Energy Saving News
March 2010
UKs CRC Scheme Starts April 1 - Are UK Businesses Ready?
THE CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is the UK’s new legally binding climate change and energy saving scheme that aims to reduce the energy consumption in commercial buildings. Compliance failures, such as incorrect reporting, pose the greatest risk to both reputation and the bottom line for participant organisations. Research shows two thirds ...
Wednesday 31st March 2010 | Read full article
EU Encourage African SMEs to become Competitive through Energy Efficiency
THE European Union is taking a lead in supporting the promotion of energy efficiency both at home and abroad and are currently in Gaborone, Botswana, promoting energy efficiency. Head of Delegation of the European Union to Botswana and the SADC region, Mr Paul Malin echoed these sentiments at a regional workshop ...
Wednesday 31st March 2010 | Read full article
Smart Meters not as Smart as Real-Time Energy Monitors
WHICH? a consumer protection organisation in the UK have just released some details regarding Smart Meters - often lauded as a panacea for energy saving. Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: ‘We've long argued that consumers shouldn't foot the bill for installing Smart Meters - consumers will save a few pounds ...
Tuesday 30th March 2010 | Read full article
Report Points to Bright Future for Intelligent Energy Efficiency Solutions
THE global research firm, Cleantech, has released comprehensive analysis of energy efficiency innovations in commercial buildings. The report, titled “As Energy Efficiency Booms, Buildings Get a Brain”, has been produced through extensive research and interviews with leading businesses, investors and industry influencers. Sheeraz Haji, president of Cleantech Group states, “Commercial office buildings consume ...
Monday 29th March 2010 | Read full article
"Malaysia still a long way from being energy efficient" - Gelber
Efforts by Malaysia to adopt energy efficiency measures are fairly limited as energy in the country is still cheap. Greenest Person on the Planet 2008 award winner, Matthias Gelber said on Sunday: "Malaysians are having it easy as their energy rates are subsidised by the Government. “The challenge now is how the Malaysian ...
Monday 29th March 2010 | Read full article
Ukraine and Japan Cooperate on Energy Saving
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Serhii Tihipko's has released details of cooperation between Ukraine and Japan to develop energy savings and alternative power sources. Tadashi Idzava, Japan's Ambassador to Ukraine, confirmed Japan's interest in cooperating with the Eastern European country with “green investments. Tihipko released a statement, saying that Ukraine wanted to ...
Sunday 28th March 2010 | Read full article
Earth Hour to Help Pakistan with Energy Efficiency
Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate, Farooq H. Naek, underlined today, Friday Mrach 26, the need for enhancing coordination among parliamentarians, different sections of the society, government institutions, commerce and NGOs to conserve energy and save environment for future generation of Pakistan. “We have to work together to save every sapling, every ...
Friday 26th March 2010 | Read full article
Ermenkov wants Energy Efficency Focus in Bulgaria
TASKO Ermenkov, the executive director of the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Agency (EEA), stated during the European Day of Energy Efficiency 2010: “Energy efficiency is not fashionable and is not end in itself, but it brings improvement in the quality of people’s lives, “The present assessment shows the energy consumption in Bulgaria is ...
Friday 26th March 2010 | Read full article
European Call for Energy Efficiency Aid for SMEs
Small and medium-sized firms need financial help to recruit experts to apply for loans for energy efficiency projects, industry representatives said at a workshop in Brussels on Wednesday. SMEs do not have sufficient resources to do so at the moment, they said. Guido Lena of small business association Ueapme told delegates ...
Thursday 25th March 2010 | Read full article
Earth Hour - Saturday 8:30pm
Saturday, March 27, at 8.30pm locally but all around the globe people will recognise the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Earth Hour 2010 by turning off lights and other appliances for one hour, it is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to ...
Thursday 25th March 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency to be the Focus for North Carolina
A report focused on North Carolina in the U.S. has been published by the Washington D.C based, non-profit American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy (ACEEE). The report highlights the potential for the fastest growing state in the nation to save its residents and businesses billions of dollars over the next ...
