The research in this report by the ENEFIRST project builds on the report âPriority areas for implementing Efficiency Firstâ which identified policy approaches for implementing the E1st principle in the policy areas of buildings and related energy systems (power sector and district heating) with the potential to be fully implemented across the EU. This report analyses in three steps the barriers and success factors specific to nine of these … [Read more...]
European Commission should intensify political action in 2021 to align Renovation Wave with EU Climate Targets, BPIE says.
In its new analysis, BPIE (Buildings Performance Institute Europe) urges the European Commission to intensify political coordination and coherence in the implementation phase of the Renovation Wave strategy, to ensure full decarbonisation of the EU building stock in line with EU climate goals. … [Read more...]
How 3D-supported workflows are driving efficiency in utility-scale solar construction
According to Solar Power Europe, the association representing the European solar sector, expectations around the growth of solar in Europe remain strong. In a recent report(1), the organisation concluded that newly installed solar power in the European Union increased by 11% to 18.2 GW in 2020. And market analysis leads to the conclusion that 2020 will be followed by 4 years characterised by stronger demands, with 22.4 GW in installations for … [Read more...]
Long-Term Renovation Strategies not on track to deliver climate-neutrality by 2050, indicating need for full revision of Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
A new report by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) finds that EU Member States continue to underplay the role of the building sector in delivering a climate-neutral Europe. … [Read more...]
Berkeley Lab releases progress report on state renewable energy standards
Berkeley Lab has released an annual status report on U.S. renewables portfolio standards (RPS), providing an overview of key trends associated with state RPS policies. The report, U.S. Renewables Portfolio Standards 2021 Status Update: Early Release, published in slide-deck form along with accompanying data files, describes recent legislative revisions, key policy design features, compliance with interim targets, past and projected impacts on … [Read more...]
Retail real estate needs Paris-Proof decarbonisation strategy to ensure contribution to global and EU emissions targets, the Buildings Performance Institute Europe says
The report marks the launch of Paris-Proof Retail Real Estate, an initiative that looks to develop a vision and strategy to support the European retail real estate sector reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. … [Read more...]
SMEs key to Europeâs decarbonisation efforts
The Horizon 2020 funded project, LEAP4SME â Energy audit policies to drive energy efficiency â aims to enhance effective policies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to undergo energy audits and implement cost-effective, recommended energy-saving measures. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), SMEs account for at least 13% of global final energy consumption annually and energy efficiency improvements are to … [Read more...]
New Berkeley Lab Report Documents Trends in System Impacts, Reliability and Market Value of Solar in the United States
By Andrew Mills and Joachim Seel, Berkeley Lab As solar generation increases, it is expected to progressively impact the bulk power systemâchanging prices for energy and other grid services. Solar generation is driven by sunshine and thus often highly correlated over the course of a day within a region. Without the deployment of storage or an increase in price-responsive load, growth in solar capacity is … [Read more...]
A people-powered energy system: activating the community energy market for bioenergy
Among others, lack of preparedness for communities to tap the full bioenergy market potential[1], lack of bioenergy stakeholdersâ awareness of the potential of communities and missing/ unsupportive (local, regional and national) framework and policy conditions. For a people-powered energy system, the Horizon 2020-funded project BECoop (2020-2023) aims at putting communities in charge of their local renewable (bio)energy generation. … [Read more...]
Five countries to become the field of behavioural experiments to encourage energy efficiency habits
The EU has ambitious targets for increasing energy efficiency and mitigating climate change, aiming that there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. To achieve this and other targets, much effort and investment are focused on digital infrastructure (e.g., smart meters) that enables energy consumers to monitor and manage their energy usage more actively and efficiently. … [Read more...]
Guiding SMEs and national authorities through the energy transition by taking profit of multiple benefits and energy management approaches
Improving energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to reduce energy-related emissions, improve economic competitiveness and increase energy security. In the European Union, several pieces of legislation aimed at guiding states and companies, regardless of their size, on ways to improve their energy efficiency: one of them is the Energy Efficiency Directive, establishing a common framework of measures and requirements with the goal to … [Read more...]
Sustainability after COVID-19: Four scenarios of the world after the crisis
Foreword:Â The COVID-19 virus which began in China and spread around the world has wreaked havoc on economies and caused the life of millions of people to come to a standstill. With health and GDP dominating the world agenda, entrepreneurs wishing to navigate the turbulent waters of opening a new enterprise focused on sustainability will need to keep an eye on where the world is heading to. This analysis is an attempt to speculate which directions … [Read more...]
The renewable electricity market in Ukraine: answers to the key questions
Tetiana Mylenka at Hillmont Partners law firm (Kyiv, London) answers key questions about the prospects for renewable energy in Ukraine. Is there any hope that the renewable energy sector in Ukraine is coming out of its crisis? As of today, it is too early to say that the renewable energy sector in Ukraine is coming out of its crisis. The adoption of the long-awaited Law No. 810-IX should resolve the situation and partially … [Read more...]
The importance of energy efficiency for a carbon neutral society
Energy efficiency has proven to be an effective solution for curbing carbon emissions from fossil fuels. But what if we imagined a future energy system without fossil fuels, will it still make sense to invest in energy efficiency or will it be sufficient to develop enough renewable energy to cover demand? A recent COGEN Europe study, conducted by consultancy Artelys, underscores the importance of energy efficiency for a cost-effective energy … [Read more...]
Why Autogas Could Help Us All Breathe More Easily
Since the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent lockdowns, many cities around the world experienced a marked improvement in urban air quality, but with traffic getting back to ânormalâ, air pollution is rebounding and, alongside the continued public health crisis, we are now facing an economic recession. Mobility is essential to securing jobs and getting the economy back on track, but it should not come at the expense of the environment. Filipa Rio, … [Read more...]
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