EU-strategy on climate and energy policies 2030
In its plenary vote 5th February 2014 on the Climate and Energy Policies' 2030 Report (Delvaux/Szymanski), the European Parliament put its full weight behind the ITRE-ENVI Report calling for a binding 40% Energy Efficiency Target. This binding target should be in line with research on cost-effective energy saving potential. In particular the energy efficiency target needs to be implemented by means of individual national targets taking into account the individual situation and potential of each Member State. As stressed in the Resolution the cheapest energy is energy that is never used. In this connection increased energy efficiency should be seen as one of the cornerstones of the EU's climate and energy policy. The EU Parliament is convinced that energy efficiency helps to conserve resources, to reduce energy bills, energy dependence on imported fuels, trade deficits and health impacts, and to improve the long-term international competitiveness of the EU economy, as well as facilitating the reduction of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. Read the full text of this EU Parliament Resolution.
The EU Parliament's positioning is remarkable since only a few days before the EU Commission in its Policy Framework report (22th January 2014) for climate and energy 2030 did not set any targets on energy efficiency. Report EU Commission Climate and Energy 2030.
News from the scientific world
IPCC Report Climate Change and Land 2019: to be expected, see
IPCC Report 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C, see
IPCC Report Climate change 2014: Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability, see
Ph.D thesis on summer comfort, Flanders-Belgium, December 2013
"Design support for energy efficiency and summer comfort of dwellings in early design phases: A framework for a design tool adapted to the architects' practice in Flanders", PhD thesis by Lieve Weijtjens - Download
The U.S. BTO-Building Technologies Office energy performance program
The U.S. BTO announced up to $1.6 million in new funding to develop a program to rate and certify the energy performance of both residential and commercial window attachments.
Horizon 2020
Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union , a Europe 2020 flagship initiative http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness. Running from 2014 to 2020 with a budget of just over €70 billion, the EU's new programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe.
The draft work programme 2014-2015 of Horizon 2020 in the area of "Secure, clean and efficient energy" has been published. It includes funding opportunities for 'IEE-like' activities, also in buildings (€6,5 billion). See the draft work programme on http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/pdf/work-programmes/secure_clean_and_efficient_energy_draft_work_programme.pdf
New child safety requirements for internal solar shading
The EU Decision of 28th July 2011 mandated CEN to incorporate new requirements on child safety into the standard EN 13120 on internal blinds, in particular sections 8 and 15. This work also required the writing of two test method standards - EN 16433 and EN 16434.
