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Abstract Data on European residential space cooling demands are scarce and often of poor quality. This can be concluded from a review of the Comprehensive Assessments on the energy efficiency potential in the heating and cooling sector performed by European Union Member States under Art. 14 of the Energy Efficiency Directive. This article estimates the potential space cooling demands in the residential sector of the EU and the resulting impact on electricity generation and supply systems using the United States as a proxy. A georeferenced approach was used to establish the potential residential space cooling demand in NUTS-3 regions of EU. The total potential space cooling demand of the EU was estimated to be 292 TW h for the residential sector in an average year. The additional electrical capacity needed was estimated to 79 GW. With proper energy system development strategies, e.g. matching capacity of solar PV with cooling demand, or introduction of district cooling, the stresses on electricity system from increasing cooling demand can be mitigated. The estimated potential of space cooling demand, identified in this paper for all EU Members States, could be used while preparing the next iteration of EU MS Comprehensive Assessments or other energy related studies.

In this paper we investigate the prospects for the large-scale use of low-emission energy technologies in Africa. Many African countries have recently experienced substantial economic growth and aim at fulfilling much of the energy needs associated with continuing along paths of economic expansion by exploiting their large domestic potentials of renewable forms of energy. Important benefits of the abundant renewable energy resources in Africa are that they allow for stimulating economic development, increasing energy access and alleviating poverty, while simultaneously avoiding emissions of greenhouse gases. In this study we analyse what the likely energy demand in Africa could be until 2050, and inspect multiple scenarios for the concomitant levels of greenhouse gas emissions and emission intensities. We use the TIAM-ECN model for our study, which enawbbles detailed energy systems research through a technology-rich cost-minimisation procedure. The results from our analysis fully support an Africa-led effort to substantially enhance the use of the continent's renewable energy potential. But they suggest that the current aim of achieving 300 GW of additional renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030 is perhaps unrealistic, even given high GDP and population growth: we find figures that are close to half this level. On the other hand, we find evidence for leap-frogging opportunities, by which renewable energy options rather than fossil fuels could constitute the cost-optimal solution to fulfil most of Africa's growing energy requirements. An important benefit of leap-frogging is that it avoids an ultimately expensive fossil fuels lock-in that would fix the carbon footprint of the continent until at least the middle of the century.

Abstract Local authorities need timely information on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their causes, comparison with other municipalities and tools for dissemination of information to the citizens. This paper presents a weekly GHG emission calculation system, CO 2 -report, which provides such data for citizens and local decision-makers in a timely manner, in contrast to the official emissions statistics, which are available on an annual basis 1–2 years afterwards. In this paper, we present the methodology and three main outputs of CO 2 -report: (1) weekly GHG emissions; (2) advance annual emissions; and (3) final annual emissions for 2009 with comparison of 64 municipalities in Finland. We explain the reasons for the large variability of annual emissions, from 5 to 13 t CO 2 -eq/capita, discuss the accuracy of advance and final emission estimates at local level, and show the weekly variability of emissions for three example municipalities with different emission profiles.

Abstract Transition to electric vehicles (EVs) requires multidimensional policy measures incorporating vehicle fleets, energy systems, consumer behaviours, and socio-economic developments. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the implications of a tax-induced EV transition in Iceland for GHG mitigation, energy security, and economic benefits. The analytical tools include a techno-economic simulation model of the integrated energy-transport system which is linked to an Icelandic macroeconomic general equilibrium model. The impact of a new tax reform proposal by the government is compared with the current vehicle tax policy. The government proposal scenario is also examined under further inducements for EVs incorporating a value added tax exemption and banning the sale of new petroleum fuel vehicles. All scenarios are examined under a wide range of future changes in petroleum fuel prices and EV cost reduction. The results indicate that the overall macroeconomic benefits will be negligible, but they are expected to be positive in the long term as road electrification is deepened. The results show that although the tax-induced technological solution aimed at encouraging the adoption of EVs will enable a deep GHG emissions reduction in the long term, it will not be enough to meet the short-term climate targets.

Abstract Finnish farmers’ role as energy producers is small compared to their role as energy resource owners. Since climate and energy policy in Finland continues favoring large-scale energy visions, additional investment support for agriculture will stay modest. To utilize fully the energy potential in farms, we analyze the farmers’ decision-making environment. First, we present an overview of the Finnish energy policy and economy and their effect on farms (the top-down perspective). Then we analyze the drivers behind the bioenergy decisions of farms in general and in the Oulu region, located in Northern Finland (the bottom-up perspective). There is weak policy coherence between national and regional energy efforts. Strong pressure is placed on farmers to improve their business and marketing knowledge, innovation and financial abilities, education level, and networking skills. In the Oulu region, bioenergy forerunners can be divided in three different groups – investors, entrepreneurs and hobbyists – that have different levels of commitment to their energy businesses. This further stresses the importance of getting quality business services from numerous service providers.

We have modelled the market for new cars in Ireland with the aim of quantifying the values placed on a range of observable car characteristics. Mid-sized petrol cars with a manual transmission sell best. Price and perhaps fuel cost are negatively associated with sales, and acceleration and perhaps range are positively associated. Hybrid cars are popular. The values of car characteristics are then used to simulate the likely market shares of three new electric vehicles. Electric vehicles tend to be more expensive even after tax breaks and subsidies are applied, but we assume their market shares would benefit from an "environmental" premium similar to those of hybrid cars. The "environmental" premium and the level of subsidies would need to be raised to incredible levels to reach the government target of 10% market penetration of all-electric vehicles.

Implementation of some of the articles of the Kyoto Protocol will require rules for accounting and for defining baselines against which reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, or enhancement of greenhouse-gas removals, are to be measured. Project accounting needs to provide incentives to ensure that the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is served and that the interests of all participating parties are respected. To establish the emission reduction achievements of activities is complex as it is inherently very difficult to define the counterfatctuel baseline. Here, we articulate four basic principles — accuracy, comprehensiveness, conservativeness and practicability — that can be used to guide the construction of baselines for greenhouse-gas mitigation projects. The overall aim is to have accurate, comprehensive, and conservative baselines; but this aim needs to be balanced to yield baselines that are as simple as possible, can be practically implemented, and provide incentives to fulfill the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC.