5th International Conference on Smart Energy Systems
4th Generation District Heating, Electrification, Electrofuels and Energy Efficiency, Aalborg University, 10-11 September, 2019, Copenhagen
Using the Ground for Thermal Energy Storage: The Experience of the Riverina H...Yale Carden
All buildings interact with the ground for its ability to support their foundations. However, very few buildings interact with the ground for its ability to provide thermal energy storage. We have all experienced the moderate temperatures within a cave at depths of just a few metres. These temperatures are a function of average annual air temperature and are the result of the ground absorbing and storing solar energy. The use of this indirect and renewable solar energy can provide significant energy savings for heating and cooling systems.
A Ground Heat Exchanger (GHX) provides the ability to utilise the ground for thermal energy storage, essentially transforming the ground into a thermal battery. It enables us to extract heat from it in winter (heat source) and return that heat in summer (heat sink). It is a dynamic thermal battery that operates both simultaneously and over the annual heating / cooling cycle.
This presentation will provide an overview of how the ground is being utilised for its thermal energy storage capabilities around the world, with focus on a local installation at the Tumut Council owned Riverina Highlands Building, located in Tumut NSW. The installation has provided Council with energy savings on heating and cooling of 80 %, reduced peak energy loads by 40%, reduced maintenance costs and, importantly, provided significantly higher levels of occupant comfort. This has also increased the capacity and effectiveness of the concurrently installed solar PV array and will ensure that future solar energy storage will have greater impact.
Thermal Potential in the Built EnvironmentYale Carden
HVAC systems have traditionally used the local ambient air (heating and cooling) or fossil fuels (predominantly heating through combustion) as their heat source and heat sink. Thermal storage is still a relatively new application and typically requires large volumes of water or ice.
This paper explores the available thermal potential within the built environment and how the utilisation of this thermal potential can provide efficient heating, cooling and hot water as well as thermal storage. In some instances, this may be the local ambient air, less likely it will be fossil fuels.
More likely, it includes the thermal potential within the ground, water bodies and infrastructure such as subways, water, sewer, building foundations and other buildings as well as artificial thermal storage such as phase change materials.
The key is to identify the optimal thermal sources, sinks and storages for a given building at a given location and climate. Then, an integrated approach using optimised control strategies, including predictive capabilities, will enable a building to access these various thermal sources at the thermally optimal time to provide significant energy savings and enhanced operation.
Such an integrated approach also maximises the availability of on-site renewable power generation, further increasing energy savings, decreasing the typical cooling peak demand and increasing energy productivity.
HOT STUFF: Re-electrification of district heating and future sector coupling technologies
Webinar, Danish Board of District Heating, February 24
Associate Professor Peter Sorknæs, Aalborg University
5th International Conference on Smart Energy Systems
4th Generation District Heating, Electrification, Electrofuels and Energy Efficiency, Aalborg University, 10-11 September, 2019, Copenhagen
Using the Ground for Thermal Energy Storage: The Experience of the Riverina H...Yale Carden
All buildings interact with the ground for its ability to support their foundations. However, very few buildings interact with the ground for its ability to provide thermal energy storage. We have all experienced the moderate temperatures within a cave at depths of just a few metres. These temperatures are a function of average annual air temperature and are the result of the ground absorbing and storing solar energy. The use of this indirect and renewable solar energy can provide significant energy savings for heating and cooling systems.
A Ground Heat Exchanger (GHX) provides the ability to utilise the ground for thermal energy storage, essentially transforming the ground into a thermal battery. It enables us to extract heat from it in winter (heat source) and return that heat in summer (heat sink). It is a dynamic thermal battery that operates both simultaneously and over the annual heating / cooling cycle.
This presentation will provide an overview of how the ground is being utilised for its thermal energy storage capabilities around the world, with focus on a local installation at the Tumut Council owned Riverina Highlands Building, located in Tumut NSW. The installation has provided Council with energy savings on heating and cooling of 80 %, reduced peak energy loads by 40%, reduced maintenance costs and, importantly, provided significantly higher levels of occupant comfort. This has also increased the capacity and effectiveness of the concurrently installed solar PV array and will ensure that future solar energy storage will have greater impact.
Thermal Potential in the Built EnvironmentYale Carden
HVAC systems have traditionally used the local ambient air (heating and cooling) or fossil fuels (predominantly heating through combustion) as their heat source and heat sink. Thermal storage is still a relatively new application and typically requires large volumes of water or ice.
