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    	<title>CE Delft - Energiebeleid</title>
		<copyright>Copyright (c) 2010, CE Delft</copyright>
		<link>http://www.ce.nl/ce/rapporten/114/</link>
        <atom:link href="http://www.ce.nl/index.php?go=home.showRapportenRSS&amp;pagenr=93" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<language>nl</language>
		<description>CE Delft Rich Site Summary</description>
		<webMaster>webmaster@ce.nl (Webmaster)</webMaster>
		        
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			<title><![CDATA[Limits to green? Elements of a green tax system]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/limits_to_green_elements_of_a_green_tax_system/1026</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/limits_to_green_elements_of_a_green_tax_system/1026</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[The central issue considered in this report is the extent to which a further extension of environmental taxation can contribute to building a sustainable economy. In the context of the present study, a sustainable economy is taken to mean that the risks associated with climate change and resource depletion are reduced to an acceptable level by 2050.

One strategy towards achieving this aim could comprise the following key elements:

    Introduction of a new carbon tax as part of the Energy Tax.
    A broadening of the scope of the Energy Tax to include sectors like agriculture and industry and removal of other fiscal subsidies and reduced rates.
    Extension of the tax system to include new taxes on the import/production of natural resources (timber, fish, meat) and land use.
    A European agenda on green tax reform.

The proposed &amp;lsquo;additional greening&amp;rsquo; package comprises:

    An increase in the duty on motor fuels combined with the proposed carbon tax (average overall increase in tax on motor fuels: 20%).
    Abolition of Energy Tax reductions for business and industry by setting the second and third tier rates equal to the first, combined with subsidies for energy conservation.
    On top of the existing Energy Tax, introduction of a CO2 indexed component of 50%, to induce further energy-saving and introduce differentiation with respect to the carbon content of the various energy sources.
    Introduction of a tax on meat or animal feed that ensures that the harmful impacts of meat consumption, many of them outside the Netherlands, are passed on to Dutch consumers.
    Abolition of tax breaks such as that in force for &amp;lsquo;red diesel&amp;rsquo; and reduced Energy Tax rates for greenhouse horticulture and industry.
    Introduction of a tax on &amp;lsquo;green-field&amp;rsquo; land development.

Tax revenues
 With the ambitious package of environmental taxes outlined, a 20% share of green tax revenue is feasible in the Netherlands, equivalent to 5% of the country&amp;rsquo;s Gross Domestic Product. This figure of 5% is in line with what international studies anticipate as being the fiscal limits of a green tax system. For this level of greening, Euro-pean coordination is not essential. In calculating the figure of 20% green tax revenue, due allowance has been made for the fact that reduced pollution will lead to declining tax revenues. Expectations are that this package will make a major contribution to achieving the government&amp;rsquo;s environmental and climate targets, particularly the latter. With this package, an additional greening of around &amp;euro; 8 billion can be achieved over and above existing green revenues of some &amp;euro; 19 billion. The share of green taxes would then rise from 14% today to around 20%. These revenues can be recycled in the form of lower taxes on corporate profits or labour, with the additional option of using some fraction to incentivise further energy-saving by selected target groups.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:29:29 +0200</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Green Power for Electric Cars]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/green_power_for_electric_cars/1011</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/green_power_for_electric_cars/1011</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Contrary to the trends in most other sectors, greenhouse gas emissions of the transport
sector are still increasing, and are predicted to grow further in the coming years, at current
policies. As there is no simple solution to the challenge of achieving significant CO2
reductions in transport, it has become clear that a large range of efficient and effective CO2
reduction measures will have to be taken.

In the coming decades, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles could play a significant role in
this move towards sustainable transport. If these vehicles run on renewable electricity, they
could substantially cut CO2 emissions and improve local air quality.
Electric vehicles might even help to make the electricity sector more sustainable, if the
batteries in the vehicles could be used to manage the variable output of an increasing share
of wind and solar-based power generation. However, the extent to which these advantages
can be harvested under current policies is open to question.

