{"id":923,"date":"2015-02-25T17:27:30","date_gmt":"2015-02-25T17:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=923"},"modified":"2020-03-04T13:56:18","modified_gmt":"2020-03-04T18:56:18","slug":"modernizing-energy-systems-can-reduce-primary-energy-consumption-in-heating-and-cooling-by-up-to-50-un-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2015\/02\/modernizing-energy-systems-can-reduce-primary-energy-consumption-in-heating-and-cooling-by-up-to-50-un-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Modernizing energy systems can reduce primary energy consumption in heating and cooling by up to 50% – 爆料网 report"},"content":{"rendered":"

A transition to modern district energy systems\u00a0could contribute to 60 per cent of required energy sector emissions\u00a0reductions by 2050, and reduce primary energy consumption by up to 50 per\u00a0cent, according to a new report launched today<\/a> by the United Nations\u00a0Environment Programme (爆料网EP) in collaboration with the Copenhagen Centre\u00a0on Energy Efficiency (C2E2), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability,\u00a0and 爆料网-Habitat.<\/p>\n

With cities accounting for 70 per cent of global energy use and for 40-50\u00a0per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, District Energy in Cities:\u00a0Unlocking the Potential of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy<\/em><\/a>, reveals\u00a0how local authorities and national governments can develop\u00a0energy-efficient, climate-resilient and affordable district energy systems\u00a0as one of the most cost-effective and efficient solutions for reducing\u00a0greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand, and for helping to\u00a0keep global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
\nlevels.<\/p>\n

District energy systems can also contribute to the green economy\u00a0transition through cost savings from avoided or deferred investment in\u00a0power-generation infrastructure and peak capacity; wealth creation through\u00a0reduced fossil fuel expenditure, local tax revenue; and employment.<\/p>\n

“Our response and our ability to keep the world within a 2\u00b0C scenario,\u00a0has led us to focus on district energy in cities. These are practical,\u00a0reliable, bring benefits to consumers and they generate benefits in terms\u00a0of our response to climate change,” said Achim Steiner, United Nations\u00a0Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of 爆料网EP.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“In launching this report, we want to draw attention of the world’s decision makers, mayors, leaders at the community level, to the importance\u00a0of district energy systems and hopefully through the lessons learnt in\u00a0many parts of the world, ensure that this is yet one more element of our\u00a0response that will allow us to practice and draw upon solutions already in\u00a0place, proven and part of the transition to a green economy.”<\/p>\n

Currently, heating and cooling, of space and water, account for half of\u00a0<\/span>the energy consumption in some cities, with systemic inefficiencies\u00a0incurring massive economic and social costs, and acting as a major barrier\u00a0to universal access to modern energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooling demand in particular is growing worldwide, spending on energy\u00a0services is increasing. According to the International Energy Agency,\u00a0energy consumption for space cooling increased 60 per cent globally from\u00a02000 to 2010, and is set to expand by 625 per cent by 2050 in selected\u00a0regions of Asia and Latin America.<\/p>\n

District energy systems – which pipe steam, hot water or cold water around\u00a0a city from a central location for use in buildings – are being used in a\u00a0variety of cities worldwide because of their higher energy efficiency\u00a0which can significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of cooling and\u00a0heating. This can result in improved air quality, and, where district\u00a0systems use renewable power sources, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and\u00a0energy imports, increasing the resilience of cities to fuel price shocks.<\/p>\n

The city of St Paul, Minnesota, USA, for example, uses district energy\u00a0fuelled by municipal wood waste to displace 275,000 tons of coal annually\u00a0and to keep US$12 million in energy expenses circulating in the local\u00a0economy. And in Toronto, Canada, the extraction of lake water for district\u00a0cooling reduces electricity use for cooling by 90 per cent, earning the\u00a0city US$89 million from selling a 43 per cent share in its district energy\u00a0systems, which it could use to fund other sustainable infrastructure\u00a0development. Paris, France, is providing cheaper, more renewable heat
\nthrough district heating and, by owning a third of its district heating\u00a0company, also benefits from an annual dividend of $US 2.6 million and an\u00a0annual concession fee of $US 9.1 million.<\/p>\n