This paper explores the available thermal potential within the built environment and how the utilisation of this thermal potential can provide efficient heating, cooling and hot water as well as thermal storage. In some instances, this may be the local ambient air, less likely it will be fossil fuels.
More likely, it includes the thermal potential within the ground, water bodies and infrastructure such as subways, water, sewer, building foundations and other buildings as well as artificial thermal storage such as phase change materials.
The key is to identify the optimal thermal sources, sinks and storages for a given building at a given location and climate. Then, an integrated approach using optimised control strategies, including predictive capabilities, will enable a building to access these various thermal sources at the thermally optimal time to provide significant energy savings and enhanced operation.
Such an integrated approach also maximises the availability of on-site renewable power generation, further increasing energy savings, decreasing the typical cooling peak demand and increasing energy productivity.
HOT STUFF: Re-electrification of district heating and future sector coupling technologies
Webinar, Danish Board of District Heating, February 24
Associate Professor Peter Sorknæs, Aalborg University
Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica - Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Gr...Sardegna Ricerche
L'intervento di Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida) in occasione dell'evento "Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica: Tecnologie, materiali, campi di impiego" che si è tenuto l'11 ottobre 2019 a Cagliari.
Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica - Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Gr...Sardegna Ricerche
L'intervento di Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida) in occasione dell'evento "Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica: Tecnologie, materiali, campi di impiego" che si è tenuto l'11 ottobre 2019 a Cagliari.
Policy Advocate MeLena Hessel provides an overview of the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act legislation and its anticipated impacts in terms of solar and wind development and energy cost reduction for industries, communities and residents. The event was hosted on August 2, 2017, at Kankakee Community College, in partnership with the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce, Kankakee County Farm Bureau and ComEd. Kankakee Community College earned the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Accredited Clean Energy Training Provider of the Year Award in 2014.
Keeping our cities sustainably warm - Inspiring the Efficient Renewal of District Heating for the Just Transition
Brian Vad Mathiesen, Aalborg University
KeepWarm Conference, November 12, 2020, Brussels - Online
Small Council, Big Vision, Bigger Savings - AIRAH Pre-loved Buildings 2014Yale Carden
Presentation showing the incredible energy savings potential of geoexchange / ground source heat pumps for heating and cooling commercial buildings. This presentation was delivered at the AIRAH Pre-loved Buildings Conference in Brisbane, Australia in October 2014.
Titled Small Council, Big Vision, Bigger Savings, it takes the audience on the journey of this project from initial concept through to completion. It discussed both the incredible energy and dollar savings while also addresses the importance of the project team and their importance in delivering what was a truly great project.
The Role of Thermal Potential in Enhancing Energy ProductivityYale Carden
As presented at All Energy Conference in Melbourne on 5 October 2016
In the renewable energy sector, electrical (energy) potential determines the design of renewable power systems (ie solar, wind etc) at any given location. Similarly, thermal (energy) potential relates to the available thermal energy in a given location that can be utilised for heating / cooling a building or group of buildings.
This presentation explores how the concept of thermal potential can increase the efficiency of heating / cooling systems and thus enhance energy productivity in terms of increased value output per kW generated and per tonne of carbon emitted.
IGSHPA Presentation: Las Vegas, October 2013Yale Carden
Presentation in my role as Founding President of the Australasian Ground Source Heat Pump Association (AGSHPA). AGSHPA is our local chapter of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA). Awkward acronyms but we will work with what we have.
The focus of this presentation was to provide a snapshot of the geoexchange or ground source heat pump industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Geoexchange and Thermal Potential at GeoscienceYale Carden
Geoscience Australia was one of the original geoexchange
or GSHP systems in Australia. Now over 20 years old, the building recently hosted an information session on electrification of heating and cooling in the ACT. Speakers included ACT Government representative as well as this presentation on thermal potential and the role of renewable thermal energy in the removal of thermal gas from our buildings.
The need for energy storage stems from the fact that the power grid faces increasing instability. This is caused majorly by two reasons. Firstly, the increasing volatility on the supply side due to intermittent nature of renewables. https://www.sterlitepower.com/blog/energy-storage-crucial-india%E2%80%99s-clean-energy-goals
Future challenges for a carbon neutral world - – what role can turbine techno...Shaun West
The Future of Gas Turbine Technology, ETN’s 9th International Gas Turbine Conference, 10-11 October 2018, Brussels, Belgium.
