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Increasing energy efficiency and savings will play a key role in the achievement of the climate and energy targets in the European Union (EU). To meet the EU's objectives for greenhouse gas emission reductions, renewable energy use and energy efficiency improvements, its member states have implemented and will design and implement various energy policies. This paper reviews a range of scientific articles on the topic of policy instruments for energy efficiency and savings and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of different measures. The review demonstrates the variety of possible instruments and points to the complex policy environment, in which not a single instrument can meet the respective energy efficiency targets, but which requires a combination of multiple instruments. Therefore, the paper in particular focuses on assessing potential interactions between combinations of energy efficiency policies, i.e. the extent to which the different instruments counteract or support one another. So far, the literature on energy efficiency policy has paid only limited attention to the effect of interacting policies. This paper reviews and analyses interaction effects thus far identified with respect to factors that determine the interaction. Drawing on this review, we identify cases for interaction effects between energy efficiency policies to assess their potential existence systematically and to show future research needs.

About the Editors -- Preface -- Keynotes -- Track 1: Nexus framework and governance -- Track 2: Advanced technologies and nature-based solutions for the environmental sustainability of the water sector -- Track 3: Control of hazardous substances and recovery of renewable/valuable resources -- Track 4: Energy-saving technologies and future clean energy solutions -- Track 5: Implementation and best practices.

This paper studies the relationship between the energy mix and the environment using a theoretical framework in which two alternative energy sources are considered: fossil fuels (dirty energy) and renewable energy (clean energy). We fnd that a positive aggregate productivity shock increases energy consumption and emissionsbut reduces energy intensity and emissions per unit of output as renewable energy consumption increases, that is, carbon emissions are procyclical but emissions per unit of output are countercyclical. Second, an energy efciency improvement provokes a "rebound efect" above 100% (the backfre efect), resulting in a rise of pollutant emissions by increasing energy use. Third, a technological improvement in emissions leads to a reduction in emissions per unit of fossil fuel, but also implies a slow-down in the adoption of renewable energy sources. Finally, we consider the case of a decentralized economy in which the government chooses an optimal specific tax on fossil fuel to maximize social welfare. We show that the "second-best" policy is highly efective in correcting the negative efects of the environmental externality and able to almost achive the centralized economy outcome. ; Universidad de Málaga

Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface: 101 million machines -- Introduction: Why this book? -- 1 The luckiest country -- 2 Urgency and emissions -- 3 Energy -- 4 Australia's energy options -- 5 Electrify (almost) everything! -- 6 Cheap and getting cheaper -- 7 Electrifying our castles -- 8 Crushed rocks - the export economy -- 9 Why politicians and regulations matter -- 10 Financing fossil freedom -- 11 So long, and don't kill all the fish -- 12 An abundant Australia -- Appendix: Scales of energy use -- Acknowledgements -- Endnotes -- Back Cover.

"This book examines the visions, fantasies, frames, discourses, imaginaries, and expectations associated with six state-of-the-art energy systems--nuclear power, hydrogen fuel cells, shale gas, clean coal, smart meters, and electric vehicles--playing a key role in current deliberations about low-carbon energy supply and use. Visions of Energy Futures: Imagining and Innovating Low-Carbon Transitions unveils what the future of energy systems could look like and how their meanings are produced, often alongside moments of contestation. Theoretically, it analyzes these technological case studies with emerging concepts from various disciplines: utopianism (history of technology), symbolic convergence (communication studies), technological frames (social construction of technology), discursive coalitions (discourse analysis and linguistics), sociotechnical imaginaries (science and technology studies), and the sociology of expectations (innovation studies, future studies). It draws from these cases to create a synthetic set of dichotomies and frameworks for energy futures based on original data collected across two global epistemic communities - nuclear physicists and hydrogen engineers - and experts in Eastern Europe and the Nordic region, stakeholders in South Africa, and newspapers in the United Kingdom. This book is motivated by the premise that tackling climate change via low-carbon energy systems and practices is one of the most significant challenges of the twenty-first century, and that success will require not only new energy technologies, but also new ways of understanding language, visions, and discursive politics. This book will be essential reading for students and scholars of energy policy, energy and environment, and technology assessment"--