Wednesday 24th March 2010 | Read full article
U.S. Cities with the Most Energy Efficient Buildings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of energy efficient buildings that earned EPA’s Energy Star in 2009. The list is headed by Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Lakeland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York. Energy efficiency ...
Wednesday 24th March 2010 | Read full article
$3 Trillion Investment Needed for Eastern Europe & Central Asia
According to a report from the World Bank entitled: Lights Out? The Energy Outlook in Eastern Europe and the Central Asia, the region as a whole will face an energy crunch unless investments of more than $3 trillion are made over the next 20 years. “The demand for primary energy in ...
Tuesday 23rd March 2010 | Read full article
Local Authority Aims to Save Millions Through Energy Efficiency
Bury, a medium sized town in Greater Manchester, North West England, is aiming to save millions through energy efficiency. Bury's local authority has unveiled plans to divert greater attention to cheap energy usage and sustainability. Bury Council said it plans to reduce its carbon emissions by 35 per cent by 2014 ...
Tuesday 23rd March 2010 | Read full article
Venezuela Cuts Power to Over 80 Companies
Restaurants, liquor stores, hotels, gyms, car dealerships and a yacht club are on the list of 81 companies in the Venezuelan capital Caracas that will have their power cut on Monday for failing to bring consumption down 20 percent, the state utility said. Even the local unit of Sony Corp will ...
Monday 22nd March 2010 | Read full article
India Launches Initiatives Promoting Energy Efficiency
India's energy demand will increase at a tremendous rate in the future and with the problems of carbon emissions, poor quality of domestic resources and no easy access to foreign energy resources, the Indian government must take energy efficiency and conservation seriously and bring in stricter regulations in order to ...
Sunday 21st March 2010 | Read full article
WBCSD Report on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
IN Geneva yesterday, March 18, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) released their report on energy efficiency in buildings, which reveals how energy use in buildings can be cut by 60 percent by 2050 – essential to meeting global climate change targets – but this will require immediate ...
Friday 19th March 2010 | Read full article
London's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme
LONDON has been designated as a Low Carbon Economic Area (LCEA) by the UK Government to lead the country’s efforts to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. London is the seventh UK region to be given the LCEA status and interestingly they will focus on retrofitting energy efficiency measures into older ...
Friday 19th March 2010 | Read full article
South Africa to get Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards
Businesses in South Africa can expect mandatory energy efficiency standards, for both fuel and buildings, in a new climate change policy being drawn up, environmental lawyer and consultant Andrew Gilder told a conference in Johannesburg yesterday. Regulations for mandatory emissions monitoring and reporting would also be developed as part of this ...
Thursday 18th March 2010 | Read full article
French Help Chinese Enterprises to Save Energy With Funds
China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Tuesday it has signed an agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) under which the AFD will provide 120 million Euros in loans to support energy-efficiency and emissions cuts projects in China. The credit loans would be operated in China through three Chinese commercial banks ...
Wednesday 17th March 2010 | Read full article
Australian Study Reveals Benefits of Energy Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency, is a better than cheap answer for Australia to cut greenhouse gasses as it will save businesses money. Australia’s non-profit organisation ClimateWorks will release research today that estimates the cost of cutting the country’s carbon emissions to 25% on 2000 levels by 2020 could be as low as ...
Wednesday 17th March 2010 | Read full article
IFC & Philippine Bank Combine to Expand Energy Efficiency
The International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank, has partnered with Philippine bank Banco de Oro (BDO) in expanding into energy efficiency. In a statement, IFC said the partnership with BDO allows them to encourage more investments into energy efficiency that will also help the Philippines manage ...
Tuesday 16th March 2010 | Read full article
Cost Main Driver for Energy Efficiency
There are plenty of businesses that are concerned about the environment and reducing their carbon footprint - they wish to contribute towards making the future safer for their children and grand children - but that doesn’t reach the heart of businesses. A recent UK survey of nearly 300 small to medium ...
