07 February 2010
Energy Efficiency Moving Ahead in Chile
10/02/10 09:45
Chile put the right (green) foot forward in 2010 when it created a Ministry of Energy. For the last few years, President Bachelet has had an appointed Minister of Energy, but no formal Ministry. In addition to taking on energy efficiency and renewable energy policy, the new ministry will continue regulation of electric supply. Chile started taking energy efficiency seriously in 2005, when the government organized a National Program for Energy Efficiency. The effort took on increased significance in the 2007-2008 energy shortage caused by the cutoff of Argentinean gas supply and a drought that reduced Chile’s hydro-electric capacity.
The Andean nation is now starting to make real strides in energy efficiency, and the rest of the world is taking note – and taking an interest. On my most recent trip there, the refrigerator in my rented apartment showed the signs of progress.
The first thing I noticed is that it was small, considerably smaller than most of those sold in the US (see, it even fits between my fingers…).
Efficiency is not the same as conservation, but smaller isn’t necessarily worse, either. This little guy fit the apartment well and stores plenty of food and drinks for most urban dwelling families.
But before you start thinking energy efficiency standards drove down the size of refrigerators in Chile, think again! Refrigerators were among the first appliances regulated in California and the effects have been famously win-win: refrigerators efficiency standards have saved lots of energy and at the same time, prices have declined while the average volume has increased.
US Refrigerator energy use, volume and price over time
The new Chilean Ministry of energy plans to adopt refrigerator energy efficiency standards soon (hopefully this year). So far, what’s in place is a mandatory labeling program. The size difference is driven by other factors, likely cost and high electric rates.
The label demonstrates a big, user-friendly scale that indicates how this refrigerator measures up against other refrigerators (more like the labels in Europe than EPA’s Energy Star Label).
From what I heard, the label has already mostly moved the market towards the most efficient end of the spectrum. This suggests that, like Europe, they might be ready to upgrade the label.
Chile has also done labels for lighting products and the Ministry is hoping to promulgate lighting efficiency standards (like the ones that have passed Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia among others) soon.
All of this is good news. The key question is whether the President-elect, Sebastian Piñera, will maintain energy efficiency as national priority: let’s hope he does. In particular, Chile should step up efficiency efforts in the industrial and mining sectors, which make up the largest part of Chile’s electricity consumption. With that effort, efficiency will start to make a real dent in energy demand growth. The alternatives are bleak: a recent IEA report indicated that Chile’s electric sector could triple its greenhouse gas emission in the next 15 years from increased reliance on coal. Additionally, a proposal by a consortium led by Italian Enel to build five massive hydro-electric dams in Chilean Patagonia, mostly to feed the increasing energy consumption of Chile’s mining sector.
If President-elect Piñera moves in the smart direction, Chile is poised to be a regional leader on energy efficiency, and fostering that leadership should be a priority for the US government in its efforts to step up international cooperation on climate and energy policy.
The Andean nation is now starting to make real strides in energy efficiency, and the rest of the world is taking note – and taking an interest. On my most recent trip there, the refrigerator in my rented apartment showed the signs of progress.
The first thing I noticed is that it was small, considerably smaller than most of those sold in the US (see, it even fits between my fingers…).
Efficiency is not the same as conservation, but smaller isn’t necessarily worse, either. This little guy fit the apartment well and stores plenty of food and drinks for most urban dwelling families.
But before you start thinking energy efficiency standards drove down the size of refrigerators in Chile, think again! Refrigerators were among the first appliances regulated in California and the effects have been famously win-win: refrigerators efficiency standards have saved lots of energy and at the same time, prices have declined while the average volume has increased.
US Refrigerator energy use, volume and price over time
The new Chilean Ministry of energy plans to adopt refrigerator energy efficiency standards soon (hopefully this year). So far, what’s in place is a mandatory labeling program. The size difference is driven by other factors, likely cost and high electric rates.
The label demonstrates a big, user-friendly scale that indicates how this refrigerator measures up against other refrigerators (more like the labels in Europe than EPA’s Energy Star Label).
From what I heard, the label has already mostly moved the market towards the most efficient end of the spectrum. This suggests that, like Europe, they might be ready to upgrade the label.
Chile has also done labels for lighting products and the Ministry is hoping to promulgate lighting efficiency standards (like the ones that have passed Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia among others) soon.
All of this is good news. The key question is whether the President-elect, Sebastian Piñera, will maintain energy efficiency as national priority: let’s hope he does. In particular, Chile should step up efficiency efforts in the industrial and mining sectors, which make up the largest part of Chile’s electricity consumption. With that effort, efficiency will start to make a real dent in energy demand growth. The alternatives are bleak: a recent IEA report indicated that Chile’s electric sector could triple its greenhouse gas emission in the next 15 years from increased reliance on coal. Additionally, a proposal by a consortium led by Italian Enel to build five massive hydro-electric dams in Chilean Patagonia, mostly to feed the increasing energy consumption of Chile’s mining sector.
If President-elect Piñera moves in the smart direction, Chile is poised to be a regional leader on energy efficiency, and fostering that leadership should be a priority for the US government in its efforts to step up international cooperation on climate and energy policy.
by: Noah Long
Winter Olympics Get Bronze for Environmentalism
10/02/10 09:13
Vancouver, Canada — The David Suzuki Foundation praised organizers for building energy-efficient venues, using clean-energy sources, relying on public transit during the Games, and offsetting part of the event's emissions.
However, a report released this week also highlighted 'missed opportunities' and areas where the Games 'fell short.'
"Climate change is a defining issue of our time, and the winter Olympics are an opportunity to show leadership by reaching and inspiring billions of fans and spectators with solutions to global warming," Foundation Spokesman Paul Lingl said. "The Vancouver Olympics will leave the region with few long-term improvements in sustainable transportation. To date the 2010 Olympic organisers haven't made the most of their opportunities to tell the story of their climate initiatives to Canadians and the world."
Canadian alpine ski team member, Kelly VanderBeek, agreed more needed to be done on making the Games green.
"As a winter Olympian I see global warming firsthand: melting glaciers, changing snow patterns and the closing of lower-elevation hills," she said. "Winter sports are threatened by global warming and Canadian Olympic athletes are stepping forward and calling for action."
Former Olympic speed skater, Ingrid Liepa, added: "The winter Olympics depend on snow and ice, and they need to do their part to protect winter.
"It's encouraging to see the Vancouver Olympics are making a contribution, and I hope future Olympic Games will raise the bar even higher for the sake of our winter sports culture -- and our planet."
A spokeswoman for the Games said it had been open about sustainability throughout.
She said: "This is the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to take an integrated approach to forecasting, reducing, offsetting and publicly reporting its carbon footprint.
"We incorporated LEED standards into venue design, construction and green principles and practices into our operations and events, with attention to transportation, waste management and food services."This article originally appeared at Edie News.
Image credit: © VANOC/COVAN By Luke Walsh
