1. IEA and industry firm up energy technology dialogue
2. The rise of geothermal energy
3. Counterbalancing windpower fluctuations
4. Understanding transport-sector energy use
5. New IEA collaborative projects, new participants

• Demand-side management expert reports
• Hybrid & electric vehicle technology status
• Heating, cooling storage in buildings
• Newsletters from IEA programmes

• Making technology transfer happen
• In Chinese, highlights from 2007 IEA
World Energy Outlook
• Year-2006 IEA publications now free

• CTI Industry Joint Seminar: Diffusion of Climate-Friendly Technologies in Asian Countries, Beijing (China), 21- 22 February, 2008.

• Workshop Meeting Energy Efficiency Goals: Enhancing Compliance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Paris (France), 28-29 February 2008.

• 3rd IEA GHG International Oxy-Combustion Network Workshop, Yokohama (Japan), 4-6 March 2008.

• Workshop Market Deployment of Electric Vehicles - Lessons Learned, Geneva (Switzerland), 10 March 2008.

• International Workshop Trends in National Building Ventilation Markets and Drivers for Change, Ghent (Belgium), 18-19 March 2008.

• International Standby Power Conference, New Delhi (India), 2 April 2008.

• Topical workshop on Intelligent Distribution Networks, Micro-Grids and Active Network Management, Chester (United Kingdom), 14-15 April 2008.

• 9th IEA Heat Pump Conference, Advances and Prospects in Technology, Applications and Markets, Zürich (Switzerland), 20-22 May 2008.

• EUROSUN 2008 - 1st International Conference on Solar Heating, Cooling and Buildings, Lisbon (Portugal), 7-10 October 2008.

• 29th AIVC Conference, Advanced Building Ventilation and Environmental Technology for Addressing Climate Change Issues, Kyoto (Japan), 14-16 October 2008.

• 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Washington, DC (United States), 16-20 November 2008.

• Fourth International Conference on Clean Coal Technologies for our Future (CCT2009), Dresden (Germany), 18-20 May 2009.

1. IEA and industry firm up energy technology dialogue. Common ground on carbon reductions was recently endorsed when high-level representatives from large industry’s technology community met IEA energy policy analysts in Paris. “There is a pressing need”, declared the joint statement from participants, “to design and implement a range of policy measures that will create clear, predictable, long term economic incentives for carbon reduction in the market.” Convened under the auspices of the IEA and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the 16 January roundtable at IEA Headquarters brought together 32 technology officers from utilities and from companies handling oil and gas, automobiles, equipment, electronics and building-sector products. “We are delighted by the level of engagement and interest around the table today,” said IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka, “and expect industry – working with the IEA – to take a growing role in delivering a more sustainable energy future, through deployment of new technologies and commercial development”.

2. The rise of geothermal energy. For a century now, high-temperature underground hydrothermal sources have been providing mankind with clean, reliable renewable electricity and heat. Geothermal is indifferent to weather conditions and adapts easily to the needs of large cities and remote rural villages alike. For base-load electrical power, it is competitive with fossil fuels in many areas.
A new generation of much more widely applicable enhanced geothermal technology can now extract energy using re-circulated hot fluids from hitherto untapped geological strata. But what does this involve? And what about seismic risks from stimulating fractures deep below the earth’s surface? Specialists Chris Bromley and Mike Mongillo of the IEA Geothermal Implementing Agreement answer these and many other questions about geothermal’s evolving role in the world’s energy systems. Access their article here. The IEA Implementing Agreement for a Co-operative Programme on Geothermal Energy Research and Technology (IEA GIA) is one of some 40 IEA collaborative programmes.

3. Counterbalancing windpower fluctuations. Do large shares of windpower in energy systems call for similarly large shares of reserve power as back-up? No, they do not, according to findings recently published by the IEA Wind Implementing Agreement (IEA Wind). The 147-page report Design and Operation of Power Systems with Large Amounts of Wind Power - State-of-the-Art Report takes a fresh look at some commonly held beliefs. It cites substantial built-in power network adjustment tolerance and various different measures that can be taken to balance windpower fluctuations. These findings come from IEA Wind’s Task 25 and draw on assessments, in 11 countries, of windpower’s impact on costs, its effect on grid reinforcement needs and its ability to replace other power plant capacity. Download the report from the IEA Wind Task 25 website. IEA Wind is one of some 40 IEA energy technology collaborations.

4. Understanding transport-sector energy use. In the transport domain - as in all sectors of the economy - statistical indicators of energy use provide precious guidance when policies for cleaner, more efficient systems are being shaped. Under the banner New Energy Indicators for Transport: The Way Forward, a recent workshop at IEA headquarters in Paris brought together stakeholders from numerous involved communities. It generated valuable insight on ways to seek out the best indicators of transport-sector energy use patterns and how to exploit them most profitably. Organised jointly by the IEA and the International Transport Forum (ITF), the event also threw important light on connections between transport and energy markets. Presentations and a workshop summary can be downloaded from the IEA website.
Important new knowledge about measures to secure large improvements in the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles, and about fuel-efficiency awareness among commercial vehicle operators, emerged at last year's IEA/ITF workshop Fuel Efficiency Policies for Heavy-Duty Vehicles. The summary report from this workshop contains some key messages stemming from analysis on technology issues, costs and potential savings, and on experience with implementing policy responses. The workshop summary and presentations are downloadable from the IEA website.

5. New IEA collaborative projects, new participants. IEA Implementing Agreement collaborations evolve continuously to meet new challenges.

Some new projects.

• Performance of alternative-fuelled bus fleets will be explored in a proposed activity bringing together technical expertise within a number of IEA collaborative programmes. The objective is to assess overall energy efficiency, emissions and costs (direct and indirect) of various technology options for buses, and so project the future role of these heavy-duty vehicles, whose impact on air quality is large and whose long service life calls for wise choices today. Contact: Nils-Olof Nylund of the IEA Implementing Agreement on Advanced Motor Fuels (AMF).

• Electricity networks analysis, R&D. Intelligent distribution networks, micro-grids and active network management are the focus of planned new collaborative activities within the IEA Implementing Agreement for Electricity Networks Analysis, Research & Development (ENARD). Work in these and related areas will be defined at ENARD’s next topical workshop (Chester, UK) on Monday 14-15 April 2008 (see Events below). Contact: enquiries@iea-enard.org.

• Deploying hybrid and electric vehicles. Task XIV (Market Deployment of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles - Lessons Learned) of the IEA Hybrid and Electric Vehicles programme (IEA HEV) is generating insight on factors for success in choice of technology and in marketing strategies for tomorrow's road vehicles. It will draw on lessons learned from past deployment experience with different families of innovative vehicles. See IEA HEV's website for more information. See also below for the 10 March workshop in Geneva. Contact the Operating Agent: tturrentine@ucdavis.edu.

Recent new participants in IEA energy technology collaborations.

• The IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme has recently welcomed three new participants: companies Babcock & Wilcox and Statkraft AS, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
• The Republic of Korea has recently joined four IEA Implementing Agreements: those on Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems (ECBCS); on Energy Conservation through Energy Storage (ECES), on Heat Pumping Technologies (HPC); and on Industrial Energy-Related Technologies and Systems (IETS).
• France has joined the IEA Implementing Agreement for a Programme of Energy Technology Systems Analysis.
• Austria has joined the IEA Implementing Agreement on Advanced Motor Fuels.
• The United Kingdom has joined the IEA Implementing Agreement on Advanced Materials for Transportation.
• New Zealand has joined the IEA Demand-Side Management Programme.

• Reports from the IEA Demand-Side Management Programme (DSM). The following can be downloaded from the IEA DSM website.
- Time of Use Pricing and Energy Use for Demand Management Delivery - Final Report from Task XI.
- Network-Driven Demand Side Management - from Task XV, two reports: Worldwide Survey of Network-driven Demand-side Management Projects; and Assessment and Development of Network-driven Demand-side Management Measures.

• Status Overview of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technology. This final report from Annex VII of the IEA Hybrid and Electric Vehicles programme (IEA HEV) aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of hybrid electric vehicle technology and the challenges ahead.

• Reports on Advanced Storage Concepts for Solar Thermal Systems in Low Energy Buildings. Task 32 of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) has just published its concluding set of 11 reports, to be found half way down the Publications page on the IEA SHC website.

• Free energy technology newsletters from IEA international collaborative programmes.
- IEA Bioenergy News, Volume 19 - No. 2, December 2007, from IEA Bioenergy.
- DSM Spotlight, December 2007, from the IEA Demand-Side Management Programme.
- IEA Clean Coal Centre Newsletter, November 2007, from the IEA Clean Coal Centre.
- Greenhouse Issues Newsletter, December 2007 No. 88, from the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG).
- Solar Update, Vol. 48, January 2008, from the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC).

• Summary report from side event Technology Transfer - Moving Towards Implementation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bali (Indonesia), 4 December 2007. Organised jointly by the IEA Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) and the UNFCCC Expert Group on Technology Transfer, this event updated on technology needs assessments, innovative technology transfer financing and technologies for adapting to climate change. Visit the CTI website for the summary, programme and presentations.

• Downloadable in Chinese, excerpts from the 2007 IEA World Energy Outlook - China and India Insights, including translated chapters on China's energy prospects. The annual flagship publication IEA World Energy Outlook (WEO) is a leading source of medium- to long-term energy market projections and analysis. Visit the WEO web pages.

• Year-2006 IEA publications now free. In addition to its many free publications and papers, IEA offers pdfs of many of its Bookshop publications for free download two calendar years after release. Pdfs of IEA 2006 publications are now free. Visit IEA's website.

