Scaling Up Energy Efficiency UNEP DTU Partnership

Problem:
Production of the currently preferred construction materials for the building industry is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions globally

Key message:
As buildings become increasingly energy efficient in most parts of the world, the production of the construction materials mostly used - concrete, steel and glass - become the buildings' most severe climate impact. To reduce this climate impact a rethink of the materials that go into construction is necessary.

Speakers: Søren Lütken
Support: Aristeidis Tsakiris
https://c2e2.unepdtu.org/kms_object/embodied-carbon-in-construction-materials-the-new-concern-for-architects-podcast/

Problem:
Geographic Information Systems or Geographic Information Science (GIS) has the potential to be more and more used in energy planning processes. From studies on energy access to grid analytics, researchers and practitioners in the field of sustainable energy have started to recognise to potential of this system. Nevertheless, energy efficiency studies and applications are not as present and, consequently, GIS remains still an abstract concept. However, the deployment of GIS for energy efficiency encompasses multiple sectors, from buildings to street lights to transport and district energy. During this podcast, some examples on how to apply GIS to case studies related energy efficiency are introduced. Starting off with a brief explanation on what is GIS and how it works, the audience will listen to some examples on the potential of GIS in the energy efficiency world.
First, to provide an example of a detailed study and of an online application of GIS, the podcast explains how satellite data and administrative data created datasets that explore electrification and energy access (both current and potential) in countries of the Global South.
Moving on with energy efficiency deployments of GIS, the following case study comes from the US and looks at how comparable scoring systems on the energy consumption of houses build upon GIS applications and are used by government agencies. Subsequently, an example of using GIS to evaluate energy efficiency projects is detailed. Lastly, the conversation looks into GIS potential for efficient public lighting in cities.
With this podcast, the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency hopes that the audience will get a glance of what is GIS and why it is a tool with relevance and potential for scaling up energy efficiency across sectors.

Key message:
Few investigated the application of spatial analysis with GIS for energy efficiency. This podcast explores relevant implementation cases and potential.

Speakers: Susana Adriana Paardekooper, Valeria Zambianchi
Support: Aristeidis Tsakiris
https://c2e2.unepdtu.org/kms_object/geographic-information-system-gis-applications-for-scaling-up-energy-efficiency-podcast/

Problem:
There is a significant difference in perception of indoor thermal comfort between men and women, with men demonstrating a strong preference lower temperatures than women, sometimes referred to as the ‘battle of the thermostat’. Research discussed in this episode shows that there is also a notable impact on productivity and cognitive performance, with women performing better at high temperatures than at low temperatures. At the same time in most modern office space, the settings for the indoor temperature are based on the physical characteristics of male occupants.
Key message:
Gender-specific responses of occupants to the indoor temperature should be taken into account, when designing temperature settings for gender mixed workplaces in order to increase productivity by setting the thermostat higher than current standards.
Speakers: Ksenia Petrichenko, Agne Kajackaite
Support: Aristeidis Tsakiris
https://c2e2.unepdtu.org/kms_object/battle-for-the-thermostat-energy-efficiency-and-gender-podcast/

Problem:
Energy efficiency is becoming more and more recognised as a cost-effective mitigation measure for achieving the Paris Agreement and SDGs, however, it is considered a not very tangible, not too sexy, relatively fragmented and small-scale efforts. The question that many actors are facing in the field is to how to bring the scale to Energy Efficiency on the local, national and global level
Key message:
Derisking buildings through green mortgages can help to bring scale to energy efficiency investments.
Speakers: Ksenia Petrichenko, Steven Borncamp
Support: Aristeidis Tsakiris
https://c2e2.unepdtu.org/kms_object/derisking-investments-into-green-buildings-podcast/

This podcast by the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency promotes the ongoing work and research on energy efficiency through discussions with experts from various sectors, such as buildings, district energy, and datacentres. You will hear experiences and case studies from our global network of experts and we aim to help you understand them. If you want to learn more about energy efficiency or discover related projects, this is the podcast for you!

To find out more, check our website c2e2.unepdtu.org