Upgrade Insight: Integrating Tools and Data for Enhancement
In the quest for a more sustainable future, understanding and improving energy efficiency has become essential. This article will introduce you to a variety of tools and resources available to help you navigate energy efficiency in different regions.
Firstly, our attention is drawn to Our World in Data, a wealth of information on various topics, including extensive charts on the power generation split between fossil fuels and renewables. For wind energy enthusiasts, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory offers a treasure trove of data, including maps and geospatial tools for North and South America and beyond.
For those looking to renovate their properties, NREL's OpenStudio Application Suite, though somewhat dated, offers a valuable resource for modeling renovation work. In France, CoachCopro connects residents of condominiums with expertise at all stages of their retrofit journey.
In the United States, Energy Star provides a personalized tool for choosing energy-efficient appliances and renovations, while the UK offers an easy search function for energy efficiency reports of buildings. For those interested in the health, social, and economic benefits of retrofitting individual buildings, C40's Benefits of Building Retrofits Toolkit is a valuable resource.
The UK also boasts an interactive policy map for checking local and regional policies for energy retrofits and new builds. BUILD UP, a one-stop-shop for energy-efficient buildings in the European Union, offers a skills section tracking the progress of training professionals in green tech.
On a global scale, the International Energy Agency provides a wealth of information on energy use, policies, and decarbonisation efforts and targets for many of the world's countries. EnergyPlusTM simulates whole building energy performance and can be used for modeling energy and water use in individual properties.
For a more targeted approach, the Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER) offers information on a building's emissions, energy costs, and provides recommendations for efficiency. In Australia, the government's Energy Ratings website provides apps for choosing energy-efficient lightbulbs and calculating a home's energy rating.
Lastly, 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.
To make the most of these resources, it is recommended to identify region-specific requirements or regulations related to energy efficiency, search for publicly available tools provided by local government agencies, utility companies, or industry coalitions, consider energy management software that fits your scale and scope of operations, incorporate data collection hardware for real-time monitoring, and attend training or webinars when available.
By combining these resources—regulatory compliance tools, EMS platforms, data management systems, and simulation models—you can comprehensively monitor, plan, and improve energy efficiency tailored to your particular region and building needs.
- The International Energy Agency, an extensive global resource, offers information on energy use, policies, and decarbonization efforts across various countries, providing insights useful for understanding and improving energy efficiency.
- In the United Kingdom, the Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER) can help determine a building's emissions, energy costs, and provide recommendations for energy efficiency, proving valuable for improving energy efficiency in buildings.
- For those working in the environmental science and finance industries, the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) is a unique tool that assesses the risk of buildings failing to meet ever-increasing energy-efficient standards as technology improves, offering insights on strategies to minimize such risks.
