Adjust to the Update: Modifying Equipment & Information
In the quest for a greener and more sustainable future, understanding and improving energy efficiency has become paramount. This article highlights key resources and tools available across various regions, including the USA, UK, Australia, and the European Union, that focus on energy demand, generation, consumption, and efficiency policies.
Ember Energy Data Platform offers open electricity datasets, including demand, generation, capacity, and emissions data by country. With interactive tools for comparison and cleaner energy system analysis, Ember supports the transition towards more efficient energy systems through monthly updated data and APIs for custom use.
For the European Union, the REPowerEU Tracker is a valuable asset. It assesses progress on the REPowerEU plan, aiming for a 13% (legally 11.7%) final energy saving by 2030 compared to baseline projections. The tracker incorporates data from the European Commission, Eurostat, and other official energy statistics, offering detailed monitoring of policy outcomes and regional energy efficiency improvements.
Eurostat Energy Consumption Data provides detailed and harmonized statistics on final energy consumption in industrial sectors across EU member states, useful for understanding energy efficiency patterns in European industry.
The IEA Global Energy Review offers a comprehensive global report, including data relevant to major regions such as the USA, UK, and Australia, detailing energy demand growth, renewable energy expansions, and energy efficiency trends worldwide.
The World Bank Reports on Industrial Energy Efficiency cover strategies and implementation models for improving energy efficiency in industrial sectors, providing insights into demand-side management and energy efficiency financing approaches.
In the USA, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) serves as the primary source for energy-related data, including statistics on energy production, consumption, and efficiency policies. In the UK, the government's Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) provides similar resources, and the Australian government's Energy Rating website offers apps to help choose energy-efficient appliances and calculate home energy ratings.
Moreover, France-based CoachCopro is an online interface that connects residents of condominiums with expertise at all stages of their retrofit journey. In the USA, Energy Star provides a personalized tool for selecting energy-efficient appliances and renovations. The Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER) offers information on a building's emissions, energy costs, and recommendations for efficiency.
The C40's Benefits of Building Retrofits Toolkit offers insights into the health and social benefits of retrofitting individual buildings, based on real-life projects in Copenhagen, Milan, and New York. BUILD UP is a one-stop-shop for energy-efficient building information in the European Union, with a skills section tracking green tech training progress in each country.
Although rather dated now, NREL's OpenStudio Application Suite helps model renovation work on properties and includes video tutorials. EnergyPlusTM simulates whole building energy performance and can be used for modeling energy and water use in individual properties.
Lastly, the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) is a unique tool used for assessing the risk of buildings being 'stuck' between early energy-efficient improvements and not achieving the ever-increasing standards as expectations and technology improve.
Leveraging a combination of open data platforms, tracking policy-oriented datasets, global reviews, and implementation case studies constitutes the best practice for understanding and enhancing energy efficiency across these regions.
Science and environmental science play essential roles in analyzing climate-change impacts on energy demand, generation, and consumption patterns. The Renewable Energy Data Platform offers open datasets for various regions, enabling researchers to track energy efficiency developments.
The World Bank Reports on Industrial Energy Efficiency reveal valuable strategies and implementation models for energy-intensive industries to improve efficiency and reduce carbon footprints, aiding the transition towards a low-carbon economy.
Financial institutions can also contribute to a greener future by investing in energy efficiency projects. The Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor assesses the long-term financial risks associated with the energy performance of buildings, facilitating informed investment decisions in energy-efficient real estate.
