Energy Saving News
January 2010
California Adopts New Green Building Code
The US' first state-wide mandatory green building code was adopted earlier this month by the state of California, as announced by its Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This code, called the Green Building Standards Code - or CALGREEN - will come into force in January 2011. It will ensure that all of the ...
Sunday 31st January 2010 | Read full article
Countries Worldwide Adhere To The Copenhagen Accord
The European Union and the United States have made their adherence to the Copenhagen Accord formal this week, as the end of January deadline approches. The US aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. This target only represents a 4% reduction on 1990 levels, ...
Friday 29th January 2010 | Read full article
Davos & Retrofitted Energy Efficiency
I am pleased to say that energy efficiency has been one of the topics on people’s minds at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week. CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle, Colin Dyer, writes on his Davos Blog about the discussions when he chaired the Governors Meeting for ...
Friday 29th January 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency To Help Recovery - Obama
The eyes of the world were focussed on the US yesterday as a very important man revealed the future, as he sees it. Yes Steve Jobs revealed the iPad! Oddly enough later on President Obama was also giving his first State of the Union Address. While people wowed at Apples new product, the ...
Thursday 28th January 2010 | Read full article
Night Stalker Teaches Energy Saving
Near Albany, New York State, Jim Brown (right), a middle school teacher in Colonie, is known for night stalking the hallways and classrooms of all the schools in his district, begging the question why? The answer - to save energy. This may appear to be bizarre behaviour and a strange way to ...
Wednesday 27th January 2010 | Read full article
2010 The Year For Energy Efficiency
GREEN-tech experts reckon 2010 will be dominated by investments in energy efficiency, so claims the Silicon Valley Mercury News. The US government is certainly driving energy efficiency with US Energy Secretary Steven Chu usually describes himself as an "energy-efficiency nut." Venture capital investment in energy efficiency hit a record in 2009: at ...
Tuesday 26th January 2010 | Read full article
BASIC Urges Rich Nations To Hand Over $10 billion Funding Aid To Poor Countries
The group known as BASIC, composed of Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, has urged developed nations to quickly start distributing the $10 billion pledged in Copenhagen, aimed to help poorer countries adapt to the effects of climate change. With a share of this funding initiative, poor countries would be able ...
Monday 25th January 2010 | Read full article
Brazil Creates United Fund For Poor Nations' Adaption To Climate Change
Brazil is going to suggest the creation of a united fund with China, South Africa and India, with the aim of helping poor countries adapt to global warming, and more broadly, in an attempt to revive stalled global climate talks. The creation of a fund to help poor nations sustain themselves ...
Friday 22nd January 2010 | Read full article
US Sets New Energy Efficiency Standards
US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, confirmed yesterday that his department has issued new energy efficiency standards, in response to the US President, Barack Obama's request at the beginning of the year. This initiative follows Europe’s lead in setting stringent energy efficiency targets for manufacturers, aiming to reduce the EU's CO2 emissions ...
Friday 22nd January 2010 | Read full article
EU Targets Ambitious Carbon Emissions Reduction
A recent draft European Union letter has shown that the EU intends to stick to the offer made during the UN talks last month to cut CO2 emissions to one fifth below 1990 levels over the next 10 years. The letter, intended for top UN Climate Official Yvo de Boer, states: ...
Friday 22nd January 2010 | Read full article
French Carbon Tax Law To Be In Place By July 2010
The French high court recently rejected President Sarkozy's law on carbon tax, a few days before it was meant to come into force, claiming it contained too many exemptions which unjustly placed the burden on a minority of consumers. This came as an embarrassment for the French leader, who had fiercely ...
Thursday 21st January 2010 | Read full article
US Senate More Likely To Pass Energy Bill Than Climate Change Legislation
The US Senate is more likely to focus on a bi-partisan energy bill than to pass climate change legislation this year, after having gone through the contentious health care debate, according to a Democratic senator earlier this week. As part of an energy bill, energy efficiency technology could be placed as ...