Tuesday 16th March 2010 | Read full article
Earth Hour Focuses On Energy Saving & Environment
Energy saving is about to come into a global sharp focus, as in just 11 days time the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) holds it Earth Day 2010 - Mar 27, at 8.30pm. The Earth Day campaign first came to public attention in March 2007, when Sydney, Australia, took the radical step ...
Tuesday 16th March 2010 | Read full article
£350 Million Boost To Retrofit UK Commercial Buildings
Non-domestic buildings In the UK currently account for around 18% of the country’s emissions, with most of the buildings over 10 years old and unlikely to be compliant with current or future efficiency standards. Hence, the UK’s Carbon Trust is looking to raise £350 million for the refurbishment of commercial ...
Monday 15th March 2010 | Read full article
Venezuela Power Crisis Continues
Venezuela is undergoing its worst-ever power crisis, leading President Hugo Chavez to declare a national emergency. The worsening situation has lead the government to impose drastic rationing, and penalties for those who fail to cut energy consumption by 20 percent. The population of Caracas are having to do whatever they can to ...
Monday 15th March 2010 | Read full article
The Ups & Downs of Saving Energy
The UK’s Guardian newspaper runs several blogs and this week Dave Hill’s blog had an interesting post after he received an email from a regular reader which is of interest to those involved in energy saving. The email describes an experience he had on Wednesday evening this week in one of ...
Friday 12th March 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Means A Hot Bath & a Cold Beer
"Nobody really wants to buy electricity, but they sure want a hot bath and cold beer. "Efficiency is about wasting less to make sure that you have the hot bath and the cold beer." These words were spoken by Harvey Sachs, of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, during CERAWeek in ...
Friday 12th March 2010 | Read full article
Watts, Volts, Amps, Joules and now the Rosenfeld?
Art Rosenfeld's has been called the father of energy saving and efficiency and now his name is being suggested as a term for a new energy measurement unit - the Rosenfeld, but more on that shortly, who is Art Rosenfeld? Apparently back during an oil crisis in 1973, on a Friday, ...
Thursday 11th March 2010 | Read full article
China Emphasise Stricter Energy Conservation
Xie Zhenhua, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, reveled on Wednesday that the Chinese government will adopt stricter measures to boost energy conservation during 2010 to attain the goal set by a new five-year plan. "It's the last and decisive year for us to realise the goals set ...
Thursday 11th March 2010 | Read full article
330,000 Jobs This Year In U.S. From Energy Efiiciency Program
Proposed U.S. federal energy efficiency jobs provisions would create about 333,000 jobs in 2010 and then 184,000 jobs in 2011 as funding begins to ramp down, according to a new analysis released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The proposed programs include commercial and residential retrofit programs ...
Wednesday 10th March 2010 | Read full article
Singapore Industry Must Monitor & Manage Energy Use
Singapore has announced steps the country will be taking to improve energy-efficiency in the industrial and commercial sector. Energy-hungry companies will be required to monitor their energy usage, appoint an energy manager and draw up plans to improve efficiency. This new regulation was announced by the Environment and Water Resources Minister, ...
Wednesday 10th March 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Favoured for Funding
Commercial money is tight, but not quite as tight when projects involve increasing energy efficiency. Some innovative financing techniques are emerging to allow customers to make improvements without incurring initial out-of-pocket costs. Energy efficiency has emerged as the most palpable and least controversial way to make environmental changes, although the ...
Tuesday 9th March 2010 | Read full article
$40 Million Energy Efficiency Boost for New York's Education, Health & NPOs
New York Governor David A. Paterson unveiled an investment of $40 million to tackle energy efficiency in the Empire State’s schools, universities, colleges, hospitals and not-for-profit agencies. The 118 projects lined up are expected to see a $13.5 million annual reduction in energy and operating costs, which will provide a full ...
Tuesday 9th March 2010 | Read full article
23% Energy Saving & 17% ROI on Building Retrofit
Gordon Holness, president of ASHRAE, in recent presentations cited the McKingsley Report, which indicates that if the U.S. were to spend $170 billion on the retrofit of existing buildings it would save, on average, 23 percent of all building energy use and get a 17 percent return on investment. He went ...