Analysis of 2C warming on the UK based on published data from the NationalGrid in the UK. What could it mean for turbines and the burning of fossil fuels. What does the industry have to do to adapt.
Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica - Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Gr...Sardegna Ricerche
L'intervento di Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida) in occasione dell'evento "Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica: Tecnologie, materiali, campi di impiego" che si è tenuto l'11 ottobre 2019 a Cagliari.
Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica - Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Gr...Sardegna Ricerche
L'intervento di Luisa F. Cabeza (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida) in occasione dell'evento "Sistemi di accumulo dell’energia termica: Tecnologie, materiali, campi di impiego" che si è tenuto l'11 ottobre 2019 a Cagliari.
Policy Advocate MeLena Hessel provides an overview of the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act legislation and its anticipated impacts in terms of solar and wind development and energy cost reduction for industries, communities and residents. The event was hosted on August 2, 2017, at Kankakee Community College, in partnership with the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce, Kankakee County Farm Bureau and ComEd. Kankakee Community College earned the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Accredited Clean Energy Training Provider of the Year Award in 2014.
Keeping our cities sustainably warm - Inspiring the Efficient Renewal of District Heating for the Just Transition
Brian Vad Mathiesen, Aalborg University
KeepWarm Conference, November 12, 2020, Brussels - Online
Small Council, Big Vision, Bigger Savings - AIRAH Pre-loved Buildings 2014Yale Carden
Presentation showing the incredible energy savings potential of geoexchange / ground source heat pumps for heating and cooling commercial buildings. This presentation was delivered at the AIRAH Pre-loved Buildings Conference in Brisbane, Australia in October 2014.
Titled Small Council, Big Vision, Bigger Savings, it takes the audience on the journey of this project from initial concept through to completion. It discussed both the incredible energy and dollar savings while also addresses the importance of the project team and their importance in delivering what was a truly great project.
The Role of Thermal Potential in Enhancing Energy ProductivityYale Carden
As presented at All Energy Conference in Melbourne on 5 October 2016
In the renewable energy sector, electrical (energy) potential determines the design of renewable power systems (ie solar, wind etc) at any given location. Similarly, thermal (energy) potential relates to the available thermal energy in a given location that can be utilised for heating / cooling a building or group of buildings.
This presentation explores how the concept of thermal potential can increase the efficiency of heating / cooling systems and thus enhance energy productivity in terms of increased value output per kW generated and per tonne of carbon emitted.
IGSHPA Presentation: Las Vegas, October 2013Yale Carden
Presentation in my role as Founding President of the Australasian Ground Source Heat Pump Association (AGSHPA). AGSHPA is our local chapter of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA). Awkward acronyms but we will work with what we have.
The focus of this presentation was to provide a snapshot of the geoexchange or ground source heat pump industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Geoexchange and Thermal Potential at GeoscienceYale Carden
Geoscience Australia was one of the original geoexchange
or GSHP systems in Australia. Now over 20 years old, the building recently hosted an information session on electrification of heating and cooling in the ACT. Speakers included ACT Government representative as well as this presentation on thermal potential and the role of renewable thermal energy in the removal of thermal gas from our buildings.
The need for energy storage stems from the fact that the power grid faces increasing instability. This is caused majorly by two reasons. Firstly, the increasing volatility on the supply side due to intermittent nature of renewables. https://www.sterlitepower.com/blog/energy-storage-crucial-india%E2%80%99s-clean-energy-goals
Future challenges for a carbon neutral world - – what role can turbine techno...Shaun West
The Future of Gas Turbine Technology, ETN’s 9th International Gas Turbine Conference, 10-11 October 2018, Brussels, Belgium.
Analysis of 2C warming on the UK based on published data from the NationalGrid in the UK. What could it mean for turbines and the burning of fossil fuels. What does the industry have to do to adapt.
Demand response programs across the country have many large facilities considering the deployment of energy storage technologies. Technologies developed for facility- and campus-scale energy storage show promise for managing short-term demand peaks as well as longer-period demand response events.
