Since energy demand can be affected by developments outside the energy sector – over which the industry has no control – managements need an active and adaptive review process. There is no room for delusion. The slogan "we will need all the energy we can get" is misguided. The future changes. Economics counts – and social climate objectives matter. Sorting the "known unknowns" It helps to sort the unknowns into boxes for different time … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Passive House Buildings
Everyone has their own version of a dream home, but despite the differences, there are a few characteristics that all dream homes share. These characteristics would be the following: comfortable, modern house with no cold drafts, no temperature variations from room to room, and — most important of all — no heating or cooling bills. In other words, everyone just wants a house that is both comfortable and ecological — studies have shown … [Read more...]
Member States must decide: cash for climate or cash for carbon?
Over 3 billion euros of EU money meant for Europe’s poorer regions could be up for grabs by the fossil fuel industry if EU Member States do not change their current position on 25 June. The funding, which is part of the 374 billion Euro ‘Cohesion Policy’ pot, was - in the European Commission’s proposal - meant to go to sustainable economic activities. Yet if EU Member States get their way, a significant portion of the funding would be made … [Read more...]
Pioneering cold-fusion: the elusive answer to global energy poverty and an end to nuclear waste
Inventor Suneel N Parekh is an energy pioneer. What keeps him going is a mixture of conviction and optimism. But even he knows he won’t get his project over the line without help. After decades he is finally bringing the proof of his methods to the attention of investors who can make or break his life’s work. Pioneers need backers. Just as The Beatles needed a deal before we could enjoy Sgt. Peppers, our energy pioneers need their break too - the … [Read more...]
Climate Change and the Third Energy Revolution
The anxiety expressed by young people today about Climate Change is reasonable, but they offer no thought-out solution. We should examine the available scientific options in a form accessible to those without specialised knowledge and starting from what natural science has to say about energy and where to find it. (In this article precision is set aside to allow the science underlying the orders of magnitude to be clear and simple.) … [Read more...]
PRESS RELEASE: Jose Luis Martinez Dalmau is elected as new President of ESTELA.
Mr. Jose Luis Martinez Dalmau was appointed unanimously as President by the ESTELA General Assembly for a 2-year term – 2019-2021 right after the announcement by Dr Crespo to retire. The newly mandated Executive Committee (ExCom) of ESTELA is composed of three Vice-Presidents – J. A. Nebrera (ACS Cobra), J. Sandhu (ENGIE), C. Prieto (Abengoa), and six Members – E. Absil (CMI Solar), R. García (Protermosolar, the Spanish STE association), R. … [Read more...]
Decarbonisation of Transport: Options and Challenges – free Brussels debate and report launch
Decarbonisation of transport remains one of the most challenging aspects of the transition to a sustainable energy system. Focussing on road transport, the European Academies' Science Advisory Council (EASAC)'s upcoming report contains detailed recommendations for actions on the part of all major stakeholders. The report will be officially launched at what promises to be a fascinating event featuring a high-level panel discussion with speakers … [Read more...]
Scientist’s view: recent energy & environmental news 2/11/19
Energy Friends, once again, a cycle with a lot of news. Here is a digest of the latest edition of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) monthly newsletter. For the full version click here. … [Read more...]
EU energy sector set for crucial state aid decisions in 2019
2018 was a watershed year for state aid regulations in the EU energy sector. A number of landmark rulings by the European Commission towards different member states have challenged the legality of various state aid measures and prompted governments to reconsider mechanisms for supporting domestic energy sectors. In particular, early-stage capacity mechanism procedures for many member states have been scrutinised, albeit favourably, and … [Read more...]
Renewables for remote mines power supply in Africa gaining momentum
In the last few years, more and more mining companies have adopted wind and solar systems to reduce their energy costs at remote off-grid mines. In this first phase, the initial focus was on the integration capabilities as miners were afraid that adding intermittent renewables such as solar and wind could affect the reliability of power supply and even lead to production losses. In various microgrid applications, renewables combined with … [Read more...]
Cañete: CCS will play a vital role in delivering a net-zero emissions economy
Commissioner Cañete confirmed this week that natural gas and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) will be central to achieving a competitive and climate-neutral economy, notably in closing the circle for the energy intensive sectors for which other solutions for decarbonisation do not exist. Moreover, combined with renewable biomass, CCS could create negative emissions compensating for remaining CO2. Eurogas Secretary General, James Watson, … [Read more...]
Online condition monitoring: making sense of sensors in the age of the Smart Grid
Grid operators across Europe are experiencing higher maintenance and reinforcement costs than ever before and, without significant increases in funding, are realising that they must fundamentally change the way that their assets are operated, maintained and replaced. This means running assets closer to their operational limits, performing predictive rather than corrective maintenance and replacing assets as close to the end of their useful life … [Read more...]
SUNRISE, a preparatory action towards a European large-scale research initiative
The European project SUNRISE, “Solar energy for a circular economy”, has been selected as one of the six Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) within the Horizon 2020 programme. Funded with €1M, it will last one year (starting in spring 2019), setting the basis for a European large-scale research project. The SUNRISE Vision is a radical and ambitious scientific and technological approach for solar energy conversion and storage to provide a … [Read more...]
Too “low-hanging fruit” is not sweet enough (and eventually neither clean nor cheap)!
At a lunch debate organised by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) on “The costs of a low level of ambition in greening the heating and cooling sector” and hosted by EUFORES President MEP Jeppe Kofod on 30 January, representatives from industry, civil society, the European Commission (EC) and MEPs from several countries and political groups (Jeppe Kofod, Bendt Bendtsen, Theresa Griffin, Jo Leinen, Gesine Meissner and Paul Rübig) … [Read more...]
The contribution of the Polish energy sector to the implementation of global climate policy
PKEE is the Polish Electricity Association. Poland is an active party to the UN Climate Convention. It implements commitments to reduce CO2 emissions and supports processes of global and international agreements. For the third time, Poland organizes the Conference of the Parties to the Convention – the first UNFCC Climate Summit in Poland was held in 2008 in Poznań, the second in 2013 in Warsaw. In Poland, since 1990, CO2 emissions have been … [Read more...]
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