Renewable energy is basically the energy that comes from natural sources such as wind, sunlight, tides, rain, and geothermal heat. Generally renewable energy projects are used on a large scale, however, this does not mean that renewable energy cannot be used in smaller areas such as villages or more generally rural areas. A clear example can be seen in Kenya, where it is estimated that roughly 30,000 small solar power units with a capacity of 20 to 100 watts are sold every year. This is the largest solar ownership rate in the world for residential communities. Even though energy from renewable energy sources is growing rapidly, with markets such as solar cells, wind and bio-diesel experiencing annual double digit growth, the overall share is only expected to increase marginally over the coming decades as the demand for energy also grows rapidly, particularly in many developing countries. In India, the scientific focus is deliberately moving towards transforming coal into clean energy as well as harnessing hydropower. The recent surge in nuclear energy is also diverting focus from the solar energy enhancement. In all probability, the Indian government will support off-grid solar energy production through a decentralized manner. In spite of this, India needs to focus research on solar energy and cheaper photovoltaic to provide affordable energy to all. A fact about Solar Energy Power Houses Installation of 1 kilowatt power system requires the user to possess $10,000 initially, but this can bring many long run benefits.

It is abundantly clear that adequate, reliable and clean energy services are vital for the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In essence, energy access has come to represent one of the intractable challenges in development, and therefore emblematic of the call for poverty eradication, and economic and social transformation. This focus issue on 'Energy Access for Sustainable Development' is initiated to draw broadly from the ideas and emerging experiences with energy activities and solutions that sought to enhance sustainable development through expansion of energy access. The focus issue includes several contributions from authors on some of the knowledge gaps this field, including: (i) the role of off-grid and mini-grid energy systems to meet multiple SDGs; (ii) the impacts of the evolving suite of off-grid and distributed energy services on inequalities across gender, and on minority and disadvantaged communities; (iii) the opportunities that the evolving technology base (both of energy services and information systems) plays in expanding the role of off-grid and mini-grid energy systems; (iv) energy options for cooking; (v) new insights into energy planning as well as the political economy, institutional and decision challenges across the energy system. Drawing from papers in this focus issue and other literature, this paper provides a sketch of the key issues in energy access.

It is abundantly clear that adequate, reliable and clean energy services are vital for the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In essence, energy access has come to represent one of the intractable challenges in development, and therefore emblematic of the call for poverty eradication, and economic and social transformation. This focus issue on 'Energy Access for Sustainable Development' is initiated to draw broadly from the ideas and emerging experiences with energy activities and solutions that sought to enhance sustainable development through expansion of energy access. The focus issue includes several contributions from authors on some of the knowledge gaps this field, including: (i) the role of off-grid and mini-grid energy systems to meet multiple SDGs; (ii) the impacts of the evolving suite of off-grid and distributed energy services on inequalities across gender, and on minority and disadvantaged communities; (iii) the opportunities that the evolving technology base (both of energy services and information systems) plays in expanding the role of off-grid and mini-grid energy systems; (iv) energy options for cooking; (v) new insights into energy planning as well as the political economy, institutional and decision challenges across the energy system. Drawing from papers in this focus issue and other literature, this paper provides a sketch of the key issues in energy access.

The unique "Swiss way" of association with the European Union (EU) has received increasing attention in light of recent events such as Brexit as it is based on sectoral agreements without an overarching institutional framework. As such, Europeanization of Swiss domestic policy does not follow a straightforward process. We examine the external governance processes that drive the Europeanization of Swiss energy policy. Switzerland and the EU are highly interdependent in energy due to Switzerland's geographical position but there is a relatively low level of policy alignment, as there is no formal EU-Swiss energy agreement nor has Switzerland autonomously implemented legislation equivalent to the EU energy acquis. The EU has fully liberalized the energy market and is focusing on consumer empowerment and decarbonization through the Clean Energy Package, whereas the Swiss energy sector remains only partially liberalized. Through a series of expert interviews with key stakeholders, we reconstruct the historical developments in Swiss energy policy, focusing on the relationship with, and the influence of the EU. We observe elements of each of the three ideal modes of governance - markets, hierarchies, and networks. The relative importance of these modes of coordination in governing EU-Swiss energy relations has shifted considerably over time. Gradual harmonization of EU energy markets and certain key events have driven Swiss exclusion from EU network governance processes, leading to more hierarchy. We identify the strengths and weaknesses of each mode of governance for EU-Swiss energy relations in their historical setting and discuss the implications for energy policy in Switzerland in the context of the Clean Energy Package and EU external relations in general.

