Ecodesign

The EU's EuP Directive is one of the major opportunities for energy efficiency improvement currently ongoing on the end-use sector!

Leonardo ENERGY has developed an Ecodesign Toolbox and consequently several case studies as one of its contributions to seizing this opportunity.

This Microsite is an information point following the EuP process and pinpointing many case studies and developments across the ecodesign world!

Ecodesign EuP Process

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Mon, 2009-02-16 09:30

The Ecodesign EuP Directive is currently one of the most powerful instruments working towards energy efficiency in Europe. Adopted in 2005, it has since opened the way for 19 preparatory studies that are currently at different stages of preparation. Each of these studies analyses one product group and proposes implementing measures aimed at an efficiency improvement.

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Greenhouse gas emissions in the nuclear life cycle: A balanced appraisal

By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Tue, 2010-02-02 13:49

In order to combat global warming, a detailed knowledge of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with different energy conversion technologies is important.  For nuclear energy, GHG emissions result from different process stages of the whole fuel cycle. A life-cycle assessment offers the opportunity to properly calculate these emissions.  In the past, both indirect energy use and GHG emissions were studied by many researchers. Most of the studies result in low indirect emissions comparable to windturbines.

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Not all renewable power systems are sustainable

By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2009-07-14 05:30

Some renewable energy systems rely on scarce resources

In the quest for alternatives to fossil fuels, renewable energy systems are being rapidly developed across a wide spectrum. However, the fact that these new systems replace depletable fossil fuels with renewable sources is in itself not a guarantee of high sustainability. The article 'Why sustainable power is unsustainable' in New Scientist draws attention to this often under-appreciated fact. In our growing focus on energy and climate change, we have a tendency to applaud every renewable energy technology that is being developed and without considering its other sustainability aspects.

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Energy Efficient Distribution Transformers

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Tue, 2009-05-19 12:46

The second policy briefing brochure in the series looks at distribution transformers.

Electricity distribution losses vary from 4% to more than 20%. The adoption of efficient Distribution Transformers could save Europe about 18.5 TWh per year, equivalent to about 7 million tCO2/year.

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An Electricity-focused Economic Input-output Model: LCA and Policy Implications of Future Electricity Generation

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Thu, 2009-05-14 07:53

This PhD Thesis Report is courtesy of Joseph Michael Marriott, Carnegie Mellon University

The electricity industry is extremely important to both our economy and our environment: we would like to examine the economic, environmental and policy implications of both future electricity technologies and the interaction of this industry with the rest of the economy. However, the tools which currently exist to analyse the potential impacts are either too complex or too aggregated to provide this type of information.

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Energy Efficient Motor Systems

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Fri, 2009-04-24 07:27

Leonardo ENERGY opens here a new series of policy briefing brochures with a sharp look to pertinent topics on the European energy agenda aiming at providing its users instruments to interpret these issues and have an objective opinion on them!

Motor Driven Systems account for about 50% of electricity consumed in Europe and represent a major potential for energy savings!

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