The presenter has investigated facility/campus-scale energy storage for efficiency program administrators in the US and recently completed a storage technology research report for an international consortium of utilities. This work has identified promising avenues for distributed storage. Currently, facility-scale storage has three primary uses: 1. power quality – the monitoring and regulation of voltage fluctuations, frequency disruptions, and harmonic distortions, 2. bridging power – short-term power supply for critical demands, often used to cover time periods in which emergency generators are powering up, 3. energy management – energy storage on a scale to support a facility/campus for extended periods of time. These systems can be responsive to utility demand programs and time-of-use rates to cut peak demand costs.
This presentation will include the technical properties of current storage systems, including flywheel, compressed air, and various battery technologies. The technical and market barriers associated with distributed storage, along with proposed paths for resolving said barriers, will also be discussed.
Honeywell VP of Global Energy Kent Anson addresses Bright Green attendees in Copenhagen on December 13 with a frank account of the opportunities and challenges associated with commercial and industrial energy efficiency campaigns. He examines the role that green buildings play in climate change efforts through case studies on Honeywell’s work with CCI cities such as Seoul and Melbourne. Nearly 50% of Honeywell’s product portfolio is linked to energy efficiency and the company estimates that the global economy could operate on 10-25% less energy just by using today’s existing Honeywell technologies. For more information go to http://honeywellnow.com
Growing at a 61.0% CAGR, the green hydrogen market is projected to reach $7,314 million by 2027. The transportation sector is projected to hold a USD 4,550 million value share in the green hydrogen market by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 63.4% from its 58% value share in 2022.
Lattice Energy LLC - LENRs dramatically expand financing opportunities for o...Lewis Larsen
LENR technology could dramatically expand future reserve-based debt financing opportunities in the global oil & gas industry.
Key take-aways:
- Ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) are new type of clean, green CO2-free nuclear energy source that has huge energy densities, vastly lower costs versus fission or fusion, and could enable truly sustainable economic growth.
- Development and utilization of LENR thermal sources for process heat could help reduce upstream and downstream costs for oil & gas producers and significantly decrease CO2 emission footprints for the entire oil & gas industry.
- Should be possible to develop green LENR fuels derived from aromatic fractions present in oil, coal, and biomass as well as C-aromatics produced from natural gas; these would be suitable for use in many applications that include stationary/portable power generation and vehicular propulsion.
- Oil & gas companies that successfully employ technology to produce LENR fuels for sale to customers can: (1) exploit a major strategic diversification opportunity to expand beyond their present product lines and (2) greatly enhance their capacity for RBL debt financing as a result of very substantial increases in net present economic value of their proven fossil fuel reserves.
- Existing crude oil refineries could be modified to add capabilities for production of LENR fuels in parallel with traditional industry products.
- Not competitive; LENRs are a strategic opportunity for oil & gas companies.
Final project report on grocery store management system..pdfKamal Acharya
In today’s fast-changing business environment, it’s extremely important to be able to respond to client needs in the most effective and timely manner. If your customers wish to see your business online and have instant access to your products or services.
Online Grocery Store is an e-commerce website, which retails various grocery products. This project allows viewing various products available enables registered users to purchase desired products instantly using Paytm, UPI payment processor (Instant Pay) and also can place order by using Cash on Delivery (Pay Later) option. This project provides an easy access to Administrators and Managers to view orders placed using Pay Later and Instant Pay options.
In order to develop an e-commerce website, a number of Technologies must be studied and understood. These include multi-tiered architecture, server and client-side scripting techniques, implementation technologies, programming language (such as PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and MySQL relational databases. This is a project with the objective to develop a basic website where a consumer is provided with a shopping cart website and also to know about the technologies used to develop such a website.
This document will discuss each of the underlying technologies to create and implement an e- commerce website.
Harnessing WebAssembly for Real-time Stateless Streaming PipelinesChristina Lin
Traditionally, dealing with real-time data pipelines has involved significant overhead, even for straightforward tasks like data transformation or masking. However, in this talk, we’ll venture into the dynamic realm of WebAssembly (WASM) and discover how it can revolutionize the creation of stateless streaming pipelines within a Kafka (Redpanda) broker. These pipelines are adept at managing low-latency, high-data-volume scenarios.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a revolutionary concept that connects everyday objects and devices to the internet, enabling them to communicate, collect, and exchange data. Imagine a world where your refrigerator notifies you when you’re running low on groceries, or streetlights adjust their brightness based on traffic patterns – that’s the power of IoT. In essence, IoT transforms ordinary objects into smart, interconnected devices, creating a network of endless possibilities.
Here is a blog on the role of electrical and electronics engineers in IOT. Let's dig in!!!!