China is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world. Since 68% of its primary energy is from coal, China's average energy intensity is 7.5 times higher than the EU and 4.3 times higher than the US (EU, 2003). Therefore, introducing advanced clean technologies and management to China represents opportunities for Annex I countries to obtain low-cost CERs through CDM projects, and access to one of the largest energy conservation markets in the world. The Chinese government considers that the introduction of CDM projects can bring advanced energy technologies and foreign investment to China, thereby helping China's sustainable development. As energy efficiency is generally low and carbon intensity is high in both China's energy supply and demand sectors, numerous options exist for cost-effective energy conservation and GHG mitigation with CDM. This study has focused on the following areas:  Clean development Mechanism (CDM) Policy and Implementation in ChinaClean development Mechanism (CDM) Policy and Implementation in ChinaChina's energy development strategy and climate change, how to make CDM work for sustainable development in China?  CDM projects in China: policies assessment and recommendations for improvement.  Energy efficiency CDM projects and renewable CDM projects in China: case studies Firstly, this thesis reviewed the current CDM developments in China, attentions were given to the renewable energy, energy efficiency and methane capture project opportunities in China. Secondly, this study introduced China's current policy on CDM implementation, and reviewed its permission requirements, institutional arrangements and project procedures. Based on the observations, this study analyzed the current problems and pointed out the shortfalls of the existing Chinese CDM policies and institutional settings. Options to remove these barriers were given as recommendations. This thesis also looked at the problem of that CDM was designed to have double dividends, to reduce the compliance cost of the Annex I countries and to contribute to sustainable development in Non Annex I Parties, but in reality, CDM has caused concerns about whether it could really support sustainable development in host countries. This study analyzed the reasons underpin this problem. Thirdly, based on the analysis made on energy efficiency and renewable CDM project development in China, case study was given on China's landfill gas to energy project. This study analyzed the perspective of GHG mitigation through landfill gas capture and utilization in China, its opportunities and challenges. Moreover, this study demonstrated how CDM can add value to landfill gas-to-energy projects in China.

Producing and consuming solar energy as a clean energy resource in economies has gained importance. The importance of solar energy is based on reducing costs due to technological developments. Responsive to whether the contribution of investing in solar energy to reach proclaimed new development strategies in the EU Green Deal has been one of the critical indicators for policymakers nowadays. In this context, this paper analysed the impacts of solar energy production on the economic growth of EU member countries. After the analysis, using a two-way fixed effects model and Driscoll-Kraay standard errors 2018-2021, solar energy production's positive and statistically significant effects on economic growth were found.

International organisations, such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU), are seeking to implement a cohesive Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) system in order to achieve better regulation and increased unity and transparency. Central to these evaluations is the use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and related tools. A comprehensive analysis of the use of impact assessment in the EU shows that many assessments lack important economic components. This paper draws on an extensive document study of the Swedish policy making process related to the EU Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. The aim of the paper is to examine how CBA is presented, negotiated and accounted for by central actors within a policy setting influenced by negotiation and policy coordination. The paper departs from a theoretical perspective on policy coordination and shows how this factor must be considered when explaining the low use of CBA. It concludes that the Swedish policy tradition, wherein the national government relies on consensus-based coordination between agencies, might counteract a more explicit assessment of different policy options. The paper also proposes a model that can be used for further studies on CBA and policy coordination. ; Funding Agencies|Swedish Energy Agency [39945-1]

International organisations, such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU), are seeking to implement a cohesive Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) system in order to achieve better regulation and increased unity and transparency. Central to these evaluations is the use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and related tools. A comprehensive analysis of the use of impact assessment in the EU shows that many assessments lack important economic components. This paper draws on an extensive document study of the Swedish policy making process related to the EU Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. The aim of the paper is to examine how CBA is presented, negotiated and accounted for by central actors within a policy setting influenced by negotiation and policy coordination. The paper departs from a theoretical perspective on policy coordination and shows how this factor must be considered when explaining the low use of CBA. It concludes that the Swedish policy tradition, wherein the national government relies on consensus-based coordination between agencies, might counteract a more explicit assessment of different policy options. The paper also proposes a model that can be used for further studies on CBA and policy coordination.