Energy efficiency
EU unveils blueprint for a more efficient energy system
The European Commission on Wednesday (8 July) unveiled its “energy system integration strategy” which aims to link different energy carriers, infrastructure and consumption sectors together in order to boost renewables and reduce carbon emissions.
LEAK: ‘Efficiency first’ is top priority of draft EU energy strategy
Efficiency must be at the core of Europe’s energy policy, the European Commission says in a draft policy document outlining its vision of a more agile, low-carbon energy system powered chiefly by renewable electricity.
EU grapples with ‘regressive’ climate laws
Avoiding another “yellow vest” movement will be crucial for the success of the energy transition as Europe moves forward with a new wave of policies aimed at cutting emissions down to net zero by 2050, policymakers say.
Only ‘slight growth’ reported in energy efficiency services
Companies offering energy performance contracts to municipalities saw only moderate growth last year, despite a renewed push at EU level to boost energy savings and building renovation.
Green building advocates ‘underwhelmed’ by EU recovery plan
When the European Commission unveiled its proposed €750 billion recovery fund two weeks ago, green activists were expecting a detailed spending programme, with billions of euros allocated to clean mobility, renewables, and an upcoming EU-wide building renovation wave.
Electricity giants join forces on renewable hydrogen
Major European electricity groups – including Enel, Iberdrola, Ørsted, and EDP – have issued a joint call urging the European Commission to prioritise renewable hydrogen in its upcoming pandemic recovery plan.
Heating electrification amplifies need for efficient buildings, experts say
Electrification is key to decarbonising the residential heating sector, but it needs to be done smartly, by using heat pumps flexibly in houses that are efficient enough to act as “thermal batteries,” experts argue.
Hydrogen will be ‘central’ to energy system integration, EU says
Hydrogen will be a “central element” in the Energy System Integration Strategy that the European Commission will present in June, the EU’s energy chief kadri Simson has said. During an online debate on Tuesday (5 May), Simson flagged the upcoming...
EU building ‘renovation wave’ set for launch in September
The European Commission’s energy chief, Kadri Simson, has flagged the upcoming building renovation wave, rooftop solar, and offshore wind as key priorities for the energy sector in the recovery phase from the coronavirus crisis.
Power grid operators launch blockchain for home and car batteries
European electricity grid operators TenneT, Swissgrid and Terna have launched a cross-border blockchain platform, saying it will help stabilise the grid while allowing households to earn “a few hundred euros per year” from their home and car batteries.
‘Postcard from the future’: Virus and solar cause record fall in CO2
Business interruption during the coronavirus crisis has caused a 14% fall in demand for electricity in Europe over the past month. Combined with record solar output, this has caused a 39% drop in related CO2 emissions, according to a new analysis.
Poland warns of drying funds for clean energy projects
The economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will make it “more difficult” to reach Europe’s long-term climate objectives, Poland said in a paper circulated to other EU countries ahead of an informal video meeting of energy ministers on Tuesday (28 April).
Solar seen claiming up to 60% of EU power mix by 2050
A 100% renewable energy scenario developed by Finland’s LUT University predicts that electricity could make up 85% of the EU’s energy mix by 2050, more than 60% of which would be generated by solar panels.
Dublin MEP pushes ‘neighbourhood’ approach to building renovation
Ciarán Cuffe, a former Irish minister now turned MEP, has urged the European Commission to take a locally integrated approach to building efficiency, saying it will be “critical” to the success of the upcoming renovation wave announced as part of the European Green Deal.
EU countries dragging their feet on building renovation plans
Only five EU member states have submitted long-term renovation strategies that were due last month under the revised energy performance of buildings directive: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands and Sweden.
EU urged to bring building ‘renovation wave’ into recovery plan
The European Commission should make its future pandemic recovery plan conditional on commitments to the green transition, says Bendt Bendtsen, a former MEP who is now leading a Danish interest group lobbying for energy efficiency.
Enel says digital drive has given it hedge on coronavirus threat
Italy’s biggest utility, Enel, does not expect the coronavirus epidemic to have any major impact on its results and says its drive to digitalise operations has given it an advantage. Enel has been ramping up spending on digital networks to...
Europe warned about virus impact on clean tech
Governments across Europe should keep clean energy top of mind as they consider measures to protect their economies against a likely recession caused by the coronavirus, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.
Energy ‘sector coupling’ requires 75% more electricity, study says
Direct and indirect electrification of transport, buildings and industry could deliver a 60% reduction in carbon emissions across Europe by 2050 – but that will require a massive upsurge in clean power output, according to BloombergNEF, a research company.
UK carbon emissions hit lowest level since 1888
The UK’s CO2 emissions fell by another 2.9% in 2019, bringing the total reduction in the past decade to 28%, even as the British economy grew by a fifth, according to fresh data published on Tuesday (3 March).
EU way off the mark on energy savings goal, latest figures show
The EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, published new figures on energy consumption for 2018 this week (4 February). As expected, they weren’t good, with the EU as a whole set to miss its 2020 energy efficiency objective by a margin of up to 5%, in what campaigners called the "biggest miss" of all EU climate targets.
Europe plans to harness ‘power of data’ in support of Green Deal
The EU Green Deal “needs digitalisation as an enabler for decarbonisation” in all sectors of the economy, including transport and energy, the European Commission says in a draft policy document, seen by EURACTIV.
Glass: A low-hanging fruit for the climate – and a tough nut to crack
Glass is irreplaceable in buildings, making it a key part of the solution to unlock energy savings and help reach Europe's decarbonisation targets. But it's also an energy-intensive industry, for which no immediate clean energy alternative is available.
EU to name and shame climate plan laggards ‘in the coming days’
Just over half of European Union countries have submitted their final national energy and climate plans (NECPs) to the European Commission by the 1 January deadline, a senior official has said, warning that the EU executive will soon publish the full list of countries online.Supporter
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