Energy key topics
Addressing key topics within the energy sector.
The major challenges facing the energy sector globally revolve around securing sustainable energy supplies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
To address the global challenges, energy policy needs to take account of the ‘big picture’. The IET champions ten high-level principles derived from engineering experience to guide the development of an integrated energy policy.
The IET Energy Principles (273126k) July 2007
UK Energy Review 2006 March 2006
The Energy Hierarchy offers a simple principle for prioritising energy solutions. A sensible energy policy should make its first priority the reduction of energy demand, before seeking to meet the demand by the cleanest means possible. This involves in order of preference:
- Energy conservation – changing behaviours
- Energy efficiency – using low energy technologies
- Renewable and sustainable energy sources
- Exploitation of conventional energy sources with low carbon technologies
- Exploitation of conventional energy sources with current technologies
Recent proposals put forward by the IET include:
The IET’s initial response to publication of the UK’s Nuclear White Paper is now available on the IET web site and on the ePolitix web site which is widely viewed by policy makers. In its statement the IET emphasises the competition for scarce nuclear engineering skills globally and urges the UK Government to take strong and proactive measures to ensure that the skills are available for the development of safe, secure power supplies.
IET initial comments on the Nuclear White Paper January 2008
Rising energy demand is emerging as perhaps the greatest challenge for energy policy worldwide. The full range of policy mechanisms will need to be deployed in order to stimulate widespread adoption of energy efficient technologies and behaviours.
European Green Paper on Energy Efficiency November 2005
Radical policies are required to reduce the growing energy demand and emissions from the housing sector. While it may be optimistic to hope for zero carbon homes by 2016, significant improvements are possible in new build homes thanks to advances in technology through rapid upskilling in the construction sector and better enforcement, while for longer term results we support the adoption of a “whole house” approach and the promotion of improvements in the existing housing stock.
Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development March 2007
There is a strong case for putting in place mandatory European standards for the energy efficiency of electric motors, which consume 60-65% of the electricity used by industry in the developed world.
Briefing on Energy Efficient Motors (40266k) April 2006
Local generation has the potential to achieve efficiency improvements, better use of resources and net emissions savings, but this depends on location, scale and technology. The IET supports a gradual evolution towards a more flexible system, a ‘network of networks’ which combines distributed generation with a national public network and elements of bulk generation.
Review of distributed electricity generation January 2007
Nuclear fission is a proven and reliable power generation technology – there are no technical or safety arguments for excluding it from the energy mix, however a long term solution is needed to manage nuclear waste.
IET briefing on nuclear power (50901k) March 2006