INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY
IEA ACTIVITIES for
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
2002-2004
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
for the 21 CENTURY
ST
Fostering energy technology innovation is a central part of the IEA's work. The development of safer,
more efficient technologies is imperative for achieving the IEA's goals formulated as the three E's; energy
security, environmental protection and economic growth. Equally essential is the widespread deployment
of more economical and environmentally-benign technologies. IEA experience has shown that
international collaboration on these activities avoids duplication of effort, cuts costs and speeds progress.
Diversifying energy supply and use is achieved by developing safer, more efficient technologies which
conserve energy, increase efficiency and improve ways of using fossil fuels, nuclear power and
renewable energy sources. In doing so, IEA Member countries reduce their vulnerability to energy
supply disruptions while ensuring the energy sector contributes to sustainable economic
development, social welfare and the protection of the environment.
According to the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2004, global CO2 emissions are projected to increase
over 60% by 2030. The main finding of a recent IEA publication Oil Crises and Climate Challenges:
30 Years of Energy Use in IEA Countries further accentuate the challenge of reducing emissions; the
energy savings rate in IEA countries has slowed significantly since the late 1980s, as has the decline
in CO2 emissions relative to GDP.
Commercial or near commercial technologies are available to ensure energy security and reduce CO2 1
emissions in the short to medium term, assuming appropriate market signals and market deployment
policies. The latter will accelerate the market introduction of new technologies and facilitate
competitiveness in the market place.
To achieve stabilisation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, deep cuts in emissions will be
required. This calls for a transformation in the way in which energy is supplied and used. No single
technology can accomplish this alone. Instead, the future energy system will rely on a host of
technological options - from better-performing and less costly versions of those available today to
new options which emerge from scientific innovation.
Technological change and diversification holds the key to meeting global energy needs in the 21st
century while capping emissions and ensuring economic growth. Governments, industry and
consumers will use an arsenal of technology options to meet economic, environmental and energy
security needs. The range of technologies set to transform future energy supply and use include
advanced power generation; renewable energy technologies; capturing and storing CO2; advanced
nuclear fission and fusion; advanced power grids and storage systems; end-use efficiency; cleaner,
more efficient industrial processes; cleaner, more efficient vehicles; and hydrogen.
Although countries and regions will opt for technologies and fuels which best suit their energy
policies and resource base, a broad technology portfolio will be needed to provide flexibility, to lower
costs and to hedge against the uncertainty associated with energy supply and use. Spurring
innovation, accelerating research, development and deployment (RD&D), encouraging private sector
participation and ensuring the best technologies are brought to market in a timely manner is a
central aim of the IEA Energy Technology Office and its constituents.
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
A Portfolio of Technologies will Meet Future Energy Needs
2
The range of advanced technologies set to transform future energy supply and use include:
Advanced power generation: Improving the performance of oil, natural gas and coal-fired
power plants by installing high-efficiency turbine technology will increase the amount of power
extracted while cutting emissions. Options include integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC)
or ultra supercritical steam cycle (USCSC) plants, pressurised fluidized bed combustion (PFBC),
and combined heat and power generation (CHP). Longer term, using fuel cells for power
generation will further increase efficiencies.
Renewable energy technologies: Increasing wind, solar, waves or biomass use in power
and heat generation cuts the overall amount of emissions produced by the energy sector.
Coupled with improved storage technologies, intermittent power sources could increasingly
be integrated into electricity networks and, in the long run, be used to produce hydrogen as
an energy carrier.
Capturing and storing CO2: Extracting CO2 from large point sources, such as power plants,
fuel processing facilities and the manufacturing industry, and storing it deep underground in
saline aquifers or injecting it to increase output from oil & gas fields, would enable a swift and
significant cut in emissions to the atmosphere while giving countries time to transition to more
sustainable technologies.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
Advanced nuclear fission and nuclear fusion: For countries choosing to include nuclear in
their fuel mix, advances in nuclear technology could improve the competitive position of nuclear
power against fossil fuels, enhance safety and solve the waste disposal problem. Fourth-generation
designs such as gas-cooled fast reactors (GFR) or very high temperature reactors (VHTR) could be
deployed from 2015-2025 onwards. Longer term, advances in cutting-edge fusion could contribute
to large-scale, low-emissions electricity generation over a 100-year horizon.
