1. New avenues for district heating and cooling. In areas of high building density, district heating and cooling (DHC) systems offer high dividends. Planners around the globe are exploiting DHC’s potential in this era of fast growing urbanisation and tougher energy and environmental challenges. In some countries, as much as 50% of the heat market is covered by this win-win method of linking multiple users to climate-benign energy sources like waste-based combined heat and power (CHP). And to satisfy buildings’ cooling requirements, more and more countries now use a variety of proven technologies to convert such heat into power to reduce indoor temperatures.

The IEA DHC/CHP R&D collaborative programme has contributed significantly to past advances with these techniques. It has a solid strategy for joint efforts to catalyse further innovation and wider dissemination of expertise. As the IEA DHC/CHP programme plans for its next three-year research phase, Robin Wiltshire, Chair of its Executive Committee, tells the OPEN Bulletin about landmarks to date and pathways for the coming years.  Access the interview here.  IEA DHC/CHP is one of 42 IEA multilateral technology initiatives. 

2. Algae - the Future for Bioenergy?  The quest for sustainable sources of energy has led many creative minds to exploration of algae as a means of producing biomass. Much well documented work has been done on different options for bringing algae into the energy production effort. Some 150 companies are currently active in pursuing its potential.
Using algae for energy purposes can be an alternative to land-based biomass cultivation, thus avoiding land-use conflict with other crops. Algae could promise productivity levels exceeding those of terrestrial plants. There are many question marks, however, notably over timelines for commercial exploitation, R&D needs, levels of CO₂, costs and barriers.
To assess the state of the art in this potentially important area and provide some answers, the IEA Bioenergy programme brought experts together for a workshop in Belgium in October 2009. A newly published 16-page downloadable report Algae - the Future for Bioenergy? presents the summary and conclusions from this workshop. The presentations can also be downloaded from the website of IEA Bionenergy, one of the IEA multilateral technology initiatives. 

3. Phase Out of Incandescent Lamps - Implications for international supply and demand for regulatory compliant lamps. The drive to introduce efficient lighting has come a long way in recent years. Since early 2007, almost all OECD - and many non-OECD - governments have announced policies aimed at phasing-out incandescent lighting. But what does that mean in terms of consumers’ demand for regulatory-compliant lamps?  What is the lamp industry’s capacity and motivation to produce adequate efficient lighting products to meet future demand. To assess such issues, this 86-page IEA information paper  reviews the historic international screw-based lamp market, describes the status of international phase-out policies and presents projections of anticipated market responses to regulatory requirements. It presents a series of key policy messages. Download from the IEA website.

4. Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2010 Edition.  The future cost of electricity will depend on a number of key parameters. Among these, the cost of raising the financial capital and the price of carbon will figure large.  Governments will play a major role here.  But what about the technology and its cost? No baseload generation technology is expected to offer a consistent economic advantage at a global level and under all circumstances.  Domestic factors will be important. These are some of the findings from Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2010 Edition, the recently released joint report from the IEA and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). It is the seventh in a series of studies on electricity generating costs and presents the latest data available for a wide variety of fuels and technologies. Visit the IEA Online Bookshop.

5. Measuring emissions from ethanol-fuelled vehicles. The IEA Advanced Motor Fuels programme (AMF) has recently published an exhaustive study on methodology for measuring and calculating emissions from vehicles fuelled by ethanol: Measurement Technologies for Emissions from Ethanol Fuelled Vehicles. The study's first section contains a literature survey on methodologies, regulations, instrumentation and measurement procedures. The second section addresses mesurement of ethanol calibration gases of different concentrations and oxygen content. And a third secion is devoted to ethanol-fuelled vehicle tests. The authors present some key conclusions. This 63-page report can be downloaded from the website of AMF, one of the IEA international energy technology collaborations.

6. New participants in IEA international R&D projects

• The Republic of Korea has become a Contracting Party to the Implementing Agreement for a Programme of Research, Development and Demonstration on Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction in Combustion (IEA Combustion).

• Norway  has become a Contracting Party to the Implementing Agreement for a Co-operative Programme on Geothermal Energy Research and Technology (GIA).

• Enel Ingegneria e Innovazione SpA has become a Sponsor in the Implementing Agreement for a Co-operative Programme on Technologies Relating to Greenhouse Gases Derived from Fossil Fuel Use (IEAGHG).

• Shaw Consultants, International, Inc. has become a Sponsor in the Implementing Agreement for Co-operation in the Field of Fluidized Bed Conversion of Fuels Applied to Clean Energy Production (IEA FBC). 

• Infrastructure Asset Management – Phase 1 Final Report.  This report from Annex III of the IEA Implementing Agreement on Electricity Networks Analysis, Research and Development (ENARD) deals with the management of the distribution asset base.  It provides an overview of the project’s activities and presents its principal conclusions and recommendations.  Download the 17-page report from the ENARD website.

• APP/4E/Selina International Standby Power Workshop - presentations and recommendations.  Co-organised by the IEA 4E - Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment programme, this March 2010 workshop in Vienna (Austria) discussed a wide range of programmes and policies to quantify and reduce standby power consumption.  Its recommendations can be downloaded here.  Visit the  4E website page.  4E is an IEA collaboration.

• Free downloadable energy technology newsletters from IEA international collaborations.
- Greenhouse Issues – Issue 97, March 2010 – from the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG).
- IEA HIA News - Volume 3, No. 1, April 2010 - from the International Energy Agency Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (IEA HIA). 

• Downloadable IEA R&D Programme Annual Reports.
- IEA OES 2009 Annual report from the Ocean Energy Systems Implementing Agreement (OES-IA) describes ongoing activities of the OES-IA and provides national country summaries; it includes five articles from invited experts.
- 4E 2009 Annual Report contains a record of the activities and achievements undertaken by the IEA Implementing Agreement for a Co-operative Programme on Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment (4E) during 2009, the first full year of its operation.

• India's Downstream Petroleum Sector - This 68-page downloadable study explores pricing and investment dynamics, current pricing practices and sectoral investment. It also looks at potential paths towards market-based reform along which the Indian government may move, while at the same time protecting energy market access for India’s population. Visit the IEA website.

• Energy Technology Perspectives 2010 - a pre-sale 10% reduction on the cover price of the IEA's flagship technology publication is offered until end-June 2010. Energy Technology Perspectives 2010 will report on whether the much needed fundamental energy-sector transformation is happening, on which key technologies can play a role, on the costs and benefits, and on the policies needed. Visit the IEA Online Bookshop.

• Resources to Reserves 2010 brochure – this four-page leaflet provides insight into the messages and findings of the IEA’s upcoming study on the world’s hydrocarbon resources and the technologies needed to exploit them.  Download from the IEA website.

• Energy Policies of IEA Countries - Canada - 2009 Review - the latest in the IEA's series of reviews of energy policies in individual IEA countries. Visit the IEA Online Bookshop, where a summary can be downloaded.  

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