By HDK / Published on Tue, 2009-08-25 11:12
In order to meet the requirements of Australia’s Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET), energy providers in the state of Queensland have agreed to purchase green energy for State Government Buildings by supporting a program to install solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in schools. The objective of the Queensland Solar Schools initiative is to provide schools with an educational resource that raises awareness about green energy technologies while reducing school electricity usage costs.
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By HDK / Published on Tue, 2009-08-25 11:08
This paper reviews three key initiatives undertaken in the historical city of Oxford to bring about reductions in energy-related CO2 emissions on a city-wide scale. The author has been part of all three initiatives.
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By HDK / Published on Tue, 2009-08-25 11:05
In 2005, SenterNovem, the Dutch Broadcasting Corporation, a publishing company and a consortium of local authorities launched ‘Energy Survival’; a renewing energy marketing strategy for children to create a demand for local energy actions. New elements are powerful branding and the use of cross media techniques through national TV, internet, local events and primary education. Through entertainment, Energy Survival influences children’s attitude towards energy consumption and its convincing relation with the environment.
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By HDK / Published on Mon, 2009-06-08 07:31
In order to achieve the sustainability targets of climate change, security of supply, and economic efficiency, present energy efficiency policies create the conditions for the transformation of markets and end users behaviours towards more energy efficiency. EDF, as an energy supplier, has to face at the same time the opening of the energy market and the challenge of sustainability.
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By HDK / Published on Mon, 2009-06-08 07:28
In Denmark, government institutions are subject to a circular (CIR no. 27 of 19 April 2005) to improve energy performance of buildings and enhance energy efficient behaviour, including purchase of goods and appliances. A dialogue between the governmental energy authorities, municipalities and regions has been initiated aiming at extending the regulation to all public institutions.
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By HDK / Published on Mon, 2009-06-08 07:25
The Intelligent Energy Europe programme is the Community instrument to overcome the non-technological barriers to energy efficiency and greater use of new and renewable energy sources in Europe. Most of its budget is distributed through calls for proposals to co-finance 2-3 year pan-European projects serving the programme’s objectives. The programme is entering a new area in 2007. Its first phase ended in December 2006 and its continuation received an increased budget of EUR 730 million for the period 2007-2013.
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By HDK / Published on Mon, 2009-06-08 07:22
The Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, in the UK, is a model of how governments and supply chain stakeholders can collaborate effectively on the design and implementation of energy efficiency policy initiatives in the household sector.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Mon, 2008-12-08 14:25
Stefan Thomas, Wuppertal Institute for Climate Environment Energy, Germany
Lars J. Nilsson, Lund University, Sweden
Wolfgang Eichhammer, Fraunhofer-Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Germany
Harry Vreuls, SenterNovem, Swentiboldstraat 21, The Netherlands
Jean-Sébastien Broc, École des Mines de Nantes, France
Didier Bosseboeuf, ADEME, France
Bruno Lapillonne, ENERDATA, France
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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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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Tue, 2007-08-28 07:00
Some of the technology we need will doubtless be provided by (small) innovators, but the volume will come from the huge companies established in the market. Searching their websites to see how they market sustainability and energy efficiency gives us an idea about their ability and preparedness. The readers may judge the quality of their efforts themselves.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Wed, 2007-08-15 07:30
Some big players set an example
If there is any measure for mitigating climate change and ensuring energy security that enjoys a corporate consensus, it is energy efficiency. Since it is both the cheapest and the fastest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it obviously should get number one priority. Yet there is the nagging impression that this fact is still having too little influence on actual daily energy practices. That impression may soon be changing.
Several leading companies in the electricity manufacturing and service sector have made energy efficiency a top priority. Siemens, Schneider Electric, and ABB each published a dedicated energy efficiency report:
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Siemens: ‘Energy Efficiency — Achieving More with Less/Creating sustainable societies’
- Schneider Electric: ‘How much is inefficiency costing you?/Creating a climate for change’
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Mon, 2007-07-09 07:00
The Live Earth event last Saturday was quite amazing in its promotion of energy efficiency and the slogan "Answer the Call" underpinned with information about simple things to do. It is well worth the time to visit their website, which contains several useful pieces of information and tools, including a rather demanding pledge to sign:
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By HDK / Published on Sun, 2006-06-18 05:29
A vision for 2050
To limit global CO2 emissions while population and GDP keep growing, a mega-shift in our consumption choices will be necessary. At which temperature do we set our thermostat? Do we go by car or by public transport? And do we prefer a long-haul holiday destination or one closer to home? All these decisions have a direct link with energy use and its carbon emissions. So small consumer decisions can add up to make a big contribution to a carbon-constrained world.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Fri, 2006-06-16 05:45
Your mission: keep emissions flat to avoid significant global warming by the end of this century.
Our challenge: with business-as-usual, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase from 7 billion tonne carbon/year to 14 billion tonne carbon in the next 50 years.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Wed, 2006-05-24 05:35
or both? Today May 24th the film (and the book) with the name "An inconvenient truth" will be released on movies all over the USA. It met positive critics in Cannes only a few days ago and it is built on Al Gore's slide show presentations on the issue of climate change. Some may say that this is a spin to support Al Gore to become president of the U.S.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Mon, 2006-04-24 05:24
That is what BP sometimes want us to read into their acronym. True or not their Sustainability Report for 2005 is quite interesting reading. Their ambition is, among other things, to make PV competitive on its own merits to all other ways to generate electricity. And reports of this type from business are also often interesting as their communication is conceptual in quite another manner than e.g. reports from administration and government.
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By HDK / Published on Sun, 2006-03-26 16:27
The Nicolas Hulot Foundation has run an advertising campaign last year to alert citizens to energy wasteful behaviour:
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Tue, 2006-03-14 06:43
The torch of the statue of lliberty in New York will in the future be lit by windpower. Some say that this is cheap symbolism but symbols are very important for making things known and shown.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Fri, 2006-03-03 17:52
The concept of personal carbon credits has been proposed in 1996 by Dr David Fleming. The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change has recently published a formal assessment of the DTQ scheme, according to 3 E's: equity, effectiveness and efficiency. It finds that the scheme may just be equitable, technically feasible and publicly acceptable. And while it may be controversial and costly to introduce, its efficiency should be seen in the context of other scheme. Even when more costly, DTQ may be justified because of the other benefits they produce.
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