Energy
The references below are arranged alphabetically by publisher. Links to relevant websites can be found towards the bottom of the page.
Click on the Energy heading in the Popular topics box on the right of the page for other references.
The references below are arranged alphabetically by publisher.
This page was updated on 11 June 2013.
Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society
Wind power in Britain and Germany: Explaining contrasting development paths
2006
British Wind Energy Association
Offshore wind: At a crossroads
April 2006
Carbon Trust
October 2008
Centre for Sustainable Energy
On the same map? A snapshot on the relationship between UK energy policy and the English regions
September 2008
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Plymouth City Centre and Derriford Sustainable Energy Study
August 2009
Council of European Municipalities and Regions
Save energy, save the climate, save money: Guide for local and regional governments
March 2006
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Onshore wind energy planning conditions guidance note
October 2007
Department for Communities and Local Government
Renewable Energy Capacity in Regional Spatial Strategies: Final Report
July 2009
Environmental Change Institute
Power from the people: Domestic microgeneration and the low carbon building programme
August 2009
Environmental Change Institute
Wind power and the UK wind resource
2005
European Centre for Nature Conservation
Impacts of biofuel production on biodiversity in Europe
2008
European Commission
EU local energy action: Good practices 2008
January 2009
European Wind Energy Association
Oceans of opportunity: Harnessing Europe’s larges domestic energy resource
September 2009
Green Alliance
New nuclear power: implications for a sustainable energy system
2006
Greenpeace
Offshore wind energy in the North Sea: Technical possibilities and ecological considerations
October 2000
House of Commons, Science and Technology Committee
April 2001
House of Commons, Trade and Industry Committee
Local energy: turning consumers into producers
2007
Institute for Public Policy Research
Warmth in a changing climate: How should the government encourage households to use renewable heat?
September 2011
London Energy Partnership
Guide to developing an Energy Action Area
November 2006
London Energy Partnership
Towards zero carbon developments: Supportive information for boroughs
July 2006
David J McKay
Sustainable energy without the hot air
December 2008
Natural England
Making space for renewable energy: assessing on-shore energy development
2010
New Economics Foundation
Mirage and oasis: Energy choices in an age of global warming
June 2005
New Local Government Network
Finding the energy: Domestic microgeneration and planning
August 2007
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Wind energy development in Northern Ireland’s landscapes
August 2010
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
Carbon footprint of electricity generation
October 2006
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Biomass as a renewable energy resource
May 2004
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Energy: The changing climate. Cm 4749
June 2000
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
What is the impact of wind farms on house prices?
March 2007
Sustainable Development Commission
The role of nuclear power in a low carbon economy
March 2006
Sustainable Development Commission
Seeing the light: the impact of microgeneration on the way we use energy
October 2005
Sustainable Development Commission
Turning the tide: Tidal power in the UK
October 2007
Sustainable Development Commission
Wind power in the UK: A guide to the key issues surrounding onshore wind power development in the UK
2005
Town & Country Planning Association
January 2006
Welsh Assembly Government
Planning for renewable and low carbon energy: A toolkit for planners
July 2010
Websites
Based at the University of East Anglia, the Adapt Low Carbon Group brings together a broad range of expertise and builds on the widely acknowledged successes of the University of East Anglia’s business activities in the low carbon sector.
BRE provides consultancy on all energy aspects of new and existing buildings, manages the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM ratings systems, and also administers the Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Build Energy Ltd is a multidisciplinary environmental consultancy. Its clients range from self-builders, home owners and architects, through to large M&E and construction groups. It provides assessment and consultancy against UK and global environmental standards like BREEAM, Code for Sustainable Homes and Ecohomes as well as offering a full portfolio of compliance services for both domestic and non-domestic schemes.
The European web portal for energy efficiency in buildings, covering news, events, publications, tools and case studies.
Build with CaRe (Carbon Reduction) aims to mobilise all forces in order to make energy-efficient building design the mainstream. Local and regional authorities, universities and institutes from 10 regions in 5 countries in the North Sea Region are active in the Build with CaRe partnership. The project, which started in 2008 and concludes in 2011, is partly financed by the Interreg IV B North Sea Programme.