Advanced power grids: Poorly maintained and inefficient transmission and distribution grids
saw up to 6.5% of global electricity lost in 2000. Improving grid performance through the use of
'intelligent' system controls and advanced hardware will support management of higher and
more complex loads and increasing the co-mingling of energy and communication systems. This
would cut line losses, improve efficiency and enable the grid to be used more flexibly, allowing
small-scale, distributed power providers such as renewable energy facilities to participate in the
wider electricity market.
Advanced storage systems: Advances in technologies that allow for electricity and hydrogen
storage are important to increase the availability of such fuels for use in a range of applications
such as fuel cells and on-board vehicles.
End-use efficiency: Reducing energy wastage from homes and buildings by improving
insulation will cut the amount of energy needed, particularly for heating, and thence overall
demand. Combining energy saving technologies with power generation sited close to demand
or on-site co-generation of heat and power would reduce line losses. Similarly, advanced building
designs and integrated energy management systems would optimise energy service supply to 3
the buildings sector.
Cleaner, more efficient industrial processes: Deploying efficient technologies in heavy
and light industry's production processes would cut overall energy use. Similarly, putting in place
advanced energy management systems and improving product design can help lowering energy
demand and emissions. Capturing CO2 from iron and steel production and cement kilns and
storing it underground could help the transition to a cleaner industrial future.
Cleaner, more efficient vehicles: In the short term, improving the efficiency of internal
combustion engines and switching from petrol to alternative fuels such as natural gas, electricity
or bio or synthetic fuels could cut emissions from the transport sector. Longer term, advances in
fuel cell technology could lead to important cost reductions and allow for a transition to a
hydrogen-powered transport system.
Hydrogen: Advancing the way hydrogen is produced from cost-competitive technologies
which do not produce CO2 could lead to its widespread adoption in generation using hydrogen
gas turbines and fuel cells, in flexible electricity storage systems and for emissions-free vehicle
propulsion. Longer-term, breakthrough technologies such as photo-electrochemical water
splitting and algal systems for water production could see zero-emission hydrogen transforming
the energy system.
In addition to market-based energy policies and market deployment policies, research
and innovation policies will be crucial to ensure that linkages between basic science and energy
technologies are made and that basic and applied research are supported to develop low emissions
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
technologies for the long term - with a 15-50 year horizon. Governments have traditionally played
a decisive role in both framing and funding policies at the national level and through international
collaboration. Governments have also been a catalyst in using research and innovation policy to
motivate the vital private sector involvement in research, development and demonstration.
Public R&D Expenditures in IEA Member Countries
4
As both public and private energy technology research funding is declining in absolute and relative
terms in most IEA member countries, the new challenges for energy technologies in the 21st century
is for a more deliberate coordination of long-term objectives, research and innovation polices and
sustained R&D funding.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
COLLABORATION
The IEA brings together policy-makers and experts through its Working Parties and Expert Groups
and provides a legal framework for international collaborative research projects, known as
Implementing Agreements.
Research under the more than 40 Implementing Agreements ensures co-operation in energy
technology RD&D, information dissemination and technology transfer. Technologies covered range
from fossil fuels, renewable energy, efficient end-use and fusion power to electric power, technology
assessment methodologies to climate change technology transfer to developing countries.
Implementing Agreements provide the framework for collaborative research, the benefits of which
include pooled resources and shared costs, harmonisation of standards and hedging of technical risks.
Under the stewardship of the IEA Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) the IEA
also supports five active Working Parties/Committees which cover technologies for renewables,
end-use technologies, fossil fuels, fusion and hydrogen. The IEA technology network is supported
by three additional expert groups focusing on oil and gas, research and development strategies,
and basic science and energy technologies.
Countries, industry, national, and international organisations can participate in an Implementing
5
Agreement. Current Implementing Agreements cover a wide range of technology areas from
Advanced Fuel Cells to Wind Turbine Systems. A full list of is available at: www.iea.org/dbtw-
wpd/Textbase/techno/index.asp.
