Enhance Your Knowledge: Modifying Equipment & Gathering Information
The world is increasingly focusing on energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, and a variety of resources are available to help individuals, organisations, and governments navigate this complex landscape. Here are some of the most useful tools and data resources for understanding energy efficiency, selecting the right appliances, and researching energy retrofitting policies worldwide.
Data and Policy Analysis Platforms
Ember, a global energy think tank, offers open data and intelligent policy analysis focused on clean energy transitions. It provides extensive datasets on electricity demand, generation, emissions, renewable targets by country, and interactive tools to compare policies worldwide [1]. The Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) Embodied Carbon Policy Toolkit is another specialized resource for policymakers, offering factsheets, a global policy tracking map, reports, and training materials focused on embodied carbon reduction policies, which are important in building retrofits and infrastructure [2].
Investment and Implementation Insights
Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) provides insights into direct investments and innovations in energy efficiency solutions, such as smart meters, HVAC upgrades, insulation, AI-based energy management, and energy-as-a-service business models. They also offer financial instruments like green bonds tied to energy efficiency projects [4].
Energy Efficiency and Appliance Guidance
While the search results do not list specific appliance rating tools, organizations like Ember and AllianzGI emphasize technological solutions (smart thermostats, AI management) that can guide appliance choices for greater efficiency [1][4].
Comprehensive Energy Data Resources
The UC Berkeley Library Energy & Resources Guide offers access to comprehensive statistics and datasets from authoritative sources like the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), covering electricity, renewables, fossil fuels, prices, and policies, beneficial for deep research on energy efficiency and retrofitting policies worldwide [5].
Additional Relevant Information
Data centers and other energy-intensive sectors are adopting flexible, efficient solutions to reduce emissions and optimize energy use, reflecting broader energy efficiency trends [3]. Embodied carbon policies and lifecycle assessments increasingly influence retrofit standards and appliance manufacturing, highlighting the importance of integrating policy knowledge into efficiency evaluations [2].
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory offers wind-related data such as maps and geospatial tools for North and South America and beyond. The Australian government's Energy Ratings website provides apps for choosing energy-efficient lightbulbs and calculating home energy ratings. CoachCopro, a France-based online interface, connects residents of condominiums with expertise at all stages of their retrofit journey [6].
Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) is a unique tool used for assessing the risk of buildings being 'stuck' between early energy-efficient improvements and not achieving the ever-increasing standards as expectations and technology improve. An interactive policy map in the UK shows local and regional policies for retrofitted and new buildings [7].
The International Energy Agency provides a lot of information on energy use, policies, and decarbonisation efforts and targets for many of the world's countries. The Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER) provides information on a building's emissions and energy costs, and offers recommendations for efficiency [8]. Our World in Data has an abundance of stats on various topics, including charts on how much power is still generated by fossil fuels and how little by renewables [9].
EnergyPlusTM simulates whole building energy performance, and the data can be used for modeling energy and water use in individual properties. In the UK, there's an easy search function to find energy efficiency reports of buildings. Energy Star offers a personalized tool for choosing energy-efficient appliances and renovations in the USA [10]. BUILD UP is a one-stop-shop for everything related to energy-efficient buildings in the European Union, with a skills section tracking the progress of green tech training for professionals in each country [11].
These resources provide a mixture of open datasets, policy tracking, investment guidance, and data analytics tools suitable for stakeholders looking to understand energy efficiency comprehensively, select efficient appliances, and navigate global retrofitting policies.
- The Carbon Leadership Forum's Embodied Carbon Policy Toolkit focuses on embodied carbon reduction policies, which are essential in construction and infrastructure, offering factsheets, a global policy tracking map, reports, and training materials.
- Allianz Global Investors offer insights into direct investments in energy-efficient solutions, such as smart meters, HVAC upgrades, insulation, AI-based energy management, and energy-as-a-service business models, and provide financial instruments like green bonds tied to energy efficiency projects.
- The UC Berkeley Library Energy & Resources Guide offers access to comprehensive statistics and datasets from authoritative sources like the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), covering various aspects of energy, such as electricity, renewables, fossil fuels, prices, and policies, making it beneficial for in-depth research on energy efficiency and retrofitting policies worldwide.