T&amp;amp;E, Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace European Unit have therefore jointly
commissioned this study to look into how the full potential of electric cars can be realised.
The study aims to analyse the potential impact of the electrification of road transport on EU
power production and to develop policy recommendations to ensure that this development
will lead to the growth of renewable electricity in Europe.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:33:46 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[In pursuit of energy conservation ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/in_pursuit_of_energy_conservation_/1002</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/in_pursuit_of_energy_conservation_/1002</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[In its climate and energy programme &amp;lsquo;Clean and Efficient&amp;rsquo; the Dutch government has pledged a doubling of the rate of energy conservation from 1% to 2% a year by the&amp;nbsp; year 2020. As part of the drive to secure a range of climate targets, including those relating to energy efficiency, the ministers of Environment and Economic Affairs have created an Energy Transition Board (ETB). CE Delft has made a quantitative assessment of the (projected) energy savings that will be realised in the coming years via various sectoral agreements and energy conservation programmes, on the one hand, and the transition paths outlined by the ETB, on the other. 
&amp;nbsp;
The sectoral agreements and energy conservation programmes together lead to anticipated savings of between 215 and 467 PetaJoule, depending on the degree to which EU energy conservation policy is sufficiently ambitious and indeed spurs action. These figures are equivalent to average annual savings of 1.4% to 1.9% over the period 2011 to 2020.
&amp;nbsp;
The (additional) savings, realised and projected, that can be attributed directly to activities stemming from the ETB prove hard to quantify and compare. There are two main reasons: insufficient monitoring data and the use of different reference scenarios, making comparison of the respective savings problematical. 








]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:45:55 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Building material to isolate the recession ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/building_material_to_isolate_the_recession_/974</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/building_material_to_isolate_the_recession_/974</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[On September 9, 2009 the European Commission (DG EMPL) organised an expert workshop on the question how the EU can emerge stronger from the recession by applying economic recovery programmes to tackle the crisis, but also address structural enhancement in terms of sustainability, employment and social cohesion. CE Delft provided input for this workshop, on the topic of the Build Environment. In a general analysis for the EU as a whole we analysed (1) which measures could be taken, and (2) which type of policy instruments can be applied best.
The conclusions were as follows. To emerge stronger from the recession, and regarding the built environment, it is best to focus on insulation of (existing) buildings en on decentralized production of renewable energy. This can be stimulated by subsidies and fiscal measures for the short time, but these measures should be part of a longer term programme that gradually shifts towards obligations and pricing schemes.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:48:29 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[District heat in the Netherlands]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/district_heat_in_the_netherlands/980</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/district_heat_in_the_netherlands/980</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[In 2010 a new Heat Act is scheduled to come into force in the Netherlands, with the aim of ensuring fair terms and prices for consumers of district heat. The Office of Energy Regulation, part of the Netherlands Competition Authority, will be responsible for overseeing compliance with the legislation. Among other activities, the Office will be establishing policy rules laying down the conditions to be adhered to in establishing a reasonable price for heat supply. To adequately effectuate compliance with these rules, the Office commissioned CE Delft to conduct two studies, one to inventory existing Dutch heat grids, suppliers, producers and tariffs, the other providing insight into the main cost drivers of heat supply. 

Dutch heat grids: a market analysis
In the Netherlands district heat systems come in all shapes and sizes, from large scale grids with tens of thousands of connections to small grids serving only a handful of consumers. In collaboration with the energy companies involved and research organisations like SenterNovem, CE Delft has carried out a full survey of the country&amp;rsquo;s heat grids.

In this survey a distinction was made between large and small scale grids, with the dividing line set at 5,000 connections. The Netherlands has thirteen large scale grids serving approximately 227,000 consumers, the heat for which is supplied by big power generators (including Eneco, Essent and Nuon). In addition, these suppliers deliver heat to around 300 small scale grids. The other small scale grids, some 6,600 in all, are owned and operated by housing corporations, owner associations, project developers and other such parties. A total of 336,000 homes are connected to a small scale grid.