For more such content visit: https://nttftrg.com/
Student information management system project report ii.pdfKamal Acharya
Our project explains about the student management. This project mainly explains the various actions related to student details. This project shows some ease in adding, editing and deleting the student details. It also provides a less time consuming process for viewing, adding, editing and deleting the marks of the students.
Understanding Inductive Bias in Machine LearningSUTEJAS
This presentation explores the concept of inductive bias in machine learning. It explains how algorithms come with built-in assumptions and preferences that guide the learning process. You'll learn about the different types of inductive bias and how they can impact the performance and generalizability of machine learning models.
The presentation also covers the positive and negative aspects of inductive bias, along with strategies for mitigating potential drawbacks. We'll explore examples of how bias manifests in algorithms like neural networks and decision trees.
By understanding inductive bias, you can gain valuable insights into how machine learning models work and make informed decisions when building and deploying them.
Forklift Classes Overview by Intella PartsIntella Parts
Discover the different forklift classes and their specific applications. Learn how to choose the right forklift for your needs to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance in your operations.
For more technical information, visit our website https://intellaparts.com
Hierarchical Digital Twin of a Naval Power SystemKerry Sado
A hierarchical digital twin of a Naval DC power system has been developed and experimentally verified. Similar to other state-of-the-art digital twins, this technology creates a digital replica of the physical system executed in real-time or faster, which can modify hardware controls. However, its advantage stems from distributing computational efforts by utilizing a hierarchical structure composed of lower-level digital twin blocks and a higher-level system digital twin. Each digital twin block is associated with a physical subsystem of the hardware and communicates with a singular system digital twin, which creates a system-level response. By extracting information from each level of the hierarchy, power system controls of the hardware were reconfigured autonomously. This hierarchical digital twin development offers several advantages over other digital twins, particularly in the field of naval power systems. The hierarchical structure allows for greater computational efficiency and scalability while the ability to autonomously reconfigure hardware controls offers increased flexibility and responsiveness. The hierarchical decomposition and models utilized were well aligned with the physical twin, as indicated by the maximum deviations between the developed digital twin hierarchy and the hardware.
6th International Conference on Machine Learning & Applications (CMLA 2024)ClaraZara1
6th International Conference on Machine Learning & Applications (CMLA 2024) will provide an excellent international forum for sharing knowledge and results in theory, methodology and applications of on Machine Learning & Applications.
Sachpazis:Terzaghi Bearing Capacity Estimation in simple terms with Calculati...Dr.Costas Sachpazis
Terzaghi's soil bearing capacity theory, developed by Karl Terzaghi, is a fundamental principle in geotechnical engineering used to determine the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. This theory provides a method to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of soil, which is the maximum load per unit area that the soil can support without undergoing shear failure. The Calculation HTML Code included.
HEAP SORT ILLUSTRATED WITH HEAPIFY, BUILD HEAP FOR DYNAMIC ARRAYS.
Heap sort is a comparison-based sorting technique based on Binary Heap data structure. It is similar to the selection sort where we first find the minimum element and place the minimum element at the beginning. Repeat the same process for the remaining elements.
1. Sustainable Development against Energy Poverty
Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 1
2. What is
energy poverty?
Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 2
6. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 6
Arrears on utility bills
PRIMARY INDICATORS
7. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 7
PRIMARY INDICATORS
Inability to keep home adequately warm
8. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 8
SECONDARY INDICATORS
• Fuel oil , Biomass , Coal prices
• Household electricity, gas and District heating prices
• Dwellings comfortably cool during summer and winter time
• Dwellings in densely or intermediately populated areas
• Dwellings with energy label A
• Number of rooms per person, owners, retners or total
• Poverty risk
• Consumption expenditure for electricity, gas and other fuels as
a share of income
• Share of dwellings equipped with heating and cooling systems
• Excess winter/summer mortality/deaths
• Presence of leak, damp, rot
14. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 14
The smart nZEB building:
- efficiency first
- minimum primary energy
consumption
- use of renewables
- RES production on site
- optimum cost effectiveness in
terms of LCA
17. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 17
1. Total Demand
Reduction
Allocated by:
Electricity
Hot Water
Heating
Cooling
Dehumidification
2. Seasonal Energy
Demand
3. Regional Grid
Renewable Supply
Account for:
Wind
Solar PV
Hydro
~ Biomass
~ District Heat
4. Building
Site & Size
6. Renewable
Storage
kWh of:
Short-term &
Long-term energy
5. Regional Peak
Load
Incentivize Load shifting
according to:
Demand Type
Daily Peak Use
Seasonal Peak
7. Appliance
Energy Source
Incentivizes fuel switching
to electric heat pumps
Accounts for:
Local renewable availability
Building size vs roof area
Supply vs Demand balance
Viable short- vs long-term storage
18. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 18
•identify energy poor consumers
•group these households
•aggregate them in energy
communities
•develop alternative solutions
•inform these consumers
21. Energy
Performance
Energy Efficient
Technologies
Rating techniques
Advanced
Materials
Indoor Air Quality Thermal Comfort
Ventilation &
Daylighting
Passive Cooling
Solar Energy
Systems
IT technologies
applied to
buildings
Staff,
components and
building
certification
Innovative
training schemes
Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy
and Climate Change - 3rd Green Energy
Investments Forum
21
22. Athens 10/10/2018
11th International Conference on Energy and Climate Change -
3rd Green Energy Investments Forum 22
Thank you
www.eipak.org
info@eipak.org
Editor's Notes
Ladies and Gentlemen
Access to modern energy is closely linked to human development and improvements in people’s wellbeing. Affordable, reliable and safe energy helps people meet their basic needs for a decent life.
Yet according to the United Nations’ Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative, billions of people live without modern energy. Those living in energy poverty do have some energy services. Households may cook on open flames or simple wood- or charcoal-fuelled stoves. They might light their homes with candles and kerosene lanterns. Yet they are ‘energy poor’ because they are forced to rely on unhealthy and often expensive fuels.
Toxic fumes from cooking smoke can cause illnesses and death. Energy-poor households also pay more, over time, for oil and kerosene lamps than electric lighting. In exchange, they get worse quality light
More than a third of the global population (2.9 billion) does not have clean and safe energy for household cooking. Nearly one in six people (1.1 billion) do not have basic access to electricity. The coal industry sells itself as the solution to energy poverty in developing countries. However, evidence suggests that the role coal power can play in securing energy access for poor households is limited.
Of the world’s 1.1 billion people lacking electricity, 87% live in rural areas and 88% are in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
But do we have energy poverty only in the sub-saharan Africa and Asia?
Or is there a different kind of energy poverty also in the developed countries? Unfortunately the answer is yes!
High energy expenditure, low household incomes, inefficient buildings and appliances, and specific household energy needs create the energy poverty of the modern world. It is estimated that more than 50 million households in the European Union are experiencing energy poverty.
Awareness of energy poverty is growing rapidly across Europe, and the issue is being increasingly integrated within the activities of the European Union, as evidenced by the European Commission’s flagship legislative proposal “Clean Energy for All Europeans” announced on 30th November 2016. As such, it is now more important than ever to build a specialist network of stakeholders working on energy poverty in Europe.
What causes energy poverty in the developed world?
High energy expenditure, low household incomes, inefficient buildings and appliances, and specific household energy needs create the energy poverty.
Some governments choose temporary solutions to reduce energy proverty: for example they regulate energy prices or they financially support energy poor homes. These solutions are strongly dependent on many economic factors, as they need continuous and even increased funding from public budgets. And of course they do not generate added value or economic growth.
On the other side we will proof that permanent and sustainable solutions like the combination of deep energy retrofits and smart use of renewable energy through local social networks are the best , if not the only, way of decreasing energy poverty.
In order to establish the right mix to decrease energy poverty in a local society we need to follow some primary and secondary indicators.
For example a primary indicator are the arrears on utility bills.
Or the inability to keep home warm.
There are two new primary indicators used during the last couple of years , the High share of energy expenditure in income (2M) and the Hidden energy poverty (HEP) indicator, but still the data collected are very poor.
And there are a lot of secondary , but also very important indicators such as average household prices for energy , or number of rooms per person or location of the dwellings or even mortality data.
Here we see maps with data for these indicators.
Here for example we see a very serious work of a scientific team about Athens.
The geographical distribution of energy poverty in Athens has been an under-researched topic until today, due to the fact that only recently energy poverty became a significant social problem, to the lack of relevant quantitative data and the difficulties in accessing data at the neighborhood or apartment building level, among other reasons.