Wednesday 20th January 2010 | Read full article
New York Unveils Smart Grid Plans
Plans for a smart grid demonstration in the Syracuse area of upstate New York have been unveiled by the National Grid, and is aimed at informing future development of a smart grid on a wider scale. 39,400 homes and businesses will receive smart meters to provide precise information about energy usage, ...
Wednesday 20th January 2010 | Read full article
Canada Invests $146 Million In Clean Energy
Over the next 5 years, the Canadian government plans to inject up to $146 million in 19 clean energy projects, including energy use in buildings, community heat generation, renewables and energy storage. The projects are being supported by the $1 billion Clean Energy Fund, which is part of the Government of ...
Tuesday 19th January 2010 | Read full article
E.ON And MASDAR Set Example To Reduce Carbon Footprint
The German outfit E.ON and the United Arab Emirates' Masdar have joined forces to develop projects aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company's new name is E.ON Masdar Integrated Carbon (EMIC) and its goal is to develop and fund emission reducing projects in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, focusing ...
Tuesday 19th January 2010 | Read full article
Russia's PM Urges Experts To Solve Energy Failures
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Prime Minister, has urged power engineering specialists to solve energy failures without delay. Mr. Putin expressed his concerns during a meeting with the Regional Development Minister, Viktor Basargin, a few days ago. Mr. Putin explained that Russia had entered the peak heating season as usual , and that ...
Monday 18th January 2010 | Read full article
EU Want To Make "Rapid" Moves Towards CO2 Cuts
Europe's leading environment ministers are on the verge of making 'rapid and efficient' moves towards reducing CO2 emissions. At a recent meeting held in Spain, as the Spanish president is the EU's current president, discussions took place regarding climate change and how to reach targets, following the disappointing outcome of the ...
Monday 18th January 2010 | Read full article
Malaysia Switches To Energy Efficiency
Malaysia is soon going to experience a considerable rise in energy prices, and industry and businesses are searching for energy saving solutions in order to counter the possibility of sharpley rising overheads. Although Malaysia’s energy prices are currently among the lowest in the region (after Vietnam and Indonesia), a price review ...
Friday 15th January 2010 | Read full article
EU Agree To Aim For 30% CO2 Cut By End Of 2010
A climate change policy officer, at the European Commission, last week announced that the European Union will hopefully be able to succeed in its commitment to reach a 30% reduction of carbon emissions (presently sitting at 20%) by the next U.N. climate conference in Mexico at the end of the ...
Friday 15th January 2010 | Read full article
India's Energy Credit Trading Plan To Curb Climate Change
Seeking to curb greenhouse gas emissions, India - the world’s 4th-largest polluter - plans to start a market to trade energy saving credits that may reach 740 billion rupees ($16 billion) in 5 years. The Director General of The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ajay Mathur, explains: "Businesses that exceed energy efficiency ...
Thursday 14th January 2010 | Read full article
Brecon Beacons Win Energy Saving Grant
A £1m prize has been won by a community group in the Brecon Beacons for measures to tackle climate change. The Green Valleys Project, 'Technology and the Arts Big Challenge', based in the Brecon Beacons, has cut CO2 emissions in the National Park by up to 33% in 2009 and has ...
Thursday 14th January 2010 | Read full article
UK Carbon Reduction Meaningless
The UK's efforts to tackle climate change could be 'rendered meaningless', if world leaders fail to reverse the growth in global emissions by 2020, MPs on the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee warn. Nevertheless, the Committee's new report on Carbon budgets calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to cut emissions ...
Wednesday 13th January 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Aim Due To Price Hikes
Many countries face serious energy price increases over the next few years, but this threat is helping to focus business leaders minds on becoming more energy efficient to protect their profitability. Reportedly one of the latest nations to worry over increasing energy prices is Malaysia, this has led commerce and industry there ...
Tuesday 12th January 2010 | Read full article
DOE Support Latin America Energy Efficiency Projects
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will be supporting 3 projects aimed at expanding the development and use of energy efficiency technologies and renewables in Latin America. The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and other National Laboratories, will provide technical assistance to the successful projects. Council Members of the Energy Saving ...
