In EU households, 62.8% of energy consumption is for space heating, and another 15.1% for water heating, mostly powered by fossil fuels. Heating and cooling is responsible for 52% of final energy demand in Europe. So, with REPowerEU, the EU has once again strengthened support for heat pumps to achieve energy independence and climate goals. Heat pump sales in Europe grew by an unprecedented 34% in 2021, thanks to a total 2.18m heat pump units … [Read more...]
30+ nations now subsidise Heat Pumps because lifetime cost is cheaper than fossil boilers
The global growth in heat pumps can deliver almost 40% of all possible emissions cuts from heating by 2030 (with most of the rest coming from efficiency, mainly insulation), says the IEA. This is according to their âAnnounced Pledges Scenarioâ (APS) which assumes that governments carry out all of the climate commitments they have made. Keeping buildings warm produces one-tenth of global energy-related CO2 emissions. So the APSâs heat pump growth … [Read more...]
Doubling clean energy investments from ânaturalâ redirection of existing spend on infrastructure, buildings, fossils +more
Annual investments in clean energy stand at $1.4tn, now greater than investments in fossil fuels ($1tn). But that needs to double by 2030. This steep climb will be made easier by the natural cycle of global investment, as well as the cost-benefits of abandoning fossil fuels for renewables and greater efficiencies, says Stephen Peake at The Open University. Each year, around a quarter of our GDP is anyway spent on new machinery, buildings and … [Read more...]
Distribution Grid Digitalisation – benefits, policy, cost & funding
About a third of European grids are over 40 years old. A rapid physical overhaul would be impossible, so the addition of a layer of digital technologies is the key to preparing them for the distributed and intermittent generation from renewable sources, the increased electricity demand from transportation, heat pumps and other sectors, and for ensuring energy efficiency at all levels. Itâs why the EC expects about âŹ584bn of investment in Europeâs … [Read more...]
Comparing the efficiency and progress of the 5 leading Solar PV cell technologies
NRELâs âBest Research-Cell Efficiency Chartâ allows researchers to easily compare the performance of specific PV technologies, stretching back 50 years. Itâs regularly updated and is free to use, explains Wayne Hicks and Harrison Dreves at NREL. A new âinteractiveâ version is now available. The focus is on crystalline silicon cells, single-junction gallium arsenide cells, multijunction cells, thin films, and emerging PV. For example, you can … [Read more...]
What was Europeâs dependence on gas prior to Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine?
### REGISTER NOW ### for our vitally important 2-panel event âThe Energy Crisis and Russian Aggression Against Ukraine â Key Challenges for the Central European Energy Sectorâ, on Thursday December 8, 13:00 â 17:00 CET (Address: Rue Belliard 40, 1040 Brussels). High-profile confirmed speakers include Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy, EC; Leszek JesieĹ, Chairman of the Board, CEEP; Jerzy Buzek, MEP and former president of the … [Read more...]
Solar PV windows on highly glazed skyscrapers can cut energy by 40%+
Around a third of the worldâs energy consumption and CO2 emissions come from buildings. Highly glazed skyscrapers and buildings may look beautiful and let in plenty of light, but waste a lot of energy due to the extra cooling needed in summer and heating in winter. Modern skyscrapers can have window-to-wall ratios of 70%+. But modern thermally efficient photovoltaic windows not only provide insulation but turn the absorbed light into power. Wayne … [Read more...]
Tools to design energy systems resilient to natural disasters: from small villages to big cities
There is little doubt that emissions reduction will not be enough to cope with climate change. Adaptation will be essential too. Connor OâNeil and Moriah Petty at NREL describe how the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is developing free-to-use tools to help configure and create energy systems that are resilient to natural disasters. The tools have already been applied to small and large populations, ranging from a 500-person town to big … [Read more...]
Investing in Hydrogen: is there a âfirst mover advantageâ?
Is there a âfirst mover advantageâ â or not - for an investor in the new hydrogen economy? Michiel Korthals Altes offers a series of âtestsâ of investment decisions based on the following criteria: economics, climate efficiency, system optimum, price stability, regulation, technology, now and in the future. He concludes that until the sector reaches maturity, conversion inefficiencies make the production of hydrogen a poor choice for most … [Read more...]
Pollution costs are driving U.S. states to look for alternatives to Gas-Fired Plants
In the U.S. a growing number of states and regulators are directing utilities to look for alternatives to proposed gas-fired power plants, citing environmental justice and community health impacts, explain Caitlin Odom and Lauren Shwisberg at RMI. So itâs not just about emissions: pollution matters too. The authors quote studies that show clean energy portfolios (CEPs) not only reduce energy costs, but can save billions of dollars in community … [Read more...]
Energy Security: what if the UK government had not âcut the green crapâ from 2013
The UK provides an example of a government that cut back its green ambitions only to see its energy security suffer. In 2013, then-prime minister David Cameron told his ministers to âcut the green crapâ. That led successive governments to downgrade home energy efficiency, requirements for new homes to be âzero carbonâ, end subsidies for onshore wind and solar, and effectively ban onshore wind in England. What if the UK had stayed on its … [Read more...]
U.S. Residential Distributed Solar: still getting cheaper, installation and permitting too, more batteries
John Rogers at UCS reviews the new and comprehensive âTracking the Sunâ report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory which covers both residential and non-residential âgrid-connected, distributedâ solar PV systems in the U.S. There has been clear progress across the board, including PV module efficiency, system costs, installation and permitting, and the uptake of batteries. For example, median efficiency for modules in residential systems … [Read more...]
New research into making water boil using less energy
Can the boiling of water be done more efficiently? If so, a wide range of processes can save energy, not least the standard use of steam turbines in electricity generators. David Chandler at MIT describes research there that modifies the surface of the heating element. A combination of microscale dents and nanoscale bumps and ridges on the surface, and pillars that allow the âwickingâ of water by capillary action, improves the efficiency of … [Read more...]
A role for Coal? Low-cost, negative emissions Blue Hydrogen from âMAWGSâ Coal/Biomass co-gasification
Schalk Cloete summarises his co-authored study that explains how to make hydrogen at unbeatably low prices from coal/biomass co-gasification. Though the âblueâ hydrogen process creates CO2, the self-contained plant using a membrane-assisted water-gas shift (MAWGS) reactor means 100% is captured easily. Better still, the use of biomass means the plant achieves negative emissions. The overall efficiency of the process is a very impressive 69%. The … [Read more...]
Record global clean energy spending, but itâs still not enough and costs are rising
Since 2020, clean energy investment has grown by 12% per year â it was only 2%/year during the five years after the 2015 Paris Agreement. That boost is the main reason why total global energy investment is set to reach $2.4tn in 2022, according to the latest âWorld Energy Investmentâ report from the IEA. Itâs very good news that spending on solar PV, batteries and EVs is now growing at rates consistent with reaching global net zero emissions by … [Read more...]
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