1. Cashing in on methane
2. Technologies for industry's energy revolution
3. Centralised in-depth CCS information
4. Optimising district heating and cooling
5. New IEA international projects, new participants

• 3rd International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS3), Ajaccio, Corsica (France), 16-18 September, 2009.

• 30th Annual Symposium and Workshop of the International Energy Agency Collaborative Project on Enhanced Oil Recovery (IEA EOR), Canberra (Australia), 21-23 September 2009.

• IEA PVPS Workshop (European PV Conference), Hamburg (Germany), 22 September 2009.

• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Bridging the Commercial Gap, New York (United States), 29-30 September 2009.

• 3rd International Conference on Solar Air-Conditioning, Palermo (Italy), 30 September - 2 October 2009.

• 30th AIVC Conference Trends in High Performance Buildings and the Role of Ventilation, Berlin (Germany), 1-2 October 2009.

• CTI PFAN China Clean Energy Investor Forum and Asia Regional Seminar, Beijing (China) 21-22 October 2009.

• International Conference on Coal Science & Technology (ICCS&T), Cape Town (South Africa), 26-29 October 2009.

• Workshop on Process Integration in Small and Medium Enterprises, Bern (Switzerland), 27-28 October 2009. 

• 10th CTI Seminar on “Programmatic Approaches of JI and CDM - Business Opportunities for Emission Reduction”, Zeuthen (Germany), 2-3 November 2009.

• 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference, Essen (Germany), 16-21 May 2010.

• 10th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Amsterdam (the Netherlands), 19-23 September 2010.

• EUROSUN 2010 - International Conference on Solar Heating, Cooling and Buildings, Graz (Austria), 28 September - 1 October 2010.

• 8th International Conference on System Simulation in Buildings, Liege (Belgium), 13-15 December, 2010.

1. Cashing in on methane.  Exploiting available technology to recover and burn methane is often very far from the screens of energy policy makers. And yet, recovery of methane is an attractive low-cost, near-term option for boosting energy security and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas and the world's second largest emitted from human activity. Since release of methane from oil and gas systems, coal mining, landfill and manure can also pollute air and water, recovering and using methane promises health and safety benefits as well as financial gain. What are the barriers to more widespread harnessing of this neglected, often clean-burning fuel? IEA’s new free downloadable brochure Energy Sector Methane Recovery and Use: The Importance of Policy looks at how some countries have successfully introduced measures to encourage methane emissions mitigation. Updates are provided on the different sources of methane emissions, the technologies to reduce them and examples of best practices in methane mitigation policy design and implementation. Download this valuable 42-page guide for policy makers from the IEA website.  For more IEA documentation on methane, click here.  

2. Technologies for industry’s energy revolution. The world’s industries certainly use energy more efficiently today. But industry still accounts for one-third of global final energy use and nearly 40% of world energy-related CO₂ emissions. In pace with expanding industrial production around the globe, these shares have continued to grow, consolidating a trend that only another industrial revolution can curb. At the core of such a revolution: innovative energy technologies and the policies to promote them. But which are those high-potential technologies that could cut industrial energy use by as much as 30%? How can they transform industrial processes? IEA’s newly released study Energy Technology Transitions for Industry offers a rich portfolio of answers and analysis, drawing on in-depth sectoral and regional energy-indicators. Factoring in features like competitiveness that distinguish industry from other energy end-use sectors, this book’s scenarios focus on the five branches currently responsible for 75% of global industry’s total direct CO₂ emissions: iron and steel, cement, chemicals/petrochemicals, pulp and paper, and aluminium. The key cross-cutting technologies are also discussed. Visit the IEA Online Bookshop.
For free detailed energy indicators data on the chemicals/petrochemicals industry, download the information paper Chemical and Petrochemical Sector - Potential of best practice technology and other measures for improving energy efficiency.

3. Centralised in-depth CCS information. Experts agree that energy-related greenhouse-gas emissions must be halved by 2050 if devastating climate change is to be averted. Since global energy-sector CO₂ emissions are currently projected to increase by 130% by mid-century, radical transformations are urgently needed. For large-scale fossil fuel use, the only available technologies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions are those for CO₂ capture and storage (CCS). If global emissions are to be slashed by 50% by 2050, CCS would need to contribute one-fifth of the cuts.
Stakeholders wishing to keep up to speed on CCS progress and potential will find a broad range of resources on the CCS pages of the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG). Its databases provide information on global and regional major sources of CO₂ emissions, on existing CCS R&D projects, on international research networks around the globe and on CCS best practice. Simulation tools focusing on assessing risks linked to geological storage of CO₂ and on design of geological storage monitoring efforts are also available. Click here to access these CCS resources. The Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme is one of 42 IEA international energy technology R&D collaborative programmes.

4. Optimising district heating and cooling. As urban areas expand, so do the opportunities for district heating and cooling (DHC). Many countries have seen that it is both simple and logical, especially in zones with high building density, to use a piping network to connect multiple thermal energy users to environmentally optimal energy sources. DHC solutions, notably those integrating combined heat and power (CHP), offer energy-security and climate benefits that merit plenty of attention. Like other IEA international energy technology R&D programmes, the Implementing Agreement on District Heating and Cooling (IEA-DHC) provides a forum for sharing experience and leveraging resources to advance application of key energy technologies. It addresses both technical and policy issues associated with DHC and CHP. More about the programme's activities, both past and present, can be found in the recently posted brochure Bringing Countries Together to Research, Innovate and Grow District Heating and Cooling, Including CHP. Visit the website of IEA-DHC, one of IEA's 42 international energy technology R&D collaborations.

5. New IEA international projects, new participants. The portfolios of IEA Implementing Agreement collaborations evolve constantly to meet new challenges. New participants join their teams.

• Full information on the Task 29 MEXNEX(T) aerodynamics project of the IEA Wind programme can be found on this programme's new website. The objective of Task 29 is to provide insight on the accuracy of different types of model for wind tunnel measurement.

• Australia has become a Contracting Party to the Implementing Agreement for the IEA Clean Coal Centre.

• The United Kingdom has become a Contracting Party to the Implementing Agreement for Co-operation on Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technologies and Programmes (IA-HEV). 

• Austria has become a Contracting Party to the Implementing Agreement for Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems (SolarPACES).

• Sectoral Approaches in Electricity: Building Bridges to a Safe Climate. Developing countries with strong economic growth need to make large investments in power sector infrastructure. This IEA study shows how the international climate policy framework can be used to both promote low-carbon power systems and enhance end-use energy efficiency in these countries. The study discusses the pros and cons of the international carbon market as a potential driver for change at sectoral level in developing countries.  It also reports on the state of play regarding energy and climate policy in China, India, Mexico and South Africa. Visit the IEA Online Bookshop.

• Executive Summary from Bioenergy – A Sustainable and Reliable Energy Source - A Review of Status and Prospects. This downloadable summary provides a foretaste of a full report for subsequent publication. Its purpose is to review the entire bioenergy sector in order to provide those who take policy and investment decisions with global perspective on the potential for bioenergy, on opportunities for its deployment and on the main issues and challenges involved. Visit the website of IEA Bionenergy, one of IEA’s international energy technology collaborations.

• The IEA programme on Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment (4E) offers a new Frequently Asked Questions fact sheet answering queries about the nature of the programme’s work, its organisational structure and how to join.  Download from the website of 4E, an IEA energy technology collaboration.

• Free downloadable energy technology newsletters from IEA’s international collaborative programmes.
AMFI Newsletter – Issue 3/2009, July – from Annex XXVIII  of the Implementing Agreement on Advanced Motor Fuels (AMF).
Newsletter – Issue 23, August 2009 – from Task 39 on Commercializing 1st and 2nd Generation Liquid Biofuels from Biomass, a project within the IEA Bioenergy programme.
PV Power – No. 30, July 2009 – from the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programmes (PVPS).
4E Mapping and Benchmarking Newsletter – No. 2, August 2009 – from the IEA programme on Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment. 

• Annual Reports from IEA collaborative programmes: Energy Conservation through Energy Storage Programme Annual Report 2008; IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme Annual Review 2008; IEA Heat Pump Programme Annual Report 2008;  IEA Wind 2008 Annual Report.

• Visit the website of the IEA Energy Conservation through Energy Storage Programme (ECES IA) for an updated brochure on energy storage and a summary report from the programme's June 2009 EffStock International Conference on Thermal Energy Storage in Stockholm.

• A new refinement on the website of the Energy Technology Data Exchange World Energy Base (ETDEWEB) is a widget that enables browsers to add a search box to their web pages and gain speedier access to ETDEWEB’s energy research and technology information. Visit the website of ETDE, one of the IEA’s international energy technology collaborations.

• Key World Energy Statistics 2009 - The IEA's latest free downloadable booklet containing clear, concise data on supply, transformation and consumption of all major forms of energy. See also below for more IEA statistical publications.

• Renewables Information 2009 – This year’s edition provides essential statistics on renewable and waste energy sources, with an overview of worldwide developments over the period 1990-2007.  It reviews electricity generation and capacity from renewable and waste energy sources in OECD countries and it offers detailed per-country profiles.  Renewables Information is one of several annual IEA statistical publications on major energy sources.  Others include Electricity Information, Natural Gas Information, Oil Information and Coal Information. To learn more, click here.

• Energy Policies of IEA Countries – Portugal - 2009 Review - the latest in the IEA's series of reviews of energy policies in individual IEA countries. Download the Summary. Visit the IEA Online Bookshop.

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• 3rd International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS3), Ajaccio, Corsica (France), 16-18 September, 2009. Organised jointly by the International Association for Hydrogen Safety (HySafe) and the IEA Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA), this event will seek to improve public awareness and comfort in relation to hydrogen technologies by communicating a better understanding of both the risks associated with hydrogen and their management. Visit the conference website. 