The IEA Energy Technology Network
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
General Publications
IEA Implementing Agreements Background
and Framework as of 2003
Outlines the way in which the IEA Implementing Agreements function and
guides readers towards more detailed information. It also provides the text
of the IEA Framework for International Energy Technology Co-operation,
within which the international collaborative programmes operate.
Implementing Agreement Highlights, 2002-2003 Edition
Provides information on the results and achievements of the IEA
Implementing Agreements in 2002-2003. Since its creation, the IEA has
provided a structure for international co-operation in energy technology
RD&D. Almost three decades of experience have shown that these projects
are contributing significantly to achieving faster technological progress at
lower cost. Co-operation of this sort eliminates technological risks and
duplication of effort, while offering further benefits like swifter expansion of
6 the knowledge base and easier harmonisation of standards.
The CERT Strategic Plan, 2002
Sets out the approach of work for the Committee on Energy Research
and Technology (CERT).
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
RENEWABLES
Renewable energy technologies are maturing at different rates. Some have already found their place
in the market; others are just beginning to demonstrate their potential. All are at a critical stage in
their evolution. Renewable energy has received high levels of attention in recent years as an
alternative to traditional hydrocarbons. Governments, industry and consumers have adopted and
promoted renewable technologies in response to concerns about energy security and the
environment, and as a solution to electricity access problems in isolated areas.
Member governments of the IEA affirm that renewable energy should play an increasing role in the
mix of fuels; the importance of examining strategies and employing market mechanisms to improve
the competitiveness of renewable energies; and that countries should address barriers to
renewable energy development, promote technical standards, and reduce regulatory impediments
to renewable energy trade and investment.
Recent IEA Publications
Renewable Energy: Market & Policy Trends
in IEA Countries, 2004
Provides a comprehensive review of renewable energy markets in IEA 7
countries, and renewable energy policies related to research and innovation
and market deployment strategies. The information is intended to provide a
valuable resource for IEA Member governments to assess their renewables
options in particular, and to pursue their energy strategies more generally.
The findings show that, while use of renewables has grown rapidly, they still
account for only a small portion of the IEA energy mix.
Renewables for Power Generation: Status & Prospects, 2003
Assesses the outlook for six leading renewable energy technologies - small
hydropower, solar photovoltaic, concentrating solar power, biopower,
geothermal power and wind power - analyzing their future costs under
different market scenarios. It looks at how these rapidly-evolving
technologies and their markets are developing, how the technologies
complement each other and how they fit within the overall energy sector.
The results show that, to accomplish more widespread use, renewables will
continue to depend on a supportive policy environment, vigorous
investment in R&D, and improved management procedures by utilities for
on-grid use. The book highlights the importance of market experience for
technology development and the challenge to governments of encouraging
this while minimising public costs and consumer payments.
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Renewables in Russia: From Opportunity to Reality, 2003
Examines the potential role of renewables in the Russian economy and
demonstrates that renewable energy can offer a real means to address
some of Russia's energy and economic challenges. The study shows that
location and capital cost based on technology status are the most
important factors affecting competitiveness. It also illustrates that reducing
the cost of renewables further will require more R&D and also the
stimulation of markets to increase industry experience.
Renewables Information, 2004
This annual publication provides a comprehensive overview of renewables
and waste use in the OECD region. It addresses a need for development of
reliable statistics on this energy form. Support for increasing renewable
energy's role in the energy sector has never been greater, and this
publication seeks to increase understanding of the current market and
trends over recent years. The report contains analysis of renewables and
waste energy supply, electricity production and installed electricity
generating capacity in OECD countries.
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Renewable Energy… Into the Mainstream, 2003
Produced by the Renewable Energy Working Party (REWP), this report
outlines the steps that must be taken to accelerate the introduction of
sustainable, large-scale renewable energy markets. The analysis shows that
while renewable energy can be one of the new solutions to minimise future
environmental degradation, assure reliability of services, and provide better
services at lower overall costs, the immediate challenge is to ensure the
energy framework reflects environmental security and social values, and is a
step in the right direction to bringing renewables into the mainstream.