The team gathered and elaborated primary data about the characteristics and the uses of the buildings, family incomes, energy consumption, as well as about the implemented policies against energy poverty, in order to create a series of thematic maps. The parallel analysis of these thematic maps gives us the chance to draw general and specific conclusions regarding socio-spatial aspects of energy deprivation in Athens during the crisis.
According to the thematic maps presented here, there is no clear segregation among the neighborhoods of the Municipality of Athens, as devaluation and low energy efficiency of the building stock, poverty as well as reduction in energy consumption are widespread.
So it is not so easy to make conclusions and find the right solutions to decrease energy poverty.
Although we have good data now, we still don’t have effective solutions
We do have the state policies, which have to do with taxation, jobs and economic growth , we do have some successful policies for low income households which increase slowly their income, but the overall results are less than expected and the continuous need of refinancing makes these kind of politics very expensive for the society.
We need more combined solutions , we need the community services. And key factors must be energy efficiency and RES.
The main target must be the transformation of Energy Poor Consumers and households, to Energy Prosumers, by their aggregation in Energy Communities and the development of bankable investment schemes facilitating the implementation and exploitation of low, moderate and high Energy Efficiency solutions, the use of renewable energy sources close to the community and the transformation of buildings to as smart as possible.
In this procedure we must never forget that efficiency comes first. Not only because investing in efficiency is still cheaper than investing in RES, but also because efficiency is mainly a self financed procedure and needs only a initial funding.
In this procedure we must never forget that efficiency comes first. Not only because investing in efficiency is still cheaper than investing in RES, but also because efficiency is mainly a self financed procedure and needs only a initial funding.
In this procedure International standards in energy efficiency, like the passive house standard that we propose and use, can play a valuable role in promoting good energy practices, harmonization of public policies, improving consumers’ and users’ understanding and confidence, avoiding technical barriers to trade related to energy policies, and enabling the creation of world markets for energy technologies.
These policies are also in line with the revised EPBD which proposes long term strategies , mobilizing funding and using ict and smart technologies and especially the link between public funding and EPCs
Let’s take a look at an efficiency and all-renewable energy framework in a region.
If the total demand is decreased , then the seasonal energy demand, allocated by electricity, hot water, heating, cooling and dehumidification will be decreased, the regional grid will be able to supply more and cheaper electricity from RES.
Depending on the size and site of the local buildings , the needed regional peak load will be reduced and the needs for local renewable storage will be less.
Finally the appliance energy source will be one , electricity, making households totally independend from fossil fuels.
So how can this all work in regional level?
We believe we must assist local governments to
identify energy poor consumers within their boundaries;
group these households according to their technical characteristics,
aggregate them in energy communities;
develop alternative solutions based on the local techno-socio-economic conditions;
inform these consumers in achieving the minimum low cost-efficient energy savings and proceed into investments that will secure for them affordable energy (through less consumed energy and locally installed renewable energy resources)
This will Trigger behavioral change of the local population by transforming energy poor consumers to sustainable energy prosumers.
The most important thing in this framework will be the aggregation of the consumers into energy communities.
We have to facilitate energy poor households of local communities to access new sources of funding for energy-saving activity. Energy poor consumers have low income, which prevents them from making energy efficiency investments. Additionally, banks are reluctant to deal one of these cases separately. By aggregating them into an energy community, they are a manageable customer group for the bank whose credibility is secured with the presence of the municipality.
We believe that only behavioral change and implementation of tailor-made energy efficiency measures leading to NZEB and Smart ZEB solutions which includes the setup of new financial schemes to support energy poor consumers in developing innovative investment schemes is the solution to fight against modern energy poverty in the developed world.
We as Hellenic Passive House Institute have the staff, the experience and the knowledge to technically and scientifically support , in cooperation with KEPA and local governments, the creation of these schemes and energy communities in local and regional level.
A knowledge transfer based on a multilateral train-the-trainer approach can help to accelerate the dissemination of good practices throughout the any region and thereby to help improve the quality of new buildings and renovations.
In seminars and accompanying materials offered and adopted to the needs of each local or regional community with assistance from international experts and integrating local partners, we can contribute to disseminate the needed skills such as building design and physics, building envelope, heating/ventilation/air conditioning, power generation, automation and controls, integrated planning and cost-effectiveness.
And of course all this has to do with our commitment to fight first against climate change and then against energy poverty. Our goal must be that in the near future no one should ever have to choose between eating or heating.
Thank you.