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Sweden, Ecobuilding, Energy
District Heating 2.0
District Heating 2.0
Today´s liberalised markets are focused on short-term return on capital, but energy infrastructure planning should be driven by the objective of climate protection.
Twenty-two million smart homes in Europe: from science-fiction to reality
Twenty-two million smart homes in Europe: from science-fiction to reality
Door locks that open with fingerprints, networked security cameras, smart light bulbs, smart washing machines: technology is transforming our homes, turning the tech dreams of yesterday into the reality of today.
Waste heat from power plants hits home
Waste heat from power plants hits home
There is no such thing as a perfect energy efficient process. The second law of thermodynamics states that all energy generating processes produce heat as a by-product.
Energy “vigilant” citizens
Energy “vigilant” citizens
When temperatures are low, the temptation to take long, scalding showers and turn electric heaters to the maximum is high. And not knowing how much energy we spend, when we unthinkingly do these activities, makes it difficult for us to decrease our consumption.
District heating: has its time come?
District heating: has its time come?
From the frosty reaches of Umeå in eastern Sweden to the rolling hills of San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque Country, European cities have one refrain on their minds as the cold sets in: winter is coming and homes must be heated in a way that allows the EU to reach its goal of reducing energy consumption by 20% by the year 2020 .
Efficient, Cheap and Green
Efficient, Cheap and Green
Only when they are accepted, or better even embraced by the people, they can be implemented swiftly without any  major delays.
What about GMOs in our homes?
What about GMOs in our homes?
One of the main contributors of CO 2 emissions are the homes we live in. In the EU, buildings are responsible for 36% of CO 2 emissions and 40% of energy consumption.
Energy back in local hands
Energy back in local hands
Across Europe, town and city councils are becoming increasingly interested in energy decentralisation , i.e. in producing power closer to where it is consumed.
Virtual models to make cities greener
Virtual models to make cities greener
Making a city or district energy smart is, first and foremost, an exercise in good planning . However, such green planning tools are still in their infancy. The trouble is that every city is different, every district unique.
District heating: Sweden is leading the way out of fossil fuels
District heating: Sweden is leading the way out of fossil fuels
Nordic countries have achieved a great independence from fossils because of their widespread district heating systems. District heating is a smart way to avoid using fossil fuels to heat buildings .
Cities join forces to retrofit districts
Cities join forces to retrofit districts
Cities have started to join forces to become more energy efficient . This trends stems from the findings of the first climate assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published in 1990, which was quite alarming.
Making Europe’s cultural heritage more energy efficient
Making Europe’s cultural heritage more energy efficient
A well-accepted measure for climate protection involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions . And buildings have the greatest energy saving potential, according to the official EU Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 .
Heat trading warms up
Heat trading warms up
Liberalising the heat market is, in theory, possible. It would operate in the same way that enables owners of domestic-scale wind turbines, or any other electricity producer, to sell surplus into the grid and draw power from the network.
New solutions to reduce energy consumption
New solutions to reduce energy consumption
Professor Claes-Göran Granqvist and colleagues at Uppsala University in Sweden have recently received about 2 million euros from the European Research Council to develop new materials making buildings more energy efficient.
The Ecologic Way to Paradise
The Ecologic Way to Paradise
In the district of Hol, located west of Oslo, a church built in 1920 was renovated to become energy efficient for as little cost as possible, while respecting its status as a historical monument.