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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency for Business
Energy efficiency is often described as the “first fuel” because the cheapest and most secure energy is the energy that is not used. For businesses, this begins with a straightforward benefit: lower energy bills. In many cases, efficiency investments can pay back quickly through reduced energy costs alone. However, the value of energy efficiency extends beyond energy savings.This report builds on the IEA’s work on the multiple benefits of energy efficiency and focusses on how these gains materialise in businesses. Key benefits range from productivity and product quality improvements to brand image or health benefits for employees and…
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Demand- and Supply-Side Measures for the Industry Transition
Policy brief As governments look to scale up lead markets for near-zero and low-emissions steel and cement, targeted policy measures can help overcome commercialisation barriers, capture emerging market opportunities and support broader government objectives. This policy brief explores a variety of possible policy instruments to stimulate demand and supply of such industrial materials, providing options that governments could adopt and adapt as part of their industrial policy framework – tailored to their unique circumstances to enhance effectiveness – along with practical next steps towards implementation.
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IEA Guide to Reporting Energy Technology RD&D Budgets
…D) budgets. It outlines the methodology and classification system used to collect and structure RD&D data across IEA member countries, ensuring consistency and comparability. The manual is divided into two main sections: fundamentals of RD&D budget reporting and a detailed classification of energy technologies. It defines RD&D in alignment with the OECD Frascati Manual and clarifies the scope of public and private sector reporting. It also provides instructions for completing the IEA questionnaire, covering budgetary stages, metadata reporting, and common issues. The classification system spans nine major technology groups, including energy end uses, fossil fuels, renewables, nuclear…
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Affordability
…the energy savings of efficiency measures can be initially lower than expected. In India, time-saving appliance ownership, such as of washing machines or refrigerators, is associated with a 15% increase of employment among women and an increased school attendance by older children.As people gain access to electricity, they acquire new equipment, often starting with light bulbs, followed by televisions, and finally fans, particularly in hot locations. As available power increases and electricity becomes more reliable, refrigerators are installed as well. For many products, such as refrigerators, highly efficient models use less than half of the energy of inefficient…
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Financing CCUS at Scale
How to Mobilise Private Capital Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is an important area of attention for governments and financiers as both look to balance policy and investment goals. Recent financial investment decisions of major projects show promise in a sector that is gaining momentum, but its future success depends on viable business models and effective risk allocation across the value chain.In this context, Financing CCUS at Scale is the IEA’s latest report on what it takes to move CCUS projects from the drawing board to operation. Building on expert interviews with leading financial institutions, the report…
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IEA Support to Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting (ARPE)
…for renewable energy in the overall energy mix to 42.5% (with the ambition of 45%) – up from 40% in the 2021 proposal. Achieving this will require more than 1 200 gigawatts (GW) of installed cumulative renewable power capacity by 2030, almost double that of 2023.The key barrier to rapid renewables deployment in many EU Member states is lengthy and complex administrative procedures related to project permitting. In May 2022, the European Commission released recommendations on permitting, including on identification of renewable acceleration areas (RAAs) where shortened and simplified permitting can be applied.In November 2023, the revised Renewable Energy Directive…
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Overview graphic: key technology trends for EVs
…integrate well with the stable, high-voltage power supply of EV batteries. At the same time, the benefits of AI and increased computing power are not exclusive to EVs. AI‑enabled energy management systems are increasingly used to optimise hybrid vehicles, and AI techniques are accelerating the design, testing and optimisation of all vehicles.Finally, technologies enabling EV-grid integration are becoming increasingly available, allowing EVs to play a larger role in the energy system and improving their value proposition. With the rollout of smart and bidirectional charging, EV owners can reduce charging costs and, in some cases, generate revenue by participating…
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Responding to Satellite Notifications from the Methane Alert and Response System
…and artificial intelligence) to provide free notifications of large methane emission events to governments and companies.MARS satellite alerts provide rapid and actionable information that can enable quick mitigation action. Swift action on major leaks or releases detected via MARS can deliver significant benefits for governments, potentially reducing gas waste, boosting sales by domestic companies and improving national energy security while simultaneously decreasing air pollution, minimising local health impacts and increasing productivity. More broadly, it may allow governments to achieve national emissions reduction objectives. While the response rate to MARS notifications has increased since the system’s introduction in 2023…
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Vehicle-to-grid technology
…charging costs and, in some cases, generate revenue by participating in grid services, such as frequency regulation. Load shifting and vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) capabilities provide substantial electricity system benefits, helping reduce peak demand and potentially limiting the need for future grid investment – benefits for which EV owners can be compensated. Vehicle-to-grid charging holds the promise of alleviating grid constraints but barriers remain The rollout of EVs is a major driver of global electricity demand growth. Residential EV charging can draw more power than any other single household load, including heating, cooling, lighting and appliances. In addition, driving and charging…
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Universal Access to Clean Cooking in Africa
…a pathway for all African countries to accelerate efforts by replicating the best historic rates of progress seen in other leading countries globally. This country-by-country analysis builds on the first-ever mapping of clean cooking infrastructure across Africa, as well as an assessment of clean cooking fuel availability and affordability in each region.The report is the latest entry in the IEA’s 25-year history of tracking progress on energy access and promoting clean cooking as a crucial part of the global energy agenda. The tracking in this report will continue to be updated in the future.