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• CTI Industry Joint Seminar: Diffusion of Climate-Friendly Technologies in Asian Countries, Beijing (China), 21- 22 February, 2008. Organised by the IEA Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) in co-operation with the Bureau of International Cooperation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT), this seminar will bring together project developers, policy makers and providers of technology and finance to facilitate development of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Asia. Visit the CTI website.

• Workshop Meeting Energy Efficiency Goals: Enhancing Compliance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Paris (France), 28-29 February 2008. Organised by the IEA and the International Task Force for Sustainable Products, this workshop will bring together public and private sector stakeholders to share information on effective frameworks for compliance, monitoring and evaluation in relation to energy efficiency measures. Visit the IEA website.

• 3rd IEA GHG International Oxy-Combustion Network Workshop, Yokohama (Japan), 4-6 March 2008. Organised by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG), IHI, JPower and JCoal, this event will look into the different issues relevant to retrofitting or repowering of power plants with oxy-combustion technology with CO₂ capture. It will review the progress of various research and development activities in oxy-combustion technologies for power generation industry with CO₂ capture. Learn more from the CO₂ capture and storage pages of the IEA GHG website.

• Workshop Market Deployment of Electric Vehicles - Lessons Learned, Geneva (Switzerland), 10 March 2008. This workshop is the third in a series organised by Annex XIV of the IEA Implementing Agreement for Cooperation on Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technologies and Programs (IEA HEV). Bringing together experts from the auto industry, utilities and government who have experience in deployment of electric vehicles in Europe, it will coincide with the 78th Geneva International Motor Show and 3rd European Ele-Drive Transportation Conference. Workshop invitations can be requested from tturrentine@ucdavis.edu.

• International Workshop Trends in National Building Ventilation Markets and Drivers for Change, Ghent (Belgium), 18-19 March 2008. An initiative of the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre (AIVC) -- a part of the IEA Programme on Energy Conservation in Buildings & Community Systems (ECBCS) -- this workshop will seek to establish a clear picture of trends in national ventilation markets, drivers for change and an indication of potential bottlenecks and opportunities. Consult the AIVC website.

• International Standby Power Conference, New Delhi (India), 2 April 2008. Governments have been called upon to make a greater commitment to the IEA 1-Watt standby target and other programmes to tackle standby power. This event will bring together speakers from around the world and from India to share information about progress with addressing standby power, about policy proposals and about developments in the standby power test procedure. Visit the IEA website.

• Topical workshop on Intelligent Distribution Networks, Micro-Grids and Active Network Management, Chester (United Kingdom), 14-15 April 2008. Organised by the IEA Implementing Agreement for Electricity Networks Analysis, Research & Development (ENARD), this workshop will feature presentations by internationally recognised experts, highlighting national perspectives on distributed generation implementation. It will define future ENARD intelligent-distribution activities and be of interest to governmental representatives, policy makers, distribution companies/distribution network operators and power engineering equipment suppliers. For further information, consult the ENARD website or contact the ENARD Secretariat.

• 9th IEA Heat Pump Conference, Advances and Prospects in Technology, Applications and Markets, Zürich (Switzerland), 20-22 May 2008. This event will focus on technology, markets, policy and standards within a context of desired environmental benefits and energy conservation. Heat pumps will be addressed, along with air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, also systems for residential, commercial and industrial applications, together with heat pumping technologies for heating and cooling of low energy houses and systems for district heating and cooling. Visit the website of the IEA Heat Pump Centre and the conference website.

• EUROSUN 2008 - 1st International Conference on Solar Heating, Cooling and Buildings, Lisbon (Portugal), 7-10 October 2008. Organised by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC), Sociedade Portuguesa de Energia Solar, ISES Europe and other bodies, this event will bring scientists, technicians, architects, engineers and citizens to a platform for presenting the latest technologies from around the world. Visit the conference website.

• 29th AIVC Conference, Advanced Building Ventilation and Environmental Technology for Addressing Climate Change Issues, Kyoto (Japan), 14-16 October 2008. This conference will bring together researchers and engineers to focus on a wide range of topics relating to building ventilation and environmental technology. The event is organised by the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre (AIVC) in collaboration with the IEA Programme on Energy Conservation in Buildings & Community Systems (ECBCS), of which AIVC is a part. Visit the conference website.

• 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Washington, DC (United States), 16-20 November 2008. Organized by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and with sponsorship from the United States Department of Energy, this is the latest in the series of Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT) conferences, created in 1997. Visit the conference website.

• Fourth International Conference on Clean Coal Technologies for our Future (CCT2009) Dresden (Germany), 18-20 May 2009. Organised jointly by the IEA Clean Coal Centre (CCC) and Forschungszentrum Jülich, this fourth topical conference on clean coal technologies will be held in conjunction with the Third International Freiberg Conference on IGCC and XtL. Consult the CCC website for more details.