Monday 11th January 2010 | Read full article
Germany Encourages Green Focus
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, made comments on Monday, at an environmental event on biodiversity, about her concerns in regards to climate change: "The fight against climate change and securing biodiversity is crucial to preventing costly environmental damage". Mrs Merkel's words come after the result of the UN-sponsored climate conference in December ...
Monday 11th January 2010 | Read full article
EIB Lends China Efficient Helping Hand
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending China €134 million to support 4 projects aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions by 830,000 tonnes. Initiatives to encourage and sponsor energy efficiency improvements are welcomed by the Energy Saving Association (ESA), whose members believe in the undeniable potential of energy ...
Friday 8th January 2010 | Read full article
DOE Grant IT + .Com $47 Million For Energy Efficiency
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is granting IT and communications giants a $47 million boost to improve energy efficiency. These major groups include IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Yahoo!. IT and telecommunications centers currently consume approximately 120 billion kWh/year, which is 3% of America's total electricity use. Energy efficiency improvements are needed ...
Friday 8th January 2010 | Read full article
London New Builds Achieve 33% Carbon Cuts
A London South Bank University report reveals that new developments in London are cutting their carbon emissions by 33%. The capital’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, is committed to achieving a 60% cut in emissions by 2025 and has focused efforts on the energy efficiency of buildings, which account for 71% of emissions ...
Thursday 7th January 2010 | Read full article
UK Cold Snap Not Disproving Global Warming Reality
As the UK currently suffers an unusual cold snap, questions are being raised concerning the validity of the global warming theory, according to Stephen Dorling, of the University of East Anglia's school of environmental sciences, However, Mr. Dorling insists the cold weather should not be considered a proof that global warming ...
Thursday 7th January 2010 | Read full article
France Rejects Sarkozy's Carbon Tax Proposal
When he proposed his carbon tax scheme, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expected to earn the position of head of the worldwide climate change battle. However, in France the council rejected the carbon tax proposal, which allowed for too many tax exemptions for the country's major polluters. Indeed, the scheme enabled about 93% ...
Wednesday 6th January 2010 | Read full article
US City Funding Initiative For Energy Efficient Implementations
A $950,000 federal grant was given to the US city of Macon, to upgrade the roof of City Hall, replace the heating and cooling systems at the City Auditorium, and implement all other necessary changes aimed at energy saving. Thomas Brandner, Council Member of the Energy Saving Association (ESA), responds to ...
Wednesday 6th January 2010 | Read full article
Public Sector A Bad Student In Climate Change Class
The UK's public sector buildings are emitting 27% more CO2 than previously estimated, which is costing the country a staggering £4 billion per annum in energy bills. The situation calls for the initiation of a major refurbishment program, as the UK has targeted a 30% reduction in carbon emissions from '99 ...
Tuesday 5th January 2010 | Read full article
Oz Heats Up With Temp Records For Last Decade
Australia has been experiencing its hottest temperatures on record over the past 10 years, from 2000 to 2009, with an average temperature rise of 0.48 degrees Celsius above the 61-90 degree average, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. This phenomenon will continue and even increase, and 2010 temperatures are expected to ...
Tuesday 5th January 2010 | Read full article
UK Public Sector Must Save Energy To Reach CO2 Reduction Targets
Approximately 33% of the UK's emissions from non-domestic properties, which implies the public sector still has a long way to go to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions, with hospitals as top offenders. The Communities and Local Government Department have undertaken an audit which revealed that the 28,000 public buildings in ...
Monday 4th January 2010 | Read full article
UK's PM Believes In Global Climate Change Agreement
Despite the non-binding results of last month's climate summit in Copenhagen, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently announced that he believed a global agreement to combat climate change might still be possible. When asked what was next on the agenda following the UN climate meeting, Gordon Brown told the BBC: "I've ...
Monday 4th January 2010 | Read full article
China Builds "Green"
Environmentally friendly buildings are becoming the trend in China, who are responsible for the world's highest level of greenhouse gas emissions and who also has the world's largest market by floor space. China's development is growing so rapidly, and "all levels of government, designers, and even the general public are becoming ...
Saturday 2nd January 2010 | Read full article
