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Een samenvatting van het boek 'Sustainable Energy - without the hot air' van David J.C. MacKay. Professor MacKay is hoogleraar aan de Universiteit van Cambridge en Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change van de Britse regering. In het boek vergelijkt hij het gebruik van energie met de hoeveelheid energie die opgewekt kan worden met duurzame energie.

Ter gelegenheid van het jaarcongres van KIVI NIRIA 'Duurzaam omgaan met Energie' op 6 oktober 2010 hebben het Delft Energy Initiative en de KIVI NIRIA Stuurgroep Energie - naar voorbeeld van de Britse wetenschapper David MacKay - een bundeling gemaakt van feiten en cijfers met betrekking tot de energievoorziening in Nederland nu en in de toekomst. Hoeveel energie wordt er in Nederland gebruikt, waarvoor en hoe wordt het opgewekt? Welke bronnen kunnen we in welke ordegrootte inzetten om ook in de toekomst over voldoende, betaalbare en betrouwbare energie te beschikken?

More and more residents’ groups in the Netherlands are undertaking collective initiatives for sustainable energy optimalisation. This is the result of growing environmental awareness, decreasing government intervention and increasing civil initiative. However, the contribution to the national move towards sus-tainability is, according to the transition theory as well, still too small. It is therefore necessary to make the conditions more favourable for residents’ initiatives of this type. In the context of this urgent need, research was carried out into cohesion in residents’ groups, the required conditions and the attitudes of professionals. A qualitative approach to the research was chosen in order to clarify the underlying reasons and motivation of the parties involved. Three obstructing dilemmas and three perspectives for development were found. The limited motivation on the part of residents to take part in sustainability initiatives, either individually or as part of a group, and the fact that professionals have their own agenda, are an obstacle to sustainable development. On the other hand, ‘pull’ factors and ‘leaders’ – including impassioned professionals – and social cohesion among residents facilitate the transition to sustainability in a positive way. The ‘There & Later’ approach of professionals and the ‘Here & Now’ approach of residents can, however, be aligned at city-district level. This is possible if themes that do not relate to sustainability (e.g. the secure feeling of ‘knowing each other’) and the liveability of a residential area are incorporated in sustainability activities. In this way the use of renewable energy in residential areas in the Netherlands can be taken to a higher level.

De waterkwaliteit van rivieren is het meest kritisch tijdens hydrologische extremen en onder hoge watertemperaturen. Uit verkennende studies naar effecten van klimaatverandering op de waterkwaliteit in de Rijn (Zwolsman & Van Bokhoven, 2007) en Maas (Van Vliet & Zwolsman, 2007) is gebleken dat er in het algemeen een verslechtering van de chemische waterkwaliteit wordt waargenomen tijdens perioden van extreem lage en hoge rivierafvoeren en tijdens hittegolven (Zwolsman & Van Vliet, 2007). Met het oog op de toekomst kan uit de resultaten van bovengenoemde studies geconcludeerd worden dat een mogelijke toename in frequentie en intensiteit van droogten, hoogwaters en hittegolven ten gevolge van klimaatverandering kan leiden tot het frequenter optreden van een waterkwaliteitsverslechtering in de Rijn en de Maas. Hierdoor kunnen risico’s ontstaan voor de realisatie van de ecologische doelstellingen en gebruiksfuncties van het water (bijv. drinkwaterproductie en recreatie). Een samenvatting van de resultaten van voorgaande studies naar de effecten van hittegolven, droogten en hoogwaters op de waterkwaliteit in de Rijn en de Maas van Zwolsman, Van Vliet en Van Bokhoven is weergegeven in figuur 1. Het doel van deze studie is het vaststellen van grenswaarden in afvoer en watertemperatuur waarbij kritieke waterkwaliteitscondities (normoverschrijding) optreden. Hoewel tijdens hoogwatersituaties ook verslechtering in waterkwaliteit is waargenomen voor stoffen die zich sterk aan zwevend stof hechten (Van Bokhoven, 2007; Van Vliet & Zwolsman, 2007), ligt de nadruk in deze studie op het bepalen van grenswaarden voor waterkwaliteit van opgeloste stoffen tijdens droogtecondities (lage afvoeren).

This presentation is a summary of the installation of the geothermal and the data collected. It was given by TU Delft representive Beer van Esser at the Dag van de Warmtetransitie organised by EBN on the 13th of December 2023. 

As a result of the large amounts of CO2 emissions the built environment produces, it contributes immensely to climate change. Within the strategies developed to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions, getting buildings to an energy-neutral level is one of the main priorities. The blueprint for this altered energy-efficient building now seems to be ready: the heavily insulated outer shells of buildings have decreased the demand for energy and the necessary coolness and warmth are induced using low-temperature systems. Whether these changes are enough remains to be seen. The actual, measured energy efficiency of these environmentally friendly buildings turns out to be lower than their theoretical efficiency; they use more energy than was expected up front. This difference can partly be attributed to the increased complexity of and sensitivity to improper use of these buildings. Users simply do not understand them well enough. Improper handling then turns into energy loss. Rebound effects also play a role in the lower levels of energy saving. The rebound effect states that as a result of higher efficiency, energy will relatively be cheaper. Lower energy bills will lead to a more increased use of warming and cooling, or to extra activities – whether or not polluting – outside the building...

Een samenvatting van het boek 'Sustainable Energy - without the hot air' van David J.C. MacKay. Professor MacKay is hoogleraar aan de Universiteit van Cambridge en Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change van de Britse regering. In het boek vergelijkt hij het gebruik van energie met de hoeveelheid energie die opgewekt kan worden met duurzame energie.

Over 40% of the energy demand is related to the built environment and is still largely reduced with interventions within or on buildings. Leo Gommans has been professionally active for years in the field of research, education and in the consultation of energy-conscious design for buildings. In the thesis ‘area-based energetic system optimisation’ the opportunities outside the buildings are investigated, at a higher scale level with an approach from an exergetic point of view, using the different qualities of energy and the full potentials of an area, integrated in the energy system. The transition to a sustainable energy provision is the challenge for the next decades requires a reference, examples and tools, next to insight into the energy system itself. The thesis has contributed to this in a practical way. Firstly, with the development of energy plans for Southeast Drenthe and South Limburg, which are included in this thesis as case studies. Secondly, with the development of a technical design tool, a calculation model for optimising an area, concerning its energy demand. The thesis also provides practical guidelines for an area-based energetic system optimisation. The research in this dissertation has been a condition for the development of a calculation model that supports design decisions leading to a sustainable energy system. Therefore it was necessary to investigate how we can define such a system. The main modules of an energy system are described, as well as how they can be used in larger areas. An energy provision without fossil fuels should be possible but is more complicated as it may appear. The weaknesses in a sustainable energy system such as the storage of energy and the use of space and materials, are discussed. It is concluded that 'primary energy' cannot be a measure in energy calculations when we switch to renewable resources. In the future, ‘land use’ will be the unit to determine the performance of an energy system that is based on renewable resources.