The heat tariffs charged by the major energy companies are based mainly on the&amp;nbsp; NMDA tariff recommendations drawn up by EnergieNed, the country&amp;rsquo;s energy trade association. The tariffs charged by the other suppliers (housing corporations, owner associations, etc.) are often computed by heat cost allocation agencies, based on the actual costs of heat supply.

The main heat sources for the large scale grids are (gas-fired) cogeneration plant and conventional (gas- and coal-fired) power plant, with a small fraction deriving from renewables. Small scale grids are fed with heat from a wide range of sources, from cogeneration plant (both small and large) and conventional boilers to heat and cold storage systems and communal solar boilers.

Cost drivers of heat supply in the Netherlands
In this second CE Delft study two types of factor driving heat supplier costs were distinguished: those influencing costs that are independent of supply and those influencing supply-dependent costs. The former have no (direct) relation with the amount of heat supplied, while the latter rise (proportionally) with increasing supply. 

The study shows that the main cost drivers in the first category are the size and age of the heat grid and historical acquisition costs (wage and material costs at the time of the initial investments). The supply-dependent costs (i.e. the price paid to generators) are governed by the type of heat source involved, cost-sharing arrangements between the heat distributor and producer, and the nature and scale of supply.

The profitability figures cited by heat suppliers vary considerably, depending on the grid concerned: from -11% to 23% for large scale grids and from -258% to 7% for small scale grids. Heat suppliers in a position to do so often opt for a portfolio strategy, using profitable heat grids to compensate for loss-making ones.&amp;nbsp; ]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:49:07 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[The energy transition starts regionally  ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/the_energy_transition_starts_regionally__/971</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/the_energy_transition_starts_regionally__/971</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[The national government can do far more to support regional initiatives in the field of sustainable energy. This is the conclusion drawn by the Rathenau Institute on the basis of the report &amp;lsquo;The energy transition starts regionally&amp;rsquo;, prepared on commission by CE Delft.

The report examines three regional sustainability initiatives, as a pars pro toto for a broader trend: the Rotterdam Climate Initiative, under which the city has pledged to achieve a 50% cut in its CO2 emissions by 2025 relative to 1990 levels; the plans set out by the island of Texel to base its energy supply entirely on renewables by 2020; and Energy Valley, a partnership between the country&amp;rsquo;s three northernmost provinces that seeks to strengthen the region&amp;rsquo;s economy by developing new energy activities. 

In the report the Rathenau Institute argues that national legislation and regulations need to be streamlined and regions afforded greater scope for pursuing ambitions going beyond the national standards currently in place. There is also a need for an unambiguous vision by national government as to how the Netherlands is to engineer the transition to a sustainable energy supply.

Sustainability is not getting off the ground 
The study indicates that, in the regions considered, there is plenty of enthusiasm and expertise as well as a desire to collaborate. As yet, however, the goal of making the energy supply sustainable is not really getting off the ground. In elaboration of the various plans, the opportunities for energy-saving and use of renewables are not being fully exploited.

Owing to economic factors &amp;ndash; Rotterdam as a major international port, Texel&amp;rsquo;s tourist industry on and gas production in the north &amp;ndash; the emphasis is very much on continued use of fossil energy. Whether that will be a cleaner and greener enterprise than at present is anything but clear, though, as there is still insufficient support for carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Government support for regions 
Another conclusion of the study is that national government can do far more to support regional sustainability initiatives. When it comes to energy conservation, regional players are often keen to go beyond today&amp;rsquo;s national standards but lack the legal mandate to impose additional energy efficiency requirements. National standards therefore need to be made more ambitious. There is also a need for greater legal scope for regions that want to set their sights higher.

Similarly, plans for renewable energy systems are often thwarted by barriers in national legislation. To make use of the opportunities of renewable energy at the local level, legislation should far more of the &amp;ldquo;yes, provided&amp;rdquo; variety rather than today&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;no, unless&amp;rdquo;.

