Giving EV owners the ‘right to plug’

A main challenge of the European Commission’s Fit for 55 package is ensuring that the legislative process considers buildings and transport together to achieve the best result. Smart EV charging, for example, receives little attention in the debate around energy performance in buildings, yet the two are intricately linked. Luka De Bruyckere and Jaap Burger explain how improvements in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive can be a driving force for the transition to clean transport.

RAP joins global Clean Heat Forum

Decarbonising heat poses an immense challenge to nations around the world and is crucial for the global energy transition. At an event during the COP26 meetings in Glasgow, leading partners announced the birth of the Clean Heat Forum, a collaboration of public and private sector innovators to exchange best-practice policies and strategies for accelerating the switch to clean heating. RAP is excited to bring our global expertise on energy policy and technology issues to the forum.

Parting ways with fossil gas

The path to climate neutrality will inescapably lead to mammoth reductions in Europe’s use of fossil gas. Germany’s gas industry, however, continues to sink billions of euros into the existing infrastructure. Regulators’ business-as-usual practices ultimately will cost consumers and the public coffers dearly. Andreas Jahn and Barbara Saerbeck stress the importance of steering energy and climate policies towards Efficiency First measures and, with these, to a clean energy future. (Article is in German.)

FURTHER NOTES

The European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy invited Jan Rosenow to speak about the energy aspects of the Fit for 55 legislative proposals. Dr. Rosenow explains why reducing energy demand through energy efficiency and replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon electricity are key to decarbonising heating in particular. (Starts at 14:38:30.)

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Using electricity instead of fossil fuels to power vehicles always strikes a positive balance for Europe’s decarbonisation efforts. Measuring progress, however, can be complex. Dr. Martin Doppelbauer joins us for the next Electrification Academy webinar to demystify the quantification of carbon emissions associated with electric vehicles.
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Non-wires alternatives can provide cheaper, more effective ways to serve additional demand in the electricity system. The same is true for gas service: Instead of expanding or upgrading gas distribution networks, regulation can require utilities to consider options such as energy efficiency and electrification. Max Dupuy of RAP’s U.S. programme explains.

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