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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By Peter Vaessen / Published on Tue, 2009-09-08 07:04
An option when there is no alternative
It is clear that wireless power transmission systems in the range of 100 W to 100 kW cannot compete with traditional systems just looking at the costs. At places where economic competition is not the prime consideration, it can be an option. Microwave wireless power transmission can supply power to places that are difficult to reach. Especially small communities in rural areas could be supplied with power using WPT.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2009-08-11 05:30
A criterion for expressing the development phase of a new technology
Ever since climate change emerged as a major issue, news reports on innovative sustainable energy technologies have reached a flood level. What those reports mostly do not mention is the particular stage of development of those innovations at the moment of writing. It is generally a long reach between innovation and market introduction, and this path is marked by several development phases, each of which presents particular barriers.
To assess the maturity of evolving technologies, NASA developed a new standard: the Technology Readiness Level or TRL. This standard divides the evolution between the first basic technology research and market introduction into nine levels.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Fri, 2009-02-27 01:00
Stefan Lechtenböhmer and Maike Bunse, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy, Germany
Adriaan Perrels, Government Institute for Economic Research VATT, Finland
Anja Scholten, University of Würzburg, Geographical Institute, Germany
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Tue, 2008-12-16 10:00
Year: 2008
Policy Status: In force
The development of innovative technology is essential in achieving the long-term target of halving global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the current levels under Cool Earth 50, proposed in May 2007.
Based on awareness of this issue, an investigative commission comprising key intellectual figures, organized under Akira Amari, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, announced the Cool Earth Innovative Energy Technology Program. The commission selected 21 innovative technologies whose development and deployment should be prioritised to achieve the target.
In the program, roadmaps with an outlook extending to around 2050 were prepared along with examinations on the effectiveness of the technologies and measures toward dissemination. In addition, the Program aims to strengthen international co-operation to accelerate innovative technology R&D, through existing international frameworks such as the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) and APP on clean coal; GNEP and GIF on nuclear; IPHE on fuel cells and IEA implementing agreements generally as well as through exploring new areas for cooperation.
Technologies included are:
- High efficiency natural gas and coal fired power generation
- Intelligent transport system, fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrid/electric vehicles
- Innovation to increase efficiency of industrial processing and materials production
- Innovation in iron and steel-making
- High-efficiency housing and building technologies, as well as lighting technologies
- Stationary fuel cells
- High-efficiency heat pumps
- Highly efficient information device and systems
- High-performance power storage systems
- HEMS/BEMS and local-level Energy Management Systems
Click here to download the full report and technology roadmap.
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Sat, 2008-12-13 10:00
Year: 2007
Policy Status: In force
The New National Energy Strategy of May 2006 and Basic Energy Plan of March 2007 both specify that an Energy Conservation Technology Strategy is to be formulated. They specify that the strategy will identify issues to be solved by technology and formulate a roadmap regarding technology development for these issues.
The Energy Conservation Technology Strategy is premised on the need for long-term planning when it comes to technology development in the energy field, as well as durable public-private partnerships. It identifies and classifies energy technology for future commercialisation in the following categories:
- Total energy efficiency improvement
- Fuel diversification in the transportation sector
- Development, promotion and dissemination of new energy
- Promotion of nuclear energy and safety
- Security of supply of fossil fuels and their clean and efficient use.
Based on these categories, a Technology map, Roadmap, and Introduction Scenario were developed to 2030. They envisage widespread cooperation between various actors, without restrictions according to sectors and fields of research.
Additional information can be found at the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy website.
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Tue, 2008-12-09 10:00
Year: 2006
Policy Status: In force
Within the New National Energy Strategy of 31 May 2006, the
AsianEnergy-Saving Program was established. The programme aims to improve energy efficiency throughout Asia by promoting and using
Japanese energy-saving technologies, systems and experiences.
The Asian Energy-Saving Program focuses on
China,
India,
Thailand,
Indonesia and
Vietnam as prospective partners, with particular attention to the energy conservation potential of China and India.
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By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Thu, 2008-12-04 11:46
The European Commission has made public a voluntary Code of Conduct for operating an energy efficient data centre. The package includes guidelines, recommendations and an inventory of good practices that could reduce energy usage by up to 20%.