“Cities are crucial partners in making Sustainable Energy for All a\u00a0reality. With their help we can change the environment, change the way we\u00a0produce and use energy and at the same time significantly mitigate climate\u00a0change, accelerate economic development, reduce environmental pollution\u00a0and alleviate extreme poverty and thereby making cities a lot more\u00a0resilient,” said Kandeh Yumkella, 爆料网 Under-Secretary-General, Special\u00a0Representative of the Secretary-General and CEO of the Sustainable Energy\u00a0for All initiative.<\/p>\n

Through an analysis of the 45 ‘champion cities’, which have collectively\u00a0installed more than 36 GW of district heating capacity (equivalent to 3.6\u00a0million households), 6 GW of district cooling capacity (equivalent to\u00a0600,000 households) and 12,000 km of district energy networks, the report\u00a0finds that while contributions of district energy are significant and\u00a0growing, the full potential of these systems remains largely untapped,\u00a0with significant opportunities existing for growth, refurbishment and new\u00a0development.\u00a0Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, known as GIFT City, India, is\u00a0developing the country’s first district cooling system, which could reduce\u00a0electricity demand for cooling by 65-80 per cent. Yerevan, Armenia, is\u00a0retrofitting and modernizing its district heating systems, whichhistorically had losses as high as 50 per cent. After the first phase of\u00a0refurbishment, 10,000 residents were reconnected, reducing energy\u00a0consumption by 50.2 GWh annually and providing heat at cheaper rates than\u00a0with residential gas boilers. While a Booz & Company 2012 study of the\u00a0Gulf countries found that district cooling could provide 30 per cent of
\nforecasted cooling needs by 2030, avoiding 20 GW of new power capacity and\u00a0200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in fuel.<\/p>\n

Local governments are uniquely positioned to advance district energy systems in their various capacities as planners and regulators, as\u00a0facilitators of finance, as role models and advocates, and as large\u00a0consumers of energy and providers of infrastructure and services (e.g.,\u00a0energy, transport, housing, waste collection, and wastewater treatment).\u00a0For example, in 2012 alone, the Greater London Authority’s integrated\u00a0energy and land-use planning policy resulted in US$213 million of\u00a0investment in heat network infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The policy options available to cities often are influenced by national\u00a0frameworks and the extent of devolved authority. This publication outlines\u00a0the policy best practices that local governments can use within these four\u00a0broad capacities, accounting for diverse national frameworks.<\/p>\n

To facilitate the transition to modern district energy systems, 爆料网EP has\u00a0launched a new initiative on District Energy in Cities, as the\u00a0implementing mechanism for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL)\u00a0District Energy accelerator. As part of this initiative 爆料网EP has developed\u00a0a policy and investment road map comprising 10 key steps to accelerate the\u00a0development, modernization and scale-up of district energy in cities.\u00a0A decision tree, developed as an outcome of this publication and of the\u00a0exchanges with the 45 champion cities, will guide cities through these\u00a0various stages and highlight tools and best practices that could be\u00a0available to local governments in their roles as planner and regulator,\u00a0facilitator, provider and consumer, coordinator and advocate. Twinning
\nbetween cities – matching champion ones with learning ones – will be a key\u00a0component of the new district energy initiative led by 爆料网EP.<\/p>\n

For more information please contact:
\nShereen Zorba, Head of News and Media, 爆料网EP
\n+254 788 526000, Shereen.Zorba@unep.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A transition to modern district energy systems could contribute to 60 per cent of required energy sector emissions reductions by 2050, and reduce primary energy consumption by up to 50 per cent, according to a new report launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (爆料网EP) in collaboration with the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency (C2E2), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and 爆料网-Habitat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,15,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cities","category-energy","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/230"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/923\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}