From prehistory until the Industrial Revolution, most energy sources used by humans were localized (i.e., available within 5–10 miles of end users). Energy sources included draft animals, human slaves, and renewable sources such as biomass (wood and wastes), water mills, and wind power. Following the onset of the Industrial Revolution, with advancements in transportation technology and increased rates of deforestation in many regions, societies increasingly relied on long-distance shipments of coal, wood, and eventually oil, natural gas, and electric power. (more…)
Transportation is another sector that has increased its relative share of primary energy use. This sector has serious concerns ...
The global dependence on fossil fuels developed during the Industrial Revolution, two centuries of economic and social development ...
Natural gas and oil are common source energy used to give electricity. How efficient is coal if we compare to these other source of ...
Statistics on national production levels and indicators of environmental pressure have been collected during the past few decad ...
The entire concept of energy independence revolves around using the resources within a country. Simply put, it's "Stay within ...
Endorsement labels indicate that the products carrying the labels belong to the ‘‘most energy-efficient’’ class of products or meet a predetermined standard or eligibility criteria. These labels generally consist of a logo or mark that indicates the products have met the standard and generally contains little or no comparative energy efficiency information (although this may be available through lists of endorsed products). These labels merely inform consumers that the products meet the required standard. Criteria for some schemes are updated on a regular basis; therefore, these labels may carry the year of qualification. Endorsement labeling programs are mostly of a voluntary nature. (more…)
Energy labeling is a policy tool that informs consumers about the energy performance of appliances and thereby encourages them ...
It is important to remember that labeling and MEPS programs aim to influence the selection of products by consumers at the poin ...
Interest in rating the real-life energy performance of buildings has increased in recent years, and the real life efficiency perfor ...
10 benefits of Solar Energy: No 1 Solar energy is renewable. We never have to worry about running out of sunlight or usi ...
A variety of information programs exist in the major automobile markets to assist potential purchasers of new cars in comparing fue ...
Now it is possible to move back in the process of technological change from diffusion to innovation. In the energy efficiency area, it is helpful to think of the innovation process as affecting improvements in the attributes or characteristics of products. This process is represented as the shifting inward over time of a curve representing the trade-offs between different product characteristics for the range of products available on the market. (more…)
Many readers may be unfamiliar with the way economists typically view the process of technological change, thus it is useful to fir ...
The aim of this broad sweep through the area of energy innovation, highlighting the main actors, activities, policies, institutions ...
Beginning at the end of the technological change process, research has consistently shown that diffusion of new, economically ...
There are typically costs of adoption that are not included in simple cost-effectiveness energy calculations. It is by no means cos ...
Although technology change (usually involving an improvement in energy efficiency) is not inherently a geographic process, it does ...
This latter form of new car taxes can actually serve as an impediment to higher fuel economy to the extent that increased energy efficiency is attained with high-cost technology, such as continuously variable automatic transmissions, hybrid electric vehicles drive trains, and variable valve controls, and such taxes add to the cost of these technologies. (more…)
We know of no studies that have examined vehicle taxation incentives programs elsewhere in the world, but it seems likely that ...
A number of countries have vehicle tax incentives programs designed to reward purchasers and owners of alternative fuel-efficient v ...
Economists have overwhelmingly favored fuel taxes over fuel economy standards as a means to reduce fuel or gasoline consumption ...
Whatever the actual motivation, American policymakers perceived a need after 1973 to restrict automobile and light truck cons ...
Under both former President Bush and new President Obama, the U.S. government has vowed to reduce reliance on imported oil. The ...
The competition solar houses ‘Solar Decathlon’ will arrive in Madrid in June 2010, after leaving the U.S. for the first time It is organized by the Ministry of Housing
The event, organized by the Ministry of Housing in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Department of Energy United States Government (more…)
The broad range of home solar energy systems are mostly known as Photovoltaic Systems (PV) or Thin Film Solar Technology. The s ...
So you're finally tired of those exorbitant electricity bills, or, you're catching onto a "greener" way of life. Either way, solar ...
Residential Solar power systems are probably the safest, cleanest alternative for home energy consumption. Solar energy is rene ...