Data Centres have consumed an estimated 56 TWh in Western Europe during 2007 - comparable to the electricity production of Greece (EuroStat Data 2004). This amount is projected to increase to 104 TWh per year by 2020 if no actions are taken.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Mon, 2008-11-17 10:25
During the last decade, there has been an impressive advance in the efficiency records of PV solar cells due to the continuous improvement of III-V multi-junction solar cells, whose efficiency has surpassed 40%, and with a slope of 10% absolute per decade. However, this great potential is achieved at a high cost per unit of cell area and, consequently, the future of these cells in the terrestrial market is linked to High Concentration Photovoltaics (HCPV).
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Wed, 2008-11-05 10:00
Year: 2007
Policy Status: In force
The
ecoENERGY for Equipment programme is focused on accelerating the introduction of
energy efficient products in Canada's
equipment stock by implementing minimum energy efficiency performance standards that restrict the importation and inter-provincial shipment of the least efficient products for sale in Canada, and deploying initiatives to increase the market share of more efficient products.
The ecoENERGY for Equipment programme also supports
labelling programmes that encourage the introduction of more efficient technologies. This involves the establishment and promotion of high efficiency performance criteria such as
ENERGY STAR and the engagement of stakeholders to promote products that meet these criteria. As products are adopted through the market, the ENERGY STAR or equivalent performance levels will become the basis for new, more stringent standards.
In addition, ecoENERGY for Equipment maintains a multi-layered compliance and enforcement programme to ensure that products meet prescribed standards and to ensure that other regulatory requirements, such as labelling, are met.
A companion programme, the
Accelerated Standards Action Program (ASAP), will set the stage for the future enhancement of appliance and equipment standards by providing marketing and product certification assistance to encourage the purchase of "best in class" products.
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Sun, 2008-11-02 10:00
Year: 2007
Policy Status: In force
The Seventh Framework Research Programme (FP7) bundles research-related EU initiatives together. The programme will last for seven years from 2007 to 2013. The programme has a total budget of over EUR 50 billion. This represents a substantial increase compared with the previous Framework Programme FP6 (41% at 2004 prices, 63% at current prices).
The Framework Programmes for Research have two main strategic objectives:
- to strengthen the scientific and technological base of European industry;
- to encourage its international competitiveness, while promoting research that supports EU policies.
FP7 provides grants on a competitive basis to co-fund various and wide-ranging research projects. The maximum reimbursement rates to the costs of a project depend on the funding scheme, the legal status of the participants and the type of activity. The standard reimbursement rate for research and technological development activities is 50%.
Certain legal entities can receive up to 75% (non-profit public bodies, SMEs, research organisations, higher education establishments).
For demonstration activities, the reimbursement rate may reach 50%. For other activities (consortium management, networking, training, coordination, dissemination etc.), the reimbursement can be up to 100% of the eligible costs.
Energy research under FP7 has been allocated a budget of EUR 2.35 bn and focuses on the following areas:
- Hydrogen and fuel cells
- Renewable electricity generation
- Renewable fuel production
- Renewables for heating and cooling
- CO2 capture and storage technologies for zero emission power generation
- Clean Coal Technologies
- Smart energy networks
- Energy efficiency and savings
- Knowledge for energy policy making
Energy efficiency and savings activities have been divided into the following fields:
-Efficient energy use in the manufacturing industry
-High efficiency poly-generation (providing more than two energy vectors - any combination of electricity, heat, cooling, and biofuels (solid, liquid or gaseous) - for energy applications as well as materials)
-Large-scale integration of renewable energy supply and energy efficiency in buildings
-Innovative integration of renewable energy supply and energy efficiency in large communities
-Innovative strategies for clean urban transport
-Socio-economic research and innovation (using models to assess energy performance, monitoring and implementation, assessing quality, value added, socio-economic impacts of activities)
- Promotion and dissemination activities
The transport and aeronautics programme has been allocated a budget of EUR 4.1bn, and also aims to develop safer, "greener" and "smarter" pan-European transport systems. Activities emphasised are:
Aeronautics and air transport
-reduction of emissions, work on engines and alternative fuels,
-air traffic management, safety aspects of air transport,
-environmentally efficient aviation
Sustainable surface transport - rail, road and waterborne
-development of clean and efficient engines and power trains,
-reducing the impact of transport on climate change,
-inter-modal regional and national transport,
-clean and safe vehicles,
-infrastructure construction and maintenance, integrative architectures
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Sun, 2008-10-19 09:00
Year: 2006
Policy Status: In force
State Council Office Notice on the Carrying Out of Resource Conservation Activities and the “Energy Conservation Law of the People’s Republic of China” and the “Government Procurement Law of the People’s Republic of China”, The Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission published a formal list of energy efficient products for public procurement. Certified by a Chinese certification organization, the list of products will be issued as the “List of Energy Efficient Products for Government Procurement”, or simply the “Energy Efficiency List.”
