Energy efficiency
Metals: Friend or foe of the green economy?
The green economy usually brings to mind traditional renewable materials such as wood, biomass, water and earth. Less likely poster children are the big metals that have formed the backbone of the industrial revolution – steel, copper, iron, tin and aluminium.
WindEurope: Regulated prices ‘can only slow the pace of the energy transition’
With growing shares of renewable energies added to the system, the dynamic pricing of electricity becomes even more important in order to provide flexibility on the demand side, says Pierre Tardieu. This is why regulated energy prices can only slow the pace of the energy transition, he argues.
Parliament rubber-stamps Europe’s 2030 clean energy laws
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday (13 November) a set of three clean energy laws for 2030, including binding targets for renewable energies, an indicative objective on energy savings and a separate text on the governance of the Energy Union.
Spain targets 100% renewable power by 2050
Spain’s government has published a new climate plan that targets a 100% renewable energy electricity system by 2050, with goals that outstrip those adopted by the EU and a ban on new gas and oil exploration.
Energy poverty hinders EU push to end regulated electricity prices
The European Commission has renewed its push to phase out regulated electricity prices, arguing they distort the market and slow down the transition to clean energy. But faced with reluctance from EU countries, it has now tabled a compromise based on a common EU definition of energy poverty.
Think-tank: Artificially low electricity prices ‘not good for EDF’ nor consumers
Artificially low energy prices in France are one of the reasons why former state monopoly EDF loses money, says Thomas Pellerin-Carlin. Moreover, regulated prices are useless to protect vulnerable consumers from energy poverty and “almost never leads to low energy bills,” he argues.
Electricity prices
Many European countries have placed limits on electricity prices, often justified by consumer concerns about rising energy bills, or to protect households from energy poverty. But regulated energy prices also thwart competition and hinder the deployment of clean energy solutions....
Europe’s path to carbon neutrality: A move to ‘sobriété énergétique’?
What is 'sobriété énergétique' and what is its role in pushing Europe towards its carbon reduction goals? Kamila Waciega explains.
Power sector ‘concerned’ about new EU data privacy rules
A proposed ePrivacy regulation currently under discussion at EU level would hurt new business models in the clean energy sector, which are “almost all” based on the collection and treatment of data by home equipment and smart meters, warns an industry coalition.
EU negotiators agree ‘dynamic pricing’ of electricity
Energy companies with more than 200,000 clients will be obliged to provide households with at least one offer comprising dynamic price contracts, under an EU-level agreement reached behind closed doors last week, EURACTIV.com has learned.
Bill Gates launches EU clean energy ‘breakthrough’ fund in Brussels
The newly-established €100 million fund will help innovative European companies bring “radically new” clean energy technologies to the market, including the “holy grail” of batteries, the European Commission said.
Will the EU electricity market protect Europeans from disconnection?
The EU has recognised access to energy as a human right. But whether it will enforce a disconnection safeguard remains to be seen, writes Guillaume Derivaux.
‘It’s the housing, stupid’: How homes harm our health
Most of Europe’s buildings are over forty years old and are largely inefficient. Poorly insulated, leaky buildings have a real impact on inhabitant and worker health, according to the latest edition of the Healthy Homes Barometer.
How building renovation and electrification of transport can help us reach the Paris goals
At first glance, buildings and transport may look like two unrelated subjects. But with the mass deployment of electric vehicles, managing the electricity consumption of cars when they recharge becomes critical to ensure grid stability, writes Harry Verhaar.
Energy efficiency: ‘Tough legislation means tough enforcement’
New EU rules on buildings and energy efficiency standards, adopted earlier this year, are “tough but fair” and will need to be implemented and enforced correctly, according to the architects of the legislation.
Bendt Bendtsen MEP: Time for EU countries to draft building strategies, ‘we’ll be watching’
Nearly half of Europe’s energy is used up by buildings but new rules adopted by the EU earlier this year wants to inject efficiency en masse into the sector and improve massively the edifices in which we live and work. EURACTIV spoke with the lawmaker behind the new legislation.
Healthy buildings: Good for our wallets?
‘Healthy mind, healthy body’, so the saying goes - but both are affected by the buildings in which we live and work. This year’s edition of the Healthy Homes Barometer reveals what the challenges and solutions might be.
Energy Web Foundation: Blockchain essential for EV growth, community solar
Distributed energy solutions such as solar PV, batteries, and smart controls are getting cheaper by the day and will soon outperform traditional energy sources such as coal, gas, and nuclear power, says Hervé Touati. In any case, Blockchain-type solutions will be needed for the mass deployment of electric vehicles, he warns.
From transport to street lighting: The emergence of smart city platforms
Uber and Airbnb have shown how city services can be transformed by platform offerings. Developing the right platforms will be key for cities to ensure that their economies, environment, and services are fit for the future, writes Eric Woods.
In the green transition all industries must pull together
As Europe’s energy ministers gather in Linz this week, they have the chance to widen and deepen the European Union’s ambitions for the green transition, writes MEP Jeppe Kofod.
Mega infrastructure projects win over clean energy in Visegrad Four
In the Visegrad countries, decision makers prefer their historical favourites – coal and nuclear – to renewable sources and energy efficiency. As the Global Climate Action Summit resumes in San Francisco, it’s important to realise that corporate leadership can also shape the outlook for clean energy in Eastern Europe, writes Ada Ámon.
Drinking water rules cleaned up by MEPs
Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on Monday (10 September) to update drinking water rules to remove pollutants from what comes out of our taps. But they have also been criticised for striking a blow against transparency.
France and Europe: Time to end complacency on climate leadership
As France changes environment minister, we must collectively admit that a very poor job has been done with Europe's Clean Energy Package, writes Yamina Saheb.
Poland’s ‘last coal power plant’ faces €1.7 billion loss, analysts say
The planned phase-out of state aid to fossil fuel power generation across the European Union could make the Ostrołęka C coal station project unprofitable within years, according to a new report by Carbon Tracker, a think tank.Supporter
Danfoss top five priorities for a successful DWD revision:
- Unlock investments in energy efficiency and digitalization
- Increase transparency about energy use and water losses in the European water sector
- Enforce reduction of water leaks to de-risk contamination through leaky pipes
- Make information easy to understand by the public and comparable between member states
- Think circular economy
