Issue No.1, 28 March 2002

HEADLINES IN THIS ISSUE

1. Strong progress on regulatory reform in IEA countries, says annual IEA study, but weaker progress on climate-change policies - Energy Policies of IEA Countries - 2001 Review.

2. Award for IEA's One-Watt Initiative: a 2nd prize at Energy Globe Awards 2002 for IEA's programme to cut electricity losses from appliances in stand-by mode (Linz, Austria).

3. A sure bet for measurement of wind speed: best practice guidelines from IEA collaborative project.

4. From air-flow to cash-flow: IEA programme centralises ventilation technology information for optimum energy-saving building design.

5. IEA Clean Coal Centre: a free-access database, ad hoc consultation, focus on the developing world.

6. Energy Efficiency Certificate Trading Workshop - Milan (Italy), 17th April 2002.

7. Technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions - key conclusions from ten years of studies by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme.

NEWS IN BRIEF

1. Energy Policies of IEA Countries - 2001 Review provides an objective round-up of information and analysis on energy policy and market developments in the Member countries of the IEA. Changes in energy demand and supply over the past decade come under the microscope, along with fuel price trends in the past two years. Member countries' progress with electricity and gas regulatory reform is examined, as well as less marked achievements in curbing growth in greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporated in the report are summaries of recent in-depth reviews of energy policies in Australia , Belgium , the Czech Republic , New Zealand , Spain and Turkey . Also included are briefer reviews of policy developments in Finland , Hungary , Ireland , Italy , Japan and Switzerland , along with a short review of developments in selected non-Member countries, including China , India , Russia and Saudi Arabia .

2. Award for IEA's One-Watt Initiative: a 2nd prize at Energy Globe Awards 2002 for IEA's programme to cut world-wide electricity losses from appliances in stand-by mode. In a televised awards ceremony, the IEA Secretariat won acclaim in Linz ( Austria ) on 6 March for its campaign to stem power wastage by appliances in stand-by mode. This "leaking electricity" is thought to account for between 5% and 15% of power used in homes in OECD countries. The IEA's three-year-old initiative carried off a handsome second-prize trophy in the Private and Public Initiatives Category in this year's Energy Globe Awards, whose five categories attracted some 1,300 submissions from 98 countries.

3. A sure bet for measurement of wind speed: best practice guidelines from IEA collaborative project. When evaluating or testing wind turbine performance, uncertainty in the measurement of wind speed contributes to overall uncertainty in predicting annual energy yield. This ultimately translates into financial risk and more costly energy. To enhance measurement performance, many companies, manufacturers and research institutes are now turning to tried and tested methodologies produced by the IEA's Implementing Agreement for Co-operation in the Research and Development of Wind Turbine Systems. Focusing on use of cup anemometry, this set of methodologies addresses issues such as selection of anemometer type, calibration, mounting, quality assurance and dealing with uncertainty. Entitled "Wind Speed Measurement and Use of Cup Anemometry", the guide has been produced as part of the programme's Base Technology Information Exchange work (for more information: http://www.afm.dtu.dk/wind/iea/task_11.html). For more about the IEA Wind Energy Implementing Agreement, visit its homepage: http://www.afm.dtu.dk/wind/iea/. For its database on wind characteristics: http://www.winddata.com/.

This international project is one of some forty created within the IEA's international energy technology collaboration framework of Implementing Agreements. For more information on the framework: http://www.iea.org/Textbase/techno/index.asp.

4. From air-flow to cash-flow: IEA programme centralises ventilation technology information for optimum energy-saving building design. Non-industrial buildings account for roughly one third of primary energy use. And ventilation and air infiltration account for at least 25% to 50% of a building's space heating or cooling energy demand. Getting ventilation systems right is therefore a crucial part of designing energy-efficient, health-friendly buildings. Airflow behaviour, climatic influences, occupancy patterns and pollutant emission characteristics all make the task complex. Access to extensive technical and practical information on ventilation technology, including details of publications and a newsletter, can be found at the website of the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre (AIVC): http://www.aivc.org/. The centre was created in 1979 under the aegis of the IEA Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems Programme, an international project within the IEA's energy technology collaboration framework (website: http://www.ecbcs.org/).

5. IEA Clean Coal Centre: a free-access database, ad hoc consultation, focus on the developing world. A world-class leader in researching and providing information on sustainable, efficient coal supply and use, IEA Coal Research at the Clean Coal Centre produces a steady flow of studies on every imaginable aspect of clean coal technology. Subject headings: coal-mining, production and preparation; coal properties and analysis; combustion, power generation and utilisation; environmental issues. The Centre is now focusing increasingly on technology dissemination to developing countries. Its Clean Coal Technologies database can be accessed free of charge, along with profiles of its publications: http://www.iea-coal.org.uk/.

6. Energy Efficiency Certificate Trading Workshop - Milan ( Italy ), 17th April 2002 . Trading in certificates is a current hot topic, but these certificates deal only with renewable energy at present. Certificates for energy efficiency have been proposed in Italy and the United Kingdom . They are intended to bridge the gap between regulation and the economic efficiency of market-based trading mechanisms. This new instrument will be examined from every angle at this IEA workshop in Milan , which will feature maximum on-line communication for those unable to be on the spot. The gathering will take place in association with the 19th meeting of the IEA Demand-Side Management Programme's Executive Committee. For more information: http://dsm.iea.org/.

7. Technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions - key conclusions from ten years of studies at the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme. A decade of studies and findings on greenhouse gas R&D technologies are reviewed in the 10th Anniversary Report from the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme. The Programme comes within the international energy technology collaborative framework of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Since its formation in 1991, the Programme has carried out nearly 90 separate studies on technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Specific topics are CO2 capture and storage, non-CO2 greenhouse gases emissions, climate-friendly production of hydrogen from fossil fuels, abatement opportunities in industry and much more. The IEA GHG Programme also publishes the widely read newsletter "Greenhouse Issues". For the 10th Anniversary Report and further information: IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, The Project Director, Stoke Orchard, Cheltenham , Gloucestershire , GL52 7RZ , United Kingdom . Tel (Fax) +44 1242 680753 (758); http://www.ieagreen.org.uk.