Monday 8th March 2010 | Read full article
Report Claims Financial Blindness to Industrial Energy Saving Benefits
Claims that even small greenhouse gas targets will hurt industry have been undermined by an Australian government report that revealed basic efficiency improvements would cut nationwide emissions and save businesses more than $700 million. An assessment of 199 large energy users found improving efficiency could stop at least 6.4 million tonnes ...
Monday 8th March 2010 | Read full article
Six Times More Businesses Affected By New Legislation
According to the Financial Times the UK government has underestimated by up to six times the number of businesses affected by the new CRC Energy Efficiency (Carbon Reduction Campaign) greenhouse gas emissions legislation, with the scheme due to start on April 1. For more than a year government ministers stated that ...
Friday 5th March 2010 | Read full article
$3 Million Boost for San Francisco Energy Efficiency
Mayor Newsom has announced that San Francisco has secured $2.9 million in federal funds to compensate the cost of commercial energy efficiency programs. New funding will add incentives already offered with the GreenFinanceSF program. The program will be launching in early April, once the grant is in place, then applicants ...
Thursday 4th March 2010 | Read full article
China Faces Energy Dilemma
Like many countries in the developing world, China faces a series of fundamental dilemmas related to energy and electricity use. Growing consumption of energy and services not only bolsters the Chinese economy, but also exposes it to volatile prices and potential disruptions in supply. Providing electricity to rural villages alleviates energy ...
Thursday 4th March 2010 | Read full article
Local Authority Looks to Save Energy
Municipalities are big energy users - they run all sorts of energy hungry facilities and services, from street and public lighting through to large leisure centres. Due to this diversity of energy use local authorities need to become more energy efficient to meet emission targets and reduce costs to local tax ...
Thursday 4th March 2010 | Read full article
Health Trust Launches Energy Saving Campaign
A National Health Service (NHS) Trust in Coventry in the East Midlands of the UK have launched an energy saving campaign. The Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust – which runs the areas mental health services, is aiming to cut its carbon emissions by 10 per cent enabling it to meet ...
Wednesday 3rd March 2010 | Read full article
Hong kong Study Will Look To Energy Efficiency For Emission Reductions
Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau revealed that the HK Government is carrying out a climate change consultancy study. The study will assess the likely impact of climate change on Hong Kong, outlining options to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly through energy efficiency, and adapt to climate change. Yau ...
Wednesday 3rd March 2010 | Read full article
American Report Highlights Energy Efficiency for a Quick Result
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy expects there to be a $250 billion market for efficiency upgrades in the commercial and industrial sector over the next decade. A founding father of energy efficiency policy in the U.S., Art Rosenfeld, is a CalCEF (California Clean Energy Fund) board member and ...
Tuesday 2nd March 2010 | Read full article
Governments Struggle with Energy Saving Plans
Governments should be in the best position to drive through with energy saving and carbon reductions, but their best laid plans do not always work (no surprise there). China and Venezuela have both seen reversals, though the latter was a little ambitious. News just released reveals that China's total energy consumption surged ...
Tuesday 2nd March 2010 | Read full article
Enigin News - Billions Available For Energy Saving From U.S. Stimulus Fund
Knoxville in the U.S has recently conducted an extensive energy audit and they are about to find out which of 99 city buildings are wasting the most energy. Their timing couldn't have been better with a flood of U.S. federal government stimulus money earmarked for energy efficient measures will be available ...
Monday 1st March 2010 | Read full article
US Stimulus Fund - Billions Available For Energy Efficiency
Knoxville in the U.S has recently conducted an extensive energy audit and they are about to find out which of 99 city buildings are wasting the most energy. Their timing couldn't have been better with a flood of U.S. federal government stimulus money earmarked for energy efficient measures will be available ...
Monday 1st March 2010 | Read full article
Carbon Reduction Commitment To Save £1 Billion Annually
“There’s just one month to go until the start of the CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment) which will see large public and private sector organisations cutting emissions as well as saving money on fuel bills. This is a real opportunity for business and industry to take a leadership role in tackling ...
Monday 1st March 2010 | Read full article
