Energy use by buildings offers a tremendous opportunity for governments seeking to foster clean energy technologies. Sustainability-minded policymakers should focus on three interlinked policy approaches related to better buildings: 1) energy policy that favors energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy sources, 2) climate policy that recognizes and internalizes the cost of carbon pollution; and 3) standards and performance criteria for the building envelope and the building components.
In March 2011, the Fourth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress convened and approved the national economic and social development plan for 2011 and the 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP) for China. The 12th FYP provides national development targets for 2011-2015.1 It establishes strategies for economic development, sets growth targets, and launches reforms via centralized...
New national demand-side management (DSM) regulations in China, in effect as of Jan. 1, 2011, call for power grid companies to achieve electricity savings using DSM amounting to at least 0.3 percent in sales volume and 0.3 percent in maximum load compared with their previous year. This may usher in a new set of tools, approaches, and programs for energy management to incentivize energy efficiency...
Energy savings certificates (ESCs) have been around for a decade, but they’ve been slow to catch on globally. These tradable instruments represent the avoidance of a defined amount of energy use – but how much and what kind depends on the state or nation that created them. Best practices and standard definitions could help ESCs grow expand the market for energy efficiency projects.
Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS) take a variety of forms, but they all share one key benefit: They help stimulate investments in energy efficiency - a cost-effective way to reduce energy demand and cut emissions of greenhouse gases. EERS require utilities to meet a specific percentage of their energy demand each year from customers’ energy savings. National, provincial and state...
The International Energy Agency (IEA) published the results of its global Energy Efficiency Governance study as a summary handbook and a detailed report. This study aims to provide government officials and stakeholders with guidance on how to establish effective structures to promote energy efficiency.