The Energy Efficiency List:
- Refrigerators
- Room Air Conditioners
- Double Capped Fluorescents for General Service Lighting
- Self-ballasted Fluorescents for General Service Lighting
- Televisions
- Computers
- Printers
- Toilets
- Faucets
When procuring products from a category appearing on the Energy Efficiency List, federal, state and municipal agents must give priority to the energy efficient products on the Energy Efficiency List. In government procurement activities, the procurement officer must make explicit the assessment standards for product energy efficiency requirements, conditions for product qualification, and priority of energy efficiency procurement in all tender documents (including negotiation documents and price request documents).
Procurement officers or their procurement agent organizations who do not follow such requirements risk legal recourse and the Ministry of Finance may refuse to pay the procurement amount.
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Tue, 2008-10-14 10:37
Year: 2006
Policy Status: In force
The Government of Canada announced in 1999 the provision of
CN$100 million to establish a
Sustainable Development Technology Fund to be administered by a third-party foundation. The Fund would stimulate the development and demonstration of
environmental technologies, in particular those aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.
Funding would be available to the private sector, research centres and other institutes, up to a maximum of 33% of a project's costs, within total government funding capped at 75% of each project's costs. At the Fund's launch, partnering organizations and private firms were expected to provide a further CN$200 million in leveraged funding.
Between April 2002 and October 2006, SDTC completed seven funding rounds, committed CN $169 million to 75 clean technology projects, and leveraged CN $446 million from project consortia members, for a total portfolio value of CN $615 million.
On 12 August, 2003, the Government of Canada announced the investment of $250 million from Budget 2003 to Sustainable Development Technology Canada, to strengthen the Government's support for the development and demonstration of technology related to climate change and clean air.
In January 2006, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) pledged CN $42.5 million in new funding for clean technology projects. The funding, approved by SDTC’s Board of Directors, would support the development and demonstration of new clean technologies and fast-track their progress toward commercial viability. Projects included industrial process efficiency and recycling of waste as energy.
The 2007 federal budget announced an additional
$500 million for SDTC, applied to commercial-scale biofuels projects.
A not-for-profit corporation, SDTC aims to bring clean technologies from research to market: helping clean technology developers move through the development and demonstration phases, in preparation for commercialization. SDTC applies a stringent due diligence process when selecting technologies to support and requires every applicant to involve a consortia of partners in their project.
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Sat, 2008-08-09 09:00
Year: 2006
Policy Status: In force
To prioritise the development of new energy-saving technology, the Finnish government elected in 2006 to award structural investment subsidies within sectors covered by the EU ETS to only those projects involving new technology.
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Mon, 2008-06-02 09:00
Year: 2005
Policy Status: In force
This programme is the successor to the Fourth Energy Research Programme (started in 1996). It sets the framework for public RD&D support in energy technologies at large, including the efficient conversion of energy.
The following table shows the program budget of RD&D of energy technologies.
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By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Wed, 2008-05-21 16:41
No, they share the same basic technology as refrigerators and air conditioners which were invented over 100 years ago.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Mon, 2008-05-12 09:27
No doubt it is good that the European Union is able to enroll as many as possible into the forces to make positive changes for the future. Now the “Covenant of mayors” is underway, and it is certainly good to secure commitments from high-level politicians and important cities all over Europe.
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