A home solar energy system can save you a lot of money on your household electric, gas and other bills. The sunshine is not onl ...
In today's tough economic times and with the increasing prices of gas and oil, finding alternative sources of energy should be ...
Several passive heating systems, if provided with proper ventilation, can ensure to provide cooling. Passive heating and cooling for houses can be done in several ways, one of which is called geothermal energy. Passing the water through pipelines via ground can achieve and distribute the heating and cooling all over the house. (more…)
Solar water heating for swimming pool rank as the most successful but least heralded commercial solar application. The use of solar ...
Active solar hot water systems water are usable with air, liquid, vapor or liquid collector fluid or gas to liquid process. Hot ...
A home solar energy system can save you a lot of money on your household electric, gas and other bills. The sunshine is not onl ...
Heat-actuated heat pumps are cooling systems requiring no electricity for operation. Rather, a heat source is used, avoiding the ne ...
The Geologists Association president advocates the use of geothermal energy by its high durability and low maintenance. Besides a r ...
Another possible non-market-failure explanation for the energy efficiency gap is associated with the fact that even if a given technology is cost-effective on average, it will mostly likely not be for some individuals or firms.
If the relevant population is heterogeneous—with respect to variables such as the purchaser’s discount rate, the investment lifetime, the price of energy, the purchase price, and other costs— even an electricity technology that looks very good for the average user (more…)
Beginning at the end of the technological change process, research has consistently shown that diffusion of new, economically ...
It is important to remember that labeling and MEPS programs aim to influence the selection of products by consumers at the poin ...
Recently, attention to energy efficiency has been gaining momentum. The attention given by policy maker is mainly due to concer ...
Energy efficiency is defined here to mean energy services provided per unit of energy input (for example, gallons of water hea ...
Energy labeling is a policy tool that informs consumers about the energy performance of appliances and thereby encourages them ...
Current forecasts call for solid growth in world energy use over the next 20 years, potentially increasing 60% above current energy use. With the forces in place to keep energy use patterns the same, a safe, conservative assumption would be that the commercial sector will contribute about 12% to final total energy consumption in the year 2020. (more…)
The amount of energy consumed in the commercial sector often must be estimated as a fraction of energy use in the combined resident ...
Energy performance ratings tell what the energy performance of a building is, but if the energy performance of a building is to be ...
As the need for energy efficiency becomes more pronounced, the drive toward efficiency in the commercial sector will be impeded by ...
Interest in rating the real-life energy performance of buildings has increased in recent years, and the real life efficiency perfor ...
Energy labeling is a policy tool that informs consumers about the energy performance of appliances and thereby encourages them ...
In the mid-1880s, Charles Fritts built the first solar cell formed by selenium coated with a thin layer of gold and with an energy efficiency of 1%. However, it was not until 1954 that Bell Labs discovered accidentally that would be the first commercial solar cell, with silicon as the base. (more…)
So-called thin-film photovoltaic devices are usually based on mixtures of elements other than silicon — most notably copper ind ...
Today, photovoltaic cells only contribute a small proportion (approximately 0.04 percent) of total electricity in the United St ...
So you're finally tired of those exorbitant electricity bills, or, you're catching onto a "greener" way of life. Either way, solar ...
The broad range of home solar energy systems are mostly known as Photovoltaic Systems (PV) or Thin Film Solar Technology. The s ...
Some people may doubt about the ability of these alternative power sources - to much like science fiction they may say. But the ...
The growth in air transportation volume has important global energy sustainable development
associated with the potential for greenhouse gases sources. On local to regional scales, noise, decreased air quality related primarily to ozone production and particulate levels, and other issues, such as roadway congestion related to airport services and local water quality, are all recognized as important impacts. (more…)
Fuel efficiency gains due to technological and operational change can mitigate the influence of growth on total emissions. Incr ...
Although the focus of many policy studies of climate change is on establishing the causal links between anthropogenic systems, emis ...
The outlook for reductions in future energy use is necessarily based on the potential for increased technological and operati ...
Climate change caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect is one of the most significant global environmental issues. Increased emiss ...
Although some scientists and critics still dispute that human caused greenhouse gases are causing climate change, the majority of s ...