16 May 2011: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released the newest in its IEA Technology Roadmap series. “Energy-efficient Buildings: Heating and Cooling Equipment” discusses the current status of heating and cooling technologies and indicates that these technologies have the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to two gigatons and to save 710 million tons of oil equivalent of energy by 2050.

The report includes a vision for heating and cooling technology deployment, milestones and actions for technology development, strategic goals and actions for heating and cooling technology policy, and near-term actions for stakeholders. It underscores that heating and cooling accounts for around one-third of total end-use energy consumption globally, and that choosing best available technologies and improving these technologies further makes economic and ecological sense. The report indicates that most of these technologies, including solar thermal, combined heat and power, heat pumps and thermal energy storage, are commercially available today.

The report calls for significant increases in research and development funding, and governments to lower barriers and create enabling economic conditions for the uptake of more efficient heating and cooling technologies. Key actions for the next decade include: establishing policy and stakeholder working groups to align energy efficiency and environmental policies with one another and with other policy areas; developing context-specific national roadmaps; collecting comprehensive energy consumption data; supplying decision makers with context-relevant information on technology alternatives; and supporting the further education of key professionals such as architects, engineers and designers on energy efficiency issues. [IEA Press Release] [Publication: Energy-efficient Buildings: Heating and Cooling Equipment]