• 30th Annual Symposium and Workshop of the International Energy Agency Collaborative Project on Enhanced Oil Recovery (IEA EOR), Canberra (Australia), 21-23 September 2009.  Focusing on the theme of 'CO₂ Enhanced Oil Recovery', this year’s IEA EOR symposium will offer participants an opportunity to share knowledge, work with other world experts and further promote application of Enhanced Oil Recovery technologies in oil and gas fields. Visit the IEA EOR conference website.

• IEA PVPS Workshop (European PV Conference), Hamburg (Germany), 22 September 2009. Organised by the IEA PVPS Programme, this workshop in conjunction with the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference will look at what may lie ahead and what bridges need to be crossed to achieve significant penetration of PV, both locally and globally. Visit the web page.

• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Bridging the Commercial Gap, New York (United States), 29-30 September 2009. This event follows up on IEA recommendations to the G8. It is organised by the IEA Working Party on Fossil Fuels, in collaboration with the Coal Industry Advisory Board, the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum and the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. Invitations to this event can be requested from the IEA. Visit the IEA events pages.

• 3rd International Conference on Solar Air-Conditioning, Palermo (Italy), 30 September - 2 October 2009. Organised with the collaboration of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, this event will focus on development of technologies, transfer of know-how, identification of R&D needs and exchange of results and ideas. Consult the brochure, visit the conference website.

• 30th AIVC Conference Trends in High Performance Buildings and the Role of Ventilation, Berlin (Germany), 1-2 October 2009. This event is organised by the Energy and Environmental Center Deister GmbH (e.u.[z.]) in co-operation with the International Network for Information on Ventilation (INIVE EEIG) – on behalf of the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre (AIVC) – and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (Fraunhofer-IBP).  It will be held in tandem with the International Conference on Building and Ductwork Airtightness. See conference announcement.  AIVC is part of the IEA Programme on Energy Conservation in Buildings & Community Systems (ECBCS).

• CTI PFAN China Clean Energy Investor Forum and CTI PFAN Asia Regional Seminar, Beijing (China) 21-22 October 2009. The October 21 PFAN China Clean Energy Investor Forum, organised by the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) of the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI), will bring leading clean energy entrepreneurs in China together with investors and fund managers specialising in China’s clean energy sector. The October 22 CTI PFAN Asia Regional Seminar will showcase PFAN success stories from the region and identify opportunities for clean energy investment and technology transfer across Asia. For more information on these two events, consult the announcement. CTI is one of IEA’s energy technology collaborations.

• International Conference on Coal Science & Technology (ICCS&T), Cape Town (South Africa), 26-29 October 2009.  Co-sponsored by the IEA Clean Coal Centre, this conference will provide the technical community with an opportunity to share knowledge in their respective clean-coal technology fields. Visit the conference website.

• Workshop on Process Integration in Small and Medium Enterprises, Bern (Switzerland), 27-28 October 2009.  Organised by the IEA Implementing Agreement on Industrial Energy-Related Technologies and Systems (IETS) in co-operation with the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, this workshop will bring together diverse stakeholders who have experience of new system approaches for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It will be a first step in forming a new project within the IETS programme on process integration in SMEs.  For more information visit the IETS website.

• 10th CTI Seminar on Programmatic Approaches of JI and CDM - Business Opportunities for Emission Reduction, Zeuthen (Germany), 2-3 November 2009. Organised by the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI), one of IEA's energy technology collaborations, this seminar will focus on developing programmatic Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism opportunities in eastern Europe and in some of the successor states of the former Soviet Union republics. Visit the CTI website.

• 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference, Essen (Germany), 16-21 May 2010. This event for decision takers in politics, industry, research and finance will cover wide-ranging scientific, technological, deployment and policy questions relating to the role of hydrogen and fuel cells in a sustainable energy economy. The conference, which builds on previous conferences dating back to 1976, will feature a training and information session on hydrogen and fuel cells.  The IEA Implementing Agreement on Advanced Fuel Cells is represented in the event’s organisation team.  Visit the conference website.

• 10th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Amsterdam (the Netherlands), 19-23 September 2010. This tenth conference in the series organised by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG) will provide a platform for discussion on finding opportunities to implement greenhouse gas mitigation technologies and overcome the barriers to applying these technologies. Visit the conference website.

• EUROSUN 2010 - International Conference on Solar Heating, Cooling and Buildings, Graz (Austria), 28 September - 1 October 2010. Organised by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC), ISES and other bodies, EuroSun2010 will enable participants to exchange and discuss the latest R&D results and learn more about problems and their solution. Visit the conference website.

• 8th International Conference on System Simulation in Buildings, Liege (Belgium), 13-15 December 2010.  Organised by the Thermodynamics Laboratory and the Department of Environmental Sciences and Management of the University of Liege in close co-operation with the IEA Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems Programme (ECBCS), this event will enable researchers and specialists in buildings and in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems simulation to present papers and discuss the latest developments. Visit the conference website.