Author Archives: Juan Luis Vidal

H2020

Event for the H2020 project initiatives

The Enterprise Europe Network, the National Contact Points for NMP and the Knowledge Transfer Network have extended an open invitation to participate in an event that will be the launching point for H2020.

You can submit proposals until May 31st, 2016, that may be included in the 2017 call for proposals for projects of the European Union within the H2020 framework in the NMBP field  (Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology And Production).

This is a free-of-cost event for participants that will serve as a platform for presenting the 2017 calls for proposals, and will reveal the expectations and the main lines of action from the European Commission for this period.

The schedule includes presentations by the EC and its project evaluators and will allow participants to expose their proposals before them and the international experts on the subject.

The event will be centered on the calls for the following fields:

  • Advanced Manufacturing and Processing (AMP)
  • Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials
  • Factories of the Future (FoF) and Robotics
  • Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB)
  • Sustainable Industrial Processes (SPIRE)
  • Bottom-UP Topics

For more information click here.

 

energy-efficiency

Energy efficiency is cheaper than the construction of power stations.

Energy efficiency is even cheaper than the construction of a new power plant. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has reached this conclusion, and will launch the results that it obtained through 14 energy-saving programs.

This report has found evidence that the average cost of energy efficiency programs is around 3.5 cents per kWh saved, which is a more favorable data and significantly lower than the 7.5 cents/kWh initially calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This difference is due to the fact that the APA wanted to show that even with high energy efficiency costs, it is still worthwhile from an economic point of view. But the truth is that the costs are, as has already been mentioned, much lower.

This report serves as an evidence to administrators and legislators that they must be less reluctant to dedicate financial and technical resources to achieve energy efficiency programs in buildings.

More information. 

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Switzerland reduces its CO2 emissions despite an increase in its population

CO2 emissions in households have sparked interest among experts.  Despite its increasing population and the amount of space required per person, emissions have been reduced between 2000 and 2013.

In a recent study, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office was available to answer that question to unravel the different factors that influence energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Swiss households.

Researchers found that, thanks to greater energy efficiency in households, CO2 fossil emissions for heating Swiss households decreased between 2000 and 2013, despite an increase of 13% in the population.

“[The decrease in CO2 emissions] could be due to better insulation, thicker windows or more environmentally habits, such as people keeping their thermostats at 19ºC instead of 23ªC, or not leaving their windows open longer than necessary,” Flavio Malaguerra, editor of the study for swissinfo.ch.

These reductions are due  to better insulation, thicker windows and a more respectful behavior towards environment. For example, the population has grown accustomed to having their thermostat temperatures around 19ºC, instead of the 23ºC that other countries tend to settle.

The decrease in CO2 emissions also has a lot to do with the improvement of the construction materials, as a result of the efforts of the federal government and the community to reduce the power placed in heating homes.

The federal government and the Swiss Cantons spent more than a billion dollars between 2010 and 2014 in incentive programs to improve energy efficiency of existing buildings.

More information. 

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International Day of Energy Efficiency 2016

On March 5, the international day of energy efficiency was celebrated throughout the world.   It is an opportunity for people to improve their energy consumption habits and use electronic devices at home, for study or at work correctly.

The main objective for this day is to to explain the importance that reduction in energy consumption has for society.  It encourages a more sustainable society and renewable energy sources.  It also supports decision making in the use of more ecological transportation.

From the Energy in Time project, we want to join the initiative and try to do our bit to achieve a future where human progress and commodity go hand in hand with environmental sustainability and energy saving