CarbonBuzz emerged from a realisation that the construction industry suffers from a poor awareness of the link between CO2 emissions and the energy use of buildings. The project partners sought a means to support the industry in its drive to manage the energy use and CO2 emissions from buildings and help architects and engineers to close the gap between designed energy use and actual energy use. The launch of the revamped CarbonBuzz energy benchmarking platform took place on 6th June 2013 at London’s City Hall. This free online tool, originally created in 2008, enables users to record, share and compare the real energy use of their building portfolios, and track the energy use of existing buildings, refurbishments and newbuild projects. Many of the shortlisted and winning entries from this year’s Greenbuild Awards will be featured on the site.
The Carbon Trust’s mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions now and develop commercial low carbon technologies for the future.
CASCADE: Cities exchanging on local energy leadership
CASCADE is a 3-year project (2011-2014) of networking and mutual learning on local energy leadership. It supports cities in delivering the European Union 2020 targets for energy and climate change.
The Centre for Low Carbon Futures is a collaborative membership organisation that focuses on sustainability for competitive advantage. Its cross cutting research themes are Smart Infrastructure, Energy Systems and the Circular Economy.
Challenging Lock-in from Sustainable Energy Systems (CLUES)
CLUES (Challenging Lock-in from Sustainable Energy Systems) is a project which aimed to critically assess the development of decentralised energy systems in urban areas in the light of national decarbonisation and urban sustainability goals. Based upon national and international reviews, it examined the range and types of urban energy systems that have been and might have been installed. It further considered the issues raised by the need for such initiatives to integrate with energy systems at urban level in the UK, regional and national scales in order to deliver energy and carbon reductions to 2050 effectively. A tool has been developed for people working at the strategic level in local authorities, and will also be valuable to those delivering professional planning education. The project completed its work on 1 October 2012.
This resource, hosted by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, has been developed to support local authorities and community groups in their role as initiators, supporters and developers of local low carbon and renewable energy projects.
The CONCERTO initiative, launched by the European Commission, is a Europe wide initiative proactively addressing the challenges of creating a more sustainable future for Europe’s energy needs. The initiative involves 58 communities in 22 projects, each working to deliver the highest possible level of self-supply of energy. Throughout the 22 participating CONCERTO projects the focus is primarily on demonstrating the environmental, economic and social benefits of integrating renewable energy sources together with energy efficiency techniques through a sustainable energy-management system operated on a community level. The CONCERTO initiative provides a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences between the 58 CONCERTO demonstration communities, and other cities that are committed to introducing similar strategies. Communities participating will benefit from the shared expertise of Europe’s most advanced communities, active in the field of energy sustainability.
The Covenant of Mayors is a commitment by signatory towns and cities to go beyond the objectives of EU energy policy in terms of reduction in CO2 emissions through enhanced energy efficiency and cleaner energy production and use.
Department of Energy and Climate Change
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created in October 2008, to bring together: energy policy (previously with BIS – the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills), and climate change mitigation policy (previously with Defra – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
Efficient Energy for EU Cultural Heritage (3ENCULT)
The refurbishment of existing buildings to very low energy demand is increasingly economically feasible. However, the main issue for historic buildings is how to balance building protection requirements with optimised energy efficiency. The 3ENCULT project has been researching and developing solutions for this, and has recently developed a series of guidelines for use by local authorities. The guidelines support local leaders who need to make informed decisions regarding what is possible in the planning phase and in choosing suitable technologies.
Encraft is an independent consulting engineering firm specializing in microgeneration, on-site renewable and low carbon buildings. Its vision is to make it easy for everyone to develop and deliver low carbon energy and building projects in the 21st century. It provides independent and impartial professional technical support to all kinds of organisation and project, and is continuously developing tools and techniques to reduce project development and feasibility costs.
Energy and Co-Designing Communities
The Energy and Co-Designing Communities (ECDC) research team is a collaboration
between Science and Technology Studies and Design. ECDC seeks to understand how new technologies can be designed to support communities in reducing their energy consumption. In particular, research team is interested in getting at what is often neglected in studies of energy consumption and its reduction: the imaginative, playful, emotional and potential aspects of people’s use of relevant technologies.
An association of European local authorities promoting local sustainable energy policies.
The Energy Collective is an independent, moderated community of professionals focused on the complex challenges of meeting the world’s energy needs sustainably. Our members are our content contributors, and include leading scientists, activists, policy makers, executives and entrepreneurs. Topics covered include: wind, transportation, smart grid, oil, nuclear, climate and clean technology.
