Energy Efficiency

The EU's aims at 20% energy savings by 2020. Leonardo ENERGY provides here an information point on the latest developments and technologies towards reaching that target in the EU and improving efficiency across the world.

Electric Motor MEPS Guide

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Fri, 2009-02-06 10:06

Mandatory Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) are now being proposed for Electric Motors. To assist that process, this guide has been put forward under the IEA 4E - Electric Motor Systems Annex Project.

The purpose of the guide is to inform on new standards for electric motors that will facilitate trade of high efficient motors across the globe.

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Quantitative Analysis of Power Distribution Configurations for Data Centres

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Mon, 2010-02-22 17:19

This analysis builds on the previously released Qualitative Analysis of Power Distribution Configurations For Data Centres. It takes a quantitative look at one aspect of the previous paper: efficiency.

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Qualitative Analysis of Power Distribution Configurations For Data Centres

By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Mon, 2010-02-22 17:08

This paper is courtesy of The Green Grid - Get connected to Efficient IT.

Many different power distribution configurations exist today that can be used to power a data centre. Each of these configurations has its own advantages and disadvantages, which can have a major impact on all aspects of the facility.

This paper discusses the qualitative differences between seven possible configurations that can either be found in the United States or Canada today, or could be used in the future.

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CDM reform proposal: classify as additional all renewable energy and energy efficiency technology projects

By Fernando Nuno / Published on Wed, 2010-02-10 11:08

Binu ParthanBinu Parthan, Deputy Director General of our partner The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) declared that “REEEP believes that the project-by-project determination of additionality in the current CDM procedures for clean energy technologies does not have the intended effect. REEEP calls on those responsible to categorise all renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies as additional, i.e. to pre-determine additionality at the technology level.

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What are the energy sources of the next generation?

By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2010-01-07 06:30

'Searching for a miracle'

Last September, an interesting new analysis was published by two California-based think tanks: Searching for a miracle / "Net Energy" limits & the fate of industrial society. The report, written by Richard Heinberg, is a joint initiative by the International Forum on Globalization and the Post Carbon Institute.

As with the book Sustainable energy / Without the hot air by David Mc Kay (on which we reported earlier on this blog), the report by Heinberg has as its principal merit a comprehensive analysis of the energy problem. With global warming becoming an increasingly important topic and the all-time peak of global oil production most probably behind us (July 2008, 87.9 million barrels per day), we can no longer hide behind local solutions. The world’s energy use will need a radical change in the upcoming decades.

But contrary to David Mc Kay’s book, Heinberg’s study also takes the cost, the reliability, and the potential transition speed of possible energy resources into account, as well as their physical and technical potential. However, Heinberg looks at the energy solutions separately and does not propose scenarios in which demand and production figures are added up and matched, as Mc Kay did.

It is worth noting that both experts put emphasis on the need for energy conservation and on the advantages of electricity as an energy carrier. Another common viewpoint of both experts is that they see only a very limited potential for biomass, ethanol, and biodiesel. Both also view wind energy and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) as very powerful options for the future.

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Science Magazine reports on the efficiency gap

By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2009-11-03 06:30

How to do more with off-the-shelf energy efficient technology

The August edition of Science Magazine dedicated an eight page long focus article on how to leap the efficiency gap. This gap consists of the imbalance between the wide range of energy efficient technology that is readily available on the market and the rather small share this technology represents in the daily practice of industry, buildings, and transport.

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