Tag: energy efficiency directive

SPECIAL REPORT / With Europe’s hard-fought over Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) coming into force next year, advocates are pushing for the EU to come forward with a target for 2030, and adopt proposals to dramatically cut energy use in Europe’s building stock by 2050.

Germany, Britain and the Netherlands appear to be including energy conservation measures already taken by them to meet targets under the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), according to sources in the co-generation industry.

Without further guidance, EU countries may mismanage their energy efficiency commitments and risk missing their energy savings' target, says a report by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe.

Germany, Austria and Finland have called for the withdrawal of an “absurd and unjustified” gentleman's agreement that allowed the United Kingdom to sign up to the Energy Efficiency Directive. The plea was made in a letter, seen by EurActiv, to Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.

The European Union put down the last piece of the bloc's 2020 climate and energy policy puzzle by adopting an Energy Efficiency Directive. The directive is a game-changer for energy companies, which are now required to achieve 1.5% energy savings every year among their final clients. The EU law is also expected to trigger the largest revamp of Europe's existing building stock to date and set new standards for public procurement and energy audits.

EU ministers yesterday (4 October) placed the last piece of the 20-20-20 climate puzzle, agreed in 2007, by throwing their weight behind the EU's Energy Efficiency Directive.

France has decided to use the money generated by the Emissions Trading System for carbon dioxide to fund an ambitious energy-efficient renovation programme announced by President François Hollande. EurActiv.fr reports.

The EU tightened the energy efficiency thumbscrew by one notch yesterday (11 September), when the European Parliament plenary threw its weight behind the new Energy Efficiency Directive, negotiated before the summer break with EU member states.

After more than a century lighting up the world, the switch will be flicked off across the EU for the final time on incandescent bulbs on Saturday as the phased ban on their sale is completed.

EU countries must be consistent in the energy-efficiency measures they implement, because a fragmented Europe could lose ground in the competition with other global players such as China, GE's Horst-Tore Land says in an interview with EurActiv.

Experts warn about double-counting in annual energy savings as EU member states prepare their plans for the implementation of the newly agreed Energy Efficiency Directive.

The lobbying battle on the Energy Efficiency Directive between member states, power utilities, consumers and green groups will intensify in the coming months, as countries will try to fashion ways of transposing new rules into their national legislation.

It took months of political argument to secure a compromise EU deal on energy efficiency, but more months of campaigning are likely to follow to ensure consumers reap all the benefits they are entitled to and energy suppliers change their business models.

District heating systems have not been modernised in many EU member states, although they currently provide over 60% of heat and hot water in Nordic and Eastern European countries.

Green campaigners angered by UK's opposition to a binding target in the Energy Efficiency Directive. The energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, defended the UK's role in EED negotiations.

Negotiators from the European Parliament, Commission and Council reached a deal on the Energy Efficiency Directive last night (13 June). But it fails to achieve its initial purpose of reaching 20% energy savings by 2020, the Parliament's chief negotiator has warned.

Fatih Birol, the chief economist of the International Energy Agency, has warned EU countries about the "absurd" strategies they use to subsidise fossil fuels. In an exclusive interview with EurActiv, he urged EU leaders to make the Energy Efficiency Directive, currently in its final negotiation stage, “a must”.

A year-long fight over renovation rates for public buildings in Europe has resulted in "a brilliant architecture" for revamping the existing stock, the European Parliament's chief negotiator has announced. But only central government "owned and occupied" buildings will be concerned, leaving whole sections unaddressed.

EU member states are expected to close a deal on the bloc's proposed energy efficiency directive by the end of June amid worries over the consequences it could have over the price of electricity in Europe's factories.

The EU's upcoming energy efficiency directive could send strong enough signals to jump-start the market in energy services for commercial buildings, industry experts told EurActiv.

Allegations of coalition hypocrisy over green issues as critics say documents show UK has caved in to fossil fuel lobbyists.

From an industry perspective, it is difficult to understand the widespread reluctance in Europe to adopt the Energy Efficiency Directive that can generate thousands of jobs and save private households millions of euros, says Lars Clausen.

Lars Clausen a top executive at DONG Energy, says the Danish company was able to become one of the leading energy firms in Northern Europe by seeing energy savings not as a "threat", but an "opportunity".

The Energy Efficiency Directive is likely to become reality under the Danish EU Presidency, which ends on 1 July, according to a European Commission official who has drafted the bill. The announcement came amid warnings from green campaigners, who say the amended text is too weak.