Finally, the Rathenau Institute concludes that regions would benefit from a clearer and more explicitly propagated vision on the part of national government as to how the Netherlands intends to flesh out the transition to a sustainable energy future, thereby making clear which initiatives the government intends to support for the long haul. With this kind of vision in place, it becomes far easier for the regions to create broad public support for large-scale energy projects like wind farms and CCS.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:49:03 +0200</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Background data on electricity labelling 2008]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/background_data_on_electricity_labelling_2008/960</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/background_data_on_electricity_labelling_2008/960</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Since 1 January, 2005 there has been a legal obligation in the Netherlands to label electricity as to its source. CE Delft has quantified the Dutch supply mix in 2008. It comprised power generated from natural gas (over 50%), coal (22%), nuclear (7%) and renewables (18%). The environmental impact expressed in terms of CO2 emissions and generation of radioactive waste is 413 g CO2/KWh and 0.000213 g nuclear waste/KWh, respectively.&amp;nbsp; ]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:40:37 +0200</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[The external costs of nucleair power]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/the_external_costs_of_nucleair_power/894</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/the_external_costs_of_nucleair_power/894</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Under current international agreements, operators of nuclear power plants are obliged to take out damage insurance for at least 700 million Euro. This sum pales into insignificance against the potential damage resulting from a major nuclear accident, however. In the event of a full-blown disaster the damage will consequently be borne almost entirely by society at large and there will thus be external costs. The external costs of risks are determined by the expected levels of risk and of risk aversion. If risk aversion is not included, the external costs of a nuclear power plant due to uninsured risks are limited (several million Euro per annum). Factoring in risk aversion can make the external costs dozens of times higher, however. Unfortunately, there is still very little knowledge about the actual values of risk aversion. This study calculates the theoretical effects of varying degrees of risk aversion on the level of external costs.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:44:19 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Renewable energy in Amsterdam: opportunities on the horizon]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/renewable_energy_in_amsterdam%3A_opportunities_on_the_horizon/895</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/renewable_energy_in_amsterdam%3A_opportunities_on_the_horizon/895</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Amsterdam has announced its intention to cut back its CO2 emissions significantly, by 40% in 2025 relative to emissions in 1990. This ambitious target requires action on multiple fronts. One of these involves an increase in the amount of renewable energy used in the city. In a recent study CE Delft explored the issue of how much potential is available. On 5 June, 2008 the results were presented by alderwoman Marijke Vos. The study calculates that renewable energy sources can provide a substantial share of the primary energy used in Amsterdam, mainly via power generation from biomass and wind and recuperation of waste heat. Compared with the forecast of 83.8 PJ in 2025, the potential is around 17 PJ, or 20%. This is far above the EU target of 14% renewables in the Netherlands in 2020. This renewable energy is another source of CO2 emissions reduction. Including two other options, the projected savings add up to around 1,170 kt, which is about 30% of the reduction required to secure the target of 2,500 kt CO2. The calculated potential is based on what is held to be the &amp;lsquo;maximum feasible&amp;rsquo;. To achieve this will require a (very) major effort. This holds particularly for aspirations with respect to district heat grids, solar energy and micro-cogeneration. On the other hand, technological advances will lead to prices falling and market penetration increasing.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:11:07 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Energy saving studies at firms with a duty to report]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/energy_saving_studies_at_firms_with_a_duty_to_report/827</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/energy_saving_studies_at_firms_with_a_duty_to_report/827</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[From various trade associations the complaint is often heard that local authori-ties are obliging companies to carry out a so-called energy saving study too often and too arbitrarily. The Dutch Environment ministry (VROM) asked CE Delft to investigate whether this was indeed the case. To this end, interviews were held with representatives of some 30 small and medium-sized businesses and trade associations and 40 local authorities. The conclusions were as follows:&amp;nbsp;

    there is substantial variation in the procedures adopted by local au-thorities, with some giving energy conservation far greater priority than others;&amp;nbsp;
    the total number of businesses charged with carrying out an energy saving study is fairly limited: around 1,000 a year (10% of relevant businesses);&amp;nbsp;
    at the same time, businesses are regularly obliged to carry out such a study in cases where a simple audit of standard practice would suf-fice; in addition, there is frequently too little consideration of investment and depreciation issues.

