Synergies between renewable energy and energy efficiency

Energy-related emissions represent two-thirds of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Immediate action is needed to start putting the world on a path to net-zero emissions, as per the Paris Agreement.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency will work in synergy to drive global energy decarbonisation. When pursued together, they result in higher shares of renewable energy, a faster reduction in energy intensity, and lower energy system costs. This also brings environmental and social benefits, such as less air pollution.

This working paper by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) considers how renewables and energy efficiency can work together to contribute to global …

Going Beyond Zero: A Systems Efficiency Blueprint For Building Energy Optimization And Resilience

Industry experts and efficiency advocates agree that improving the efficiency of building systems is an important strategy for achieving the next level of efficiency in buildings. A systems approach considers the interactions of components within and among various building systems (e.g., heating and cooling systems, lighting systems, miscellaneous electric loads), as well as interactions among multiple buildings, and between the building and the electric grid.

The Systems Efficiency Initiative (SEI) provides a critical forum for understanding the energy savings potential of a systems approach and for developing strategies for moving the market in this direction. Toward this goal, the SEI’s …

Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Employment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors in both the United States and abroad continued to experience growth through 2016. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), renewable energy employment alone (excluding efficiency) grew by nearly 18 percent between Q2 2015 and Q1 2016. The agency reports that 3,384,834 Americans were directly employed by the clean energy industry (which includes the energy efficiency, smart grid, and energy storage industries; electric power generation from renewables; renewable fuels production; and the electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-based vehicle industries) in Q1 2016. Among the leading U.S. employment sectors were energy-efficient appliances, …

Electricity end uses, energy efficiency, and distributed energy resources baseline

This report is one of series of “baseline” reports intended to inform the second installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER 1.2). QER 1.2 provides a comprehensive review of the nation’s electricity system and cover the current state and key trends related to the electricity system, including generation, transmission, distribution, grid operations and planning, and end use. This report focuses on end uses, electricity consumption, electric energy efficiency, distributed energy resources (DERs) (such as demand response, distributed generation, and distributed storage), and evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) methods for energy efficiency and DERs.

The report provides an overview of electricity …

Inclusive Financing for Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Energy efficiency and renewables represent the most promising pathway to lower energy costs for individual consumers and utilities. Programs that help utility customers pursue home improvements, like better insulation or rooftop solar panels, can slash monthly utility bills and eliminate the need for utilities to add costly — and outdated — power and gas infrastructure. The upside is undeniable, with energy efficiency measures alone predicted to save customers $2 trillion by 2030. But limited access hinders progress. The best energy efficiency programs serve less than 2% of customers each year, and few reach the majority of a utility’s customers, including …

Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

This fact sheet examines employment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors in the United States and around the world. The job figures cited below are sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as well as international organizations, national non-profits, think tanks and national trade associations. Due to the lack of a single body conducting job surveys, EESI has collected information from a number of sources which employ different research methodologies and different job definitions in their work. This makes it somewhat problematic to compare job estimates directly. In addition, EESI must occasionally refer to reports that are …

Synergies between Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

A joint working paper from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency (C2E2) illuminates crucial synergies that can help to ensure a sustainable global energy future.

The interplay between energy efficiency improvements and the deployment of renewable energy technologies is complex. If the respective potentials in these two fields are combined, total global energy demand can be reduced by up to a quarter by 2030, IRENA and C2E2 find. Energy efficiency measures would account for half to three-quarters of the total energy savings, with renewables delivering the rest.

Demand reduction through renewables depends on …

Synergies between Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

A joint working paper from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency (C2E2) illuminates crucial synergies that can help to ensure a sustainable global energy future.

The interplay between energy efficiency improvements and the deployment of renewable energy technologies is complex. If the respective potentials in these two fields are combined, total global energy demand can be reduced by up to a quarter by 2030, IRENA and C2E2 find. Energy efficiency measures would account for half to three-quarters of the total energy savings, with renewables delivering the rest.

Demand reduction through renewables depends on …

Assessing the Energy-Efficiency Gap

Energy-efficient technologies offer considerable promise for reducing the financial costs and environmental damages associated with energy use, but these technologies appear not to be adopted by consumers and businesses to the degree that would apparently be justified, even on a purely financial basis. We present two complementary frameworks for understanding this socalled “energy paradox” or “energy-efficiency gap.” First, we build on the previous literature by dividing potential explanations for the energy-efficiency gap into three categories: market failures, behavioral anomalies, and model and measurement errors. Second, we posit that it is useful to think in terms of the fundamental elements of …

Industrial Energy Efficiency: Designing Effective State Programs for the Industrial Sector