he European Union institutions' buildings policy in Brussels has been “unambitious” in terms of energy efficiency, according to the European Court of Auditors.
Green building standards and initiatives promoted by the EU for greater efficiency are not consistently employed for new buildings or major renovation projects.
Their special report exposed shortcomings in the approach of the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Council, as well as other EU organisations. The report looked at 2005-2013.
The European Union can slash natural gas imports from countries such as Russia by half and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 49% if it ramps up energy and efficiency improvements, a new report has argued.
Cost-effective measures in energy supply, industry and buildings would be good for the climate and boost energy security, the study by independent consultants Ecofys said.
The 49% cut to carbon, compared to 1990 levels, goes “far beyond” projections in the EU’s 2030 Climate and Energy Framework, the report said.
EU leaders will meet in Brussels later this week (23-24 October) to try and reach agreement on the package, which calls for a 40% greenhouse gas reduction, a 30% energy efficiency improvement and a 27% renewable energy target.
Member States are expected to bring the 2030 Energy & Climate objectives closer to people’s housing needs, next week. Responsibility and innovation, resident empowerment and financial schemes are all parts of the strategic mix, writes Marc Calon.
Marc Calon is the President of Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public, Cooperative and Social Housing.
Nowhere is the war for the smart home raging harder than on the lighting front.
Traditional players and new contenders with connected lighting products are duking it out to replace the humble lightbulb. The goal: to give consumers total control over their lighting, whether they’re at home or not.
Philips, a company that has had lighting tech baked into its DNA for decades, is arguably today’s front-runner with its Hue line of smart lights. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for others.
Ségolène Royale, the French Minister for Ecology and Energy, aspires to make every new publicly-subsidised building in the country 'energy positive'. The minister wants to include this initiative in the energy transition bill presented last June, EurActiv France reports.
The energy transition bill (PLTE), which has already undergone repeated changes since it was first presented last June, now contains new objectives regarding construction, an issue already at the heart of French reform.
The Minister for Ecology and Energy, Ségolène Royal, hopes that "all new public buildings or buildings receiving public subsidies will be energy positive", including social housing, "because it is subsidised".
El próximo 20 de junio, tendrá lugar en Muskiz una jornada sobre eficiencia energética en la industria, organizada en el marco de los cursos de verano de la localidad.
La inscripción gratuita puede tramitarse a través del correo: info@muskizfp.com
Chugoku Electric Power a annoncé qu'elle aura recours à un système de stockage hybride pour tester sa capacité à stabiliser la production d'électricité générée par le photovoltaïque et l'éolien. Ce test aura lieu dans les îles Oki, préfecture Shimane, dans le cadre du projet de 'vérification des systèmes de stockage pour l'introduction d'énergies renouvelables dans des îles isolées' prévu pour l'année fiscale 2014. Plus particulièrement, des batteries sodium-soufre (NAS) de4,2MW et des batteries lithium-ion (Li-ion)de 2MW seront mises en place à Nishinishima-chou.
EU countries see energy savings as a "luxury", neglect building sector roadmaps, and are producing national action plans unlikely to meet a 2020 energy efficiency target, according to government officials and advisers surveyed by EurActiv.
The bloc’s 28 states have a raft of obligations, ranging from ecodesign measures to public building renovation targets, intended to cut projected energy use 20% by the decade’s end, and so lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Smart home lighting is a growing field, with entrants including Philips and LIFX, but one other new contender has a different approach that might appeal more to some. The Brightup system consists of plug socket hardware and in-wall dimmers, connected to and controlled by a central hub via Z-Wave RF tech, to provide remote dimming and intelligent behavior/programming to any and all lighting systems in your house.
Unlocking the energy saving potential of the continent’s ageing building stock will be “absolutely central” to a key review of EU policy this summer, the EU’s top energy efficiency official has said.
But Paul Hodson, the head of the EU’s energy efficiency unit, flagged "micro" public action, dampening hopes of major policy advances in the review which will stock-take progress towards meeting 2020 energy saving goals and mull 2030 objectives.
The paper will now be published in July, during the EU’s summer vacation period.