CE Delft recommends that the recently implemented legislation (a general admini&iuml;&iquest;&frac12;strative order) be supported by an active communication campaign for local authorities, aimed at achieving consistency among authorities on how this legislation is to be implemented. In doing so, it is important to dovetail with the initiatives of the Energiecentrum MKB (Energy Centre for SME) and those of frontrunner municipalities.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:28:58 +0200</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Building blocks for Amsterdam’s CO2 reduction programme]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/building_blocks_for_amsterdam%92s_co2_reduction_programme/754</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/building_blocks_for_amsterdam%92s_co2_reduction_programme/754</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[The Amsterdam local authority has set itself the target of reducing the city’s annual CO2 emissions by 40% in 2025 compared with 1990 and making the municipal organi-sation carbon-neutral by 2015. These are ambitious targets that demand a vigorous and efficient strategy.

CE Delft was commissioned by the authority to review the city’s carbon emissions in 1990 and 2006 and make a projection for 2025, in each case providing a sectoral breakdown. In addition. an extensive list of possible measures was drawn up (the so-called ‘long list’), indicating their potential contribution to securing the target, their lead time and their cost-effectiveness. On this basis it was concluded that the envisaged target is feasible, but that it will require a maximum effort from all parties. Securing it will depend in part on how successful national and European climate policies prove to be and will require the active participation of the city’s businesses and citizens.

It is as yet impossible to identify concrete reduction measures for securing the full tar-get, but given the project’s horizon this is not yet necessary, for innovation is still taking place. What is important is that concrete steps be taken as soon as possible to reverse the upward trend in carbon emissions over the past 15 years and start making substan-tial cuts. 

Finally, recommendations are made for a monitoring strategy for the CO2 reduction programme, allowing progress to be followed and assessed from time to time and due corrective action to be taken should this prove necessary.

]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Vision document on Sustainable Heat and Cold*]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/vision_document_on_sustainable_heat_and_cold%2A/722</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/vision_document_on_sustainable_heat_and_cold%2A/722</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[At the request of a cluster of major Dutch trade associations, CE Delft has drawn up a vision document on the potential for using sustainably produced heat and cold in the Netherlands and for promoting such use.
The document explains how the Dutch government’s and European Commission’s environmental targets can be secured through utilisation of sustainable heat and cold. It examines the overall potential and costs, trends in technologies and markets, pertinent legislation and what the relevant organisations are themselves already doing to promote use of sustainable heat and cold. This vision document sets out what (further) steps are required to secure the targets for use of sustainable heat and cold and how the government and the sector can contribute.


]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Green4sure; A Green Energy Plan*]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/green4sure%3B_a_green_energy_plan%2A/550</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/green4sure%3B_a_green_energy_plan%2A/550</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[On June 5th Dutch environment minister Jacqueline Cramer was presented with the final report of Green4sure, a plan to halve the Netherlands’ carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. This comprehensive and ambitious plan has been elaborated by CE Delft at the request of six of the country’s major trades unions and environmental NGOs. At the heart of the plan is introduction of a system of emission allowances for all energy consumers, either individually (industry, electrical power generation and aviation, to be brought under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme) or collectively (the built environment and transport). To promote acceptance of these ‘climate budgets’, the required efforts and thus the costs have been differentiated according to a three-tier system: a 40% reduction for sectors under the EU ETS, -60% for the built environment and -35% for transport. The allowances for all three systems would be auctioned rather than issued. This core policy would be backed up by a variety of flanking policies, including efficiency standards for vehicles, buildings (new and existing) and appliances.

Given the evident need for urgent action and the fact that climate budgets will take a number of years to implement, Green4sure includes an array of temporary policies. One of these is an interim Power Generation Act setting a cap of 375 g/kWh on the carbon emissions of new generating plant. How this is to be achieved is up to the generator. 

