Switzerland reduces its CO2 emissions despite an increase in its population

CO2 emissions in households have sparked interest among experts.  Despite its increasing population and the amount of space required per person, emissions have been reduced between 2000 and 2013.

In a recent study, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office was available to answer that question to unravel the different factors that influence energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Swiss households.

Researchers found that, thanks to greater energy efficiency in households, CO2 fossil emissions for heating Swiss households decreased between 2000 and 2013, despite an increase of 13% in the population.

“[The decrease in CO2 emissions] could be due to better insulation, thicker windows or more environmentally habits, such as people keeping their thermostats at 19ºC instead of 23ªC, or not leaving their windows open longer than necessary,” Flavio Malaguerra, editor of the study for swissinfo.ch.

These reductions are due  to better insulation, thicker windows and a more respectful behavior towards environment. For example, the population has grown accustomed to having their thermostat temperatures around 19ºC, instead of the 23ºC that other countries tend to settle.

The decrease in CO2 emissions also has a lot to do with the improvement of the construction materials, as a result of the efforts of the federal government and the community to reduce the power placed in heating homes.

The federal government and the Swiss Cantons spent more than a billion dollars between 2010 and 2014 in incentive programs to improve energy efficiency of existing buildings.

More information. 

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International Day of Energy Efficiency 2016

On March 5, the international day of energy efficiency was celebrated throughout the world.   It is an opportunity for people to improve their energy consumption habits and use electronic devices at home, for study or at work correctly.

The main objective for this day is to to explain the importance that reduction in energy consumption has for society.  It encourages a more sustainable society and renewable energy sources.  It also supports decision making in the use of more ecological transportation.

From the Energy in Time project, we want to join the initiative and try to do our bit to achieve a future where human progress and commodity go hand in hand with environmental sustainability and energy saving

Researchers from MIT creates a new model of energy demand for the city of Boston

Boston have a new and powerful tool to plan its energy future thanks to the researchers from the MIT. It will allow the relevant authorities to take better decisions on the requirements of the energy growth of the city.

Christoph Reinhart, architecture associated teacher, and Carlos Cerezo, a PhD student in Building Technology, have developed an unprecedented energy model for the city’s buildings. This model estimates the gas and electricity demand of all buildings of Boston -almost 100.000 in total- per hour of each day of the year.
The major cities, as well as energy companies and general businesses – may reduce a building’s energy consumption through efficient measures such as reconversion or the installation of photo voltaic energy in the rooftop.  However, to identify the more complete solutions, the energy systems (CHP) that serve said buildings, the constructions on the predictions on their requirements must be linked to combined energy and heating provision models.

The team in charge of it dedicated much time to the classification of all 92,000 buildings in the city in 48 different “archetypes” and 12 different categories of use (for example, residential or offices).  The following assigned different characteristics for each archetype, taking into consideration what this represented in the heating and cooling consumption, energy consumption, thermostat configurations, and the structure of roofs and walls, etc.

This model represents a new path in the direction that leads to the creation of habitable spaces that respect the environment.

Wec central and eastern europe regional energy forum – foren 2016

Conservation, New Trends and Issues in the  FOREN 2016 International Conference “WEC CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE REGIONAL ENERGY FORUM – FOREN”, at Costinesti, Romania (at the Black Sea), between 12-16 June 2016.

The title “Safe and Sustainable Energy for the Region” will comprehend the topics treated in the event. It will rely on the main experts on the matter, which include our ICPE partners among them.

Organized every two years, FOREN is recognized as the most important energy themed event of central and eastern Europe, which brings together more than 1,000 participants. Besides the members of WEC / RNC, the Forum will attract governments senior officials, ministers, academicians, European international energy enterprises leaders, energy and environment experts and specialized and general media representatives, making the event an excellent platform of dissemination.

The deadline to present the documentation is February, 29th.