

By
Mary Baker
Thu, 06/07/2012 - 09:19

The home office of the future will probably be considerably different from the home office in current houses.  Modern construction trends are moving in the direction of smaller homes, with green building materials and energy efficiency at the top of the priority lists of homebuyers.  The modern home office will fit into this trend, as a number of technological factors will enable the home office to be more compact and much smaller.

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Acceptance of Smart Home Systems Among Aging Populations

By
Mary Baker
Fri, 06/01/2012 - 08:50

Incorporating technology into homes of aging people is one way to extend their autonomy and ability to remain in their homes for an extended period of time.  In general, smart technologies used to aid the elderly fall into three categories: health, security, and convenience.

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Will Power Surges Present a Growing Problem in Future Homes?

By
Mary Baker
Fri, 05/25/2012 - 09:27

Several years ago, when home computers came into wide use, consumers began to get into the habit of purchasing surge protection power strips to use with the computer system.  In many homes, the computer, laptop, or HDTV system wis the main system with sensitive electronics that needed protection from power surges.  The use of switchable surge protection power strips has been an inexpensive “low tech” solution due to the limited number of devices needing protection.

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Zero Energy Homes – The Impact of Future Home Electronics

By
Mary Baker
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 11:06

Zero energy homes (ZEH), often called net-zero energy, or zero-use energy homes, have been receiving increased attention from the building industry in Europe and, more recently, in the United States. Techniques employed in ZEH homes include passive solar heating and water heaters, thick layers of insulation in exterior walls and attics, and extremely well-sealed and thermally efficient doors and windows.

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High primary energy factor jeapordizes renewable development

By
Edith Molenbroek
Wed, 03/21/2012 - 03:00

Within the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive the Primary Energy Factor (PEF) is used when calculating the energy performance. The PEF accounts for the energy losses of electricity generation and transport when comparing electricity use with other types of energy use in the building.

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Are Distributed OLED Light Sources Poised to Change Home Lighting?

By
Mary Baker
Wed, 02/15/2012 - 15:06

Since before the invention of the incandescent light bulb, lighting in the home has been accomplished by the use of point light sources. As candlelight and gas lamps transitioned to electrical lighting, room light sources continued to be localized, either as light fixtures in the ceiling, or as lamps or accent lighting located for specific uses like reading or security lighting.

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Exciting Trends in Internet Based Control of Home Systems

By
Mary Baker
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 17:10

Three relatively new technology trends are poised to come together in a number of new and exciting ways to enable more accessible and intelligent control of systems within the home. These trends are: inexpensive home monitoring sensors and control systems; increasingly sophisticated cell phone “apps”; and, cloud-based applications.

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Why Consumers Have Been Slow to Adopt Smart Technologies in the Home

By
Mary Baker
Tue, 12/27/2011 - 00:00

Despite the development of a number of smart technologies for use in residential environments, consumers have been slower than anticipated in purchasing and installing these devices in their homes. A number of studies have looked at this issue, and cited reasons for this hesitancy.

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Options for automated lighting systems In single rooms

By
Mary Baker
Wed, 12/14/2011 - 14:54

A complete retrofit of an existing home to incorporate smart technologies for energy management and home automation can sometimes be overwhelming to homeowners, both in terms of cost and complexity. Because the energy and time savings from utilizing such systems can be significant, it is worth looking at lower cost solutions.

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Minimizing Power Usage by Household Devices

By
Mary Baker
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 17:58

Devices that continue to use power when they are turned off but not unplugged are known as “vampire” or “phantom” devices. A recent study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in the US looked at the typical energy used by a number of devices when they are plugged in but turned off. The worst offenders were TV set top boxes, including digital cable boxes and satellite boxes, with and without a DVR.

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