The effects of the plan have been quantitatively assessed, and the targeted 50% reduction in carbon emissions can indeed be achieved, with an attendant 2.1% improvement in energy efficiency. In 2030 the overall costs will be over 4 billion euro, but these will be offset by major benefits totalling around 3 billion a year. There will be slight growth of employment. For the average household, the increase in costs will  rise to around 600 euro over 25 years, but over the same period national income will have grown by 50%. ‘Frugal’ consumers and users will be better off under Green4sure, while their ‘wasteful’ counterparts will face higher costs.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:21 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Energy conservation: fiscal and financial options]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/energy_conservation%3A_fiscal_and_financial_options/493</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/energy_conservation%3A_fiscal_and_financial_options/493</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[This report, commissioned by the Dutch environment ministry following a parliamentary motion on the issue, examines fiscal and financial options for energy saving in the built environment. Such measures can be designed to tie in with Energy Performance certification for dwellings and other buildings, scheduled for introduction in mid-2007.

The conclusions are as follows:The envisaged annual rate of energy conservation in the built environment (1.3% as of 2008, 1.5% as of 2012) cannot be achieved with the policies in place today; perhaps worse, these policies fail to tap into many of the options with a pay-back of less than 4 to 6 years.To increase the tempo of energy savings, overcome resistance and instil a sense of urgency requires policies that oblige parties to improve the energy performance of their entire building stock.Fiscal and financial instruments can be designed to specifically address the remaining barriers and instances of market failure. This means an array of dedicated measures targeting the following groups:
Private housing: A discount on property transfer tax may be an effective instrument, particularly because of the scope for tying in with renovation work. After all, property sale is often taken as a natural opportunity for structural renovations like insulation or purchase of energy-efficient equipment and appliances.Social housing: Greater weight should be given to energy efficiency in housing valuation procedures, to give housing corporations greater flexibility to ask more rent for low-energy dwellings, which occupants can then compensate with the lower energy bill. Experience has shown that renovation projects provide substantial scope for CO2 cuts without a need for any increase in overall gross monthly rent (i.e. inclusive of energy costs).Utility buildings: Energy conservation agencies can develop new funding modes and administrative structures that allow owners to make a better job of weighing up the costs and benefits of conservation measures. A key problem in the utility sector is that owner-investors have nothing to gain from their investments, through a lower energy bill or greater comfort; there is thus a split incentive. 
]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Efficient ICT, a cost-effective idea]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/efficient_ict%2C_a_cost-effective_idea/459</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/efficient_ict%2C_a_cost-effective_idea/459</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[CE Delft is collaborating with Stimular and COS Nederland on the project ‘Efficient ICT, a cost-effective idea’, which aims to encourage those involved professionally in the procurement and administration of ICT equipment to take action to reduce the energy consumption of that equipment. As part of this project CE has prepared a report providing a theoretical basis for use in designing a working information campaign. 

In the average office ICT equipment is responsible for some 10% of primary energy consumption. In trade and industry as a whole, the total primary energy consumption of office equipment is an estimated 8.5 PJ, equivalent to that of about 95,000 average households. There are a range of simple measures available with which to achieve significant savings. Examples include use of power management features on PCs and monitors, switching off copy machines at the end of the working day, and due attention to the energy efficiency of ICT equipment at the procurement stage. 
]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Lighting: a comparison]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/lighting%3A_a_comparison/448</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/lighting%3A_a_comparison/448</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[LED (light-emitting diode) lamps are an energy-efficient form of lighting that perform even better than compact fluorescent lights in terms of energy consumption and lifetime. They are already starting to be widely used in traffic lights and introduction as a form of domestic lighting in now underway. 

At the request of LED lamp producer Lemnis, CE has investigated how the environmental impact of LED lights compares with that of traditional incandescent light bulbs and compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Besides the electrical power consumption of the lamps, this also meant looking at “cradle-to-grave” materials consumption by means of life cycle assessment (LCA). 

