A leaked draft of Germany’s Energiewende Progress Report 2019, due to be released by the economy ministry in May or June, predicts the country will miss its targets for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by wide margins. This is despite the inevitable emissions reductions due to the 2009 recession and being on track for renewables. If no other measures are taken Germany will reduce emissions by 33% by 2020, falling short of the … [Read more...]
U.S. buildings electrification hindered by “new” renovation policies that are already out of date
U.S. buildings renovation policies are not keeping up with technological progress and therefore risk slowing down electrification and the uptake of cleaner fuels, say Jessica Shipley and Donna Brutkoski of the think tank Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). For example, there are policies and incentives that favour the installation of more energy efficient appliances, but ignore whether the appliance is greener. Put simply, policies need to … [Read more...]
U.S. innovative financing makes buildings energy efficiency affordable even to poor communities
Buildings energy efficiency is not moving fast enough to meet the Paris Agreement goals. Retrofitting old buildings is extremely costly and needs much more investment, as our previous articles have detailed. Innovative models of financing are urgently needed. In an article for Ensia, Nate Berg explains how by rolling upgrade costs into monthly bills for poorer communities, U.S. utilities are helping customers save energy and money at the same … [Read more...]
Energy Efficiency targets: Time to ramp up investment in buildings, industry and vehicles
Energy efficiency investment rates need to double now, and then double again in 2025, to meet energy efficiency’s obligation to hitting the Paris targets. Right now there is a €130bn annual energy efficiency investment gap in Europe. Peter Sweatman, Rapporteur for EEFIG, looks at the assets themselves and says we need to productise the measurement of their energy efficiency, and then legislate. That’s how to make energy efficient homes, offices, … [Read more...]
Ad van Wijk: “The energy sector has nothing to do with energy companies anymore”
There are many developments in the world today that have far more influence on the energy sector than the energy sector itself, says technology visionary Ad van Wijk in this exclusive interview with Energy Post. The Professor in “Future Energy Systems” at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands explains how LED lighting, a DC grid, fuel cell cars, the Internet of Things and 3D printing are upending our energy system as we know it. “The … [Read more...]
Zero energy at zero cost: industrialising the building sector
The Netherlands has found a way to refurbish existing buildings to net zero energy, within a week, with a 30-year builders’ guarantee and no subsidies. With new kitchen and bathroom! Now revolutionary renovation programme Energiesprong (literally: Energy Jump) is looking to take its learnings to France and the UK. … [Read more...]
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