Energy Efficient Buildings European Association (E2BA)
To help address climate change the European Commission has set specific targets to be achieved by 2020, known as the 20/20 targets. These targets are to reduce energy consumption by 20%, reduce CO2 emissions by 20% and provide 20% of the total energy share with renewable energy. In order to help the construction industry reach the 20/20 targets and achieve energy neutral buildings and districts by 2050 the European Construction Technology Platform has set up the Energy Efficient Building European Initiative (E2B EI), steered by the Energy Efficient Buildings Association (E2BA) founded in November 2008. This is a Europe wide industry driven research and demonstration programme for energy efficient buildings and districts, with the ambitious vision that all European buildings will be designed, built or renovated to high energy efficiency standards by 2050.
Energy Efficient Partnership for Buildings
The aim of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes is to achieve energy efficiency in homes and alleviate fuel poverty through engaging cooperation and collaboration within the supply chain for energy efficient products and services. The Partnership has a comprehensive footprint within all relevant industry and social sectors and provides an effective mechanism for cross-sector cooperation and joint delivery of energy efficiency initiatives.
The Energy Saving Trust provides impartial advice and information about energy efficiency and renewable energy, with a number of publications including best practice guides for developments and building professionals.
The Energy Technologies Institute is a UK based company formed from global industries and the UK government. We bring together projects that create affordable, reliable, clean energy for heat, power and transport. The ETI will demonstrate technologies, develop knowledge, skills and supply-chains, inform the development of regulation, standards and policy, and so accelerate the deployment of affordable, secure low-carbon energy systems from 2020 to 2050.
European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE)
This is an official campaign associate of Sustainable Energy Europe, an initiative of the European Commission to support and promote the EU’s energy policy targets in relation to energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, clean transport and alternative fuels.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy
European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy manages work in the area of energy policy.
European Institute of Energy Research
A research institute devoted to energy and the environment based at the University of Karlsruhe.
European Wind Energy Association
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) is the voice of the wind industry, actively promoting the utilisation of wind power in Europe and worldwide. EWEA coordinates international policy, communications, research and analysis and provides various services to support members’ requirements. EWEA analyses, formulates and establishes policy positions for the wind industry on key issues, cooperating with industry and research institutions on a number of market development and technology research projects.
EuroPHit aims to significantly increase the quality and energy efficiency of perhaps the most common type of refurbishment: retrofits conducted gradually, over a period of years. The EuroPHit project is co-funded within the European Commissions’s Intelligent Energy Europe programme (IEE).
Global Buildings Performance Network
The mission of the Network is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with building energy use. It aims to achieve this by: promoting best practices in building energy efficiency and performance; offering world class energy efficiency expertise to policy makers and business leaders; advancing policies and programs that promote low carbon, energy efficient buildings worldwide.
Information from the Department for Energy and Climate Change on the Green Deal.
IEA Sustainable Buildings Centre
The International Energy Agency’s Sustainable Buildings Centre (IEA-SBC) is the online voice for low energy buildings. It makes policy recommendations and provides governments and other stakeholders with knowledge on proven building energy policies; enhance global information sharing on energy efficiency policies for buildings; develops energy efficiency indicators to enhance analysis of policy scenarios and monitor progress on policy implementation; promotes exchanges of knowledge among policymakers and energy policy and technical experts in the buildings sector; and creates networks and opportunities for collaboration on low energy policies and technologies.
The main goal of the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is to design and construct public art installations that have the added benefit of large scale clean energy generation. Each sculpture will continuously distribute clean energy into the electrical grid, with each having the potential to provide power to thousands of homes.
This site allows you to search and download Energy Performance Certificates for UK properties.
This database provides a repository of UK low-energy building information created to help inform the planning and development of low energy new build and refurbishment projects
The Local Renewables Web Portal has been launched, containing policies, guidelines, technologies, information sources, events and other core sources on generating and using renewable energy at the local level. It has references to good local practice, to model strategies, enabling framework conditions, training opportunities and tools, as well as tips on how to become a “Local Renewables Model Community”.
ManagEnergyis a technical support initiative of the Intelligent Energy – Europe (IEE) programme of the European Commission which aims to assist actors from the public sector and their advisers working on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The National Energy Foundation is an independent educational charity, based at Milton Keynes in the UK, that works to help people and businesses combat climate change by reducing their carbon emissions through implementing energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sources.
National Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC)
Narec is a national centre for the UK dedicated to accelerating the deployment and grid integration of renewable energy and low carbon generation technologies, utilising wind, wave, tidal, solar PV and thermal power.