Even when materials consumption is also factored in, LED lighting units prove to be a sustainable alternative with considerably less environmental impact. Power consumption is substantially lower, even compared with a standard CFL, and less materials are used to manufacture a LED unit than for either of other two types of lamp. This is because 100,000 hours of lighting is provided by just one LED unit, but requires 100 traditional light bulbs or 17 CFLs. The materials-related environmental impact of LED lighting units can still be sub-stantially improved by using less aluminium, an enhancement that is to be incorporated in the new design.
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			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[An incentivising benchmark for Sustainable Procurement: Criteria and constraints]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/an_incentivising_benchmark_for_sustainable_procurement%3A_%3Cbr%3Ecriteria_and_constraints/438</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/an_incentivising_benchmark_for_sustainable_procurement%3A_%3Cbr%3Ecriteria_and_constraints/438</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[With an annual procurement budget of around € 28.8 billion the various echelons of government [1] can give a substantial impulse to sustainable procurement of materials and products in the Netherlands. Within the government as well as society at large, a desire has been voiced for introducing a benchmark to promote more sustainable procurement patterns. Against this background CE collaborated with two NGOs – the association of Dutch agencies working on international development cooperation (COS Nederland) and Friends of the Earth-Netherlands (Milieudefensie) – on preparing an inventory of criteria and constraints for an incentivising benchmark. The project was government-funded.

There proved to be plenty of information available on benchmarking for government procurement, enabling CE, Milieudefensie and COS Nederland to set out a solid systematic basis for such a scheme, which could then be taken to municipal authorities to check against the wishes and priorities of potential users. Among the points raised were the need for clarity as to the relationship between policy, process and result indicators, the issue of information availability and the time required for working through the questionnaire. 

This will enable the NGOs to refine their benchmark (see the Dutch-language website www.duurzaamheidsmeter.nl). The benchmark currently under development at SenterNovem was not included in the study. 
________________________________________ 
[1]Local, regional and national government, along with water boards.

]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Background data on electricity labelling]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/background_data_on_electricity_labelling/463</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/background_data_on_electricity_labelling/463</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Since 1 January 2005 Dutch power suppliers have had an obligation to state the source of the electricity they market in the form of ‘ex-post labelling’. This means that, within three months of the end of each calendar year, suppliers must provide information on the share of each energy source in the overall mix used for power generation and the associated environmental impacts in terms of carbon emissions and radioactive waste.

EnergieNed has fleshed out the Dutch labelling system for practical application and is supporting suppliers in fulfilling part of their obligation. As one element of these efforts CE Delft has worked out various national fuel mixes, including the mix embodied in the overall Dutch power supply. This work shows that in the Netherlands natural gas is the predominant fuel used for power generation, with or without combined heat and power generation (CHP), accounting for over 50% of supplies. Next follows coal, with 22%. Nuclear and renewables each have a share of around 10%, with in both cases a substantial proportion of the electricity imported. Overall, the environmental consequences in terms of carbon emissions and radioactive waste average 443 g CO2 per kWh and 0.000287 g nuclear waste per kWh.

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			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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			<title><![CDATA[Energy services for industry]]></title>
			<link>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/energy_services_for_industry/393</link>
			<guid>http://www.ce.nl/publicatie/energy_services_for_industry/393</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[As international experience has shown, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) have a part to play in promoting energy conservation and renewable energy use by industry. This exploratory study examines the precise added value of ESCOs, whether it also holds in the Dutch context, and what role the govern-ment can play in this area. 

At the moment, a range of market failures and market barriers are standing in the way of greater energy conservation and use of renewable energy by industry. The main conclusion of this exploratory study is that in the Dutch context, too, ESCOs can remove or alleviate market barriers, including those cited in the framework of the earlier VEDI project. However, ESCOs have no role to play in addressing market failures, which can only be tackled by government. Effective action on this point will improve the playing field for all concerned, including the ESCOs.

The value of ESCOs derives above all from their familiarity and experience with technologies, suppliers, funding agencies, incentive schemes and so on. The main focus of ESCOs will be on medium-sized industry. The outlook for ESCOs in the Netherlands is now bright; until recently this was less so. 

It can be concluded that there is no reason for the Dutch government to support ESCOs financially. Its role should rather be limited to regulating these companies and duly informing financial institutions, industry and others of their existence.
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			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:17:35 +0100</pubDate>
			<category>Algemeen</category>
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