Networking Intelligent Cities for Network Efficiency (NiCE)
NiCE – Networking intelligent Cities for Energy Efficiency is a EU- funded project which will promote and advance implementation of the commitments of the Green Digital Charter (GDC) with a view to use ICT as an enabler to significantly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
The main objective of the EU-funded PERFORMER project is to develop, install and finally assess energy and environmental benefits of an innovative integrated concept for the monitoring and evaluation of building energy performance, towards energy performance guarantee.
PlanLoCaL (Planning for Low Carbon Living) is a major project and the focus of the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s work for communities. At its heart is the recognition that, for communities to identify, plan for, and implement the best low-carbon solutions for their local area, they need various strands of support. It also recognises that there needs to be a sense of ‘joint agency’ on tackling climate change: between and within communities, and between communities, local government and society more widely. Resources include videos and a resource pack.
POLIS is a European cooperation project that focuses on implementing strategic town planning and local policy measures to utilize the solar energy capability of structures in European cities. Only a strategic approach by the municipality can enhance the expanding integration of small-scale, decentralized energy applications into the built environment. The aim of the project is to identify and evaluate current practices in solar urban planning, and unite the key responsible parties of this process to create a more cohesive planning and legislation practice for solar developments. The physical structure of a building and its position within the urban pattern is clearly integral to its solar energy capabilities.
The POWER HOUSE EUROPE project seeks to mainstream existing know-how on refurbishing and building housing with optimal energy consumption levels. It is part of the EU-funded Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) Programme and is designed to trigger action to achieve the maximum potential energy saving in the residential sector. The project was launched in October 2008 and aims to run for three years. It is also a source of information on wider legislative developments such as rent restructuring, already implemented in other EU countries, and likely to have a significant effect on financing retrofitting for housing associations if implemented in Britain. The Members survey showed that the associations want information on the benefits and advantages of different approaches to meeting the UK code for sustainable homes, in particular they also want to hear about experiences in improving hard to treat properties and better ways of communicating technical data to residents. National/regional platforms have also been established in: Bulgaria, England, Estonia, Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Wallonia.
The aim of the PUrE Intrawise consortium is to develop an integrated decision-support framework for more sustainable management of indoor pollution associated with the provision, conservation and use of energy in buildings. The framework will be applied to a number of case studies that will compare environmental, health and economic implications of the principal options for future home energy provision as an aid to policy development.
The Renewable Energy Association represents the UK’s renewable energy industry, covering all renewable power heat and fuels.
RenewableUK is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with 593 corporate members, RenewableUK is the leading renewable energy trade association in the UK. The primary purpose is to promote the use of wind, wave and tidal power in and around the UK. It acts as a central point for information for its membership and as a lobbying group to promote wind energy and marine renewables to government, industry, the media and the public.
This EU-funded project started on 1 January 2012 and will last for three years. It has set up 11 pilot sites in 11 cities in 8 countries with the aim of saving energy in Europe’s public buildings using information and communication technology.
Sustainable Cities Institute: Buildings and Energy
This website cuts through the complexities of the climate change debate to provide expert advice, offer clear priorities for action and describe good practice in sustainable urban design and management.
Sustainable Energy Communities
Five Intelligent Energy – Europe (IEE) Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) projects have joined forces to disseminate news and information on innovative local actions that can inspire cities and regions to meet EU targets for 2020 on greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and use of renewable energy.
Typology Approach for Building Stock Energy Assessment (TABULA)
TABULA aims to create a harmonised structure for European building typologies. Residential buildings are the focus, but activities extend beyond them. Each national typology will be a set of model residential buildings with characteristic energy related properties. These will each represent a certain construction period of the country and a specific building size. Furthermore, the number of buildings and apartments which they represent, and the overall floor areas, will be identified. The development and utilisation of a web tool, serving as a data source for scenario analyses, will be the other key outcome.
Faced with the challenge of energy equity, security and climate change, the UCL Energy Institute aims to accelerate the transition to a globally sustainable energy system through world-class energy research, education and policy support.
The UK Energy Research Centre carries out world-class research into sustainable future energy systems. It is the hub of UK energy research and the gateway between the UK and the international energy research communities. Its interdisciplinary, whole systems research informs UK policy development and research strategy.
Urban Low Emission Development Strategies (Urban-LEDS)
The Urban-LEDS project, funded by the European Commission, and implemented by UN-Habitat and ICLEI, has the objective of enhancing the transition to low emission urban development in emerging economy countries by offering selected local governments in Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa a comprehensive methodological framework (the GreenClimateCities methodology) to integrate low-carbon strategies into all sectors of urban planning and development.
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