Papers
The IEA Geothermal Implementing Agreement - Its Status, Highlights and Future
Prospects, 24 June 2003. By M.A. Mongillo, Secretary, IEA GIA and New Zealand Institute of
Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited; and David Nieva, Chairman, IEA GIA Executive Committee
and Mexico Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas. Sets out plans to expand the R&D activities of
the Geothermal Implementing Agreement (GIA) and to extend official membership to non-
member countries.
Applying Portfolio Theory to EU Electricity Planning and Policy-Making, February
2003. By Shimon Awerbuch with Martin Berger. Presents the results of applying the Mean-Variance
Portfolio Theory to the process of evaluating generating technologies and generating portfolios.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
The result shows that a portfolio of energy technologies with differing financial characteristics could
be less costly, over time, than a portfolio constructed exclusively from fuel-based systems.
Impact of Technology Learning on Long-term Prospects for Renewable Energy
Technologies: A Case Study using the IEA ETP Model. By Dolf Gielen, Fridtjof Unander,
Niclas Mattsson, and Rick Sellers, IEA. Using the IEA Energy Technology Perspectives model this
paper investigates how deployment polices can reduce the cost of, and thus increase, the market
potential for various renewable energy technologies through leaning-by-doing effects.
Conferences
Technology, Market and Policy Trends for Renewables, Bonn, Germany, 3 June 2004.
A side event at the International Conference for Renewable Energies, this highlighted IEA activities
in renewables and was used to launch the IEA/REU database on renewable energy policies and
measures in the JREC countries. The IEA also hosted an exhibition with the IEA Renewable Energy
Implementing Agreements.
Integration of Wind Power into Electricity Grids: Economic and Reliability Impacts,
IEA, Paris, 25 May 2004. Organised jointly by the IEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), this
event discussed the magnitude and relative importance of grid-related costs and benefits attributed
to an increasing share of wind power.
Distributed Generation: Key Issues, Challenges, Roles for its Integration into Main
Energy Systems, IEA, Paris, 1 March 2004. This one-day seminar, chaired by the Renewable 9
Energy Working Party, was organised to bring forward a more robust work plan on distributed
generation at the IEA.
Economies in Transition, the IEA and Renewable Energy, Budapest, Hungary, 13 October
2003. Organised by the Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport, the Energy Centre Hungary
and the IEA's Renewable Energy Working Party, this event presented current views of policy with
regard to renewable energy, markets and technology in selected countries.
International Solar Energy Society's World Congress, Goteborg, Sweden, 14-19 June
2003, organized with the Solar Heating and Cooling and SolarPACES Implementing Agreements with
contributions from the IEA Secretariat.
IEA PVPS International Conference, Osaka, Japan, 19-20 May 2003, organized by Japan in
close co-operation with the PVPS Implementing Agreement and the IEA Secretariat.
Joint IEA/OECD Workshop on Promoting International Collaboration on Bioprocesses,
Bioproducts and the BioBased Economy (BBE), Ottawa, Canada, 3-6 March 2003.
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Implementing Agreements
An overview of the scope of international collaborative research, research results and case studies
of the following Implementing Agreements are available at the websites listed below.
Bioenergy www.ieabioenergy.com
Geothermal http://spider.iea.org/tech/gia/index.htm
Hydropower www.ieahydro.org
Ocean Energy Systems www.iea-oceans.org
Photovoltaic Power System (PVPS) www.iea-pvps.org
Hydrogen www.ieahia.org
Solar Heating and Cooling www.iea-shc.org
SolarPACES www.solarpaces.org
Wind Turbine Systems www.ieawind.org
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IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
CLEAN FOSSIL FUELS
Improving the performance of oil, natural gas and coal-fired power plants by installing high-efficiency
turbine technology will increase the amount of power extracted while cutting emissions. Options
include integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or ultra supercritical steam cycle (USCSC)
plants, pressurised fluidized bed combustion (PFBC), and combined heat and power generation
(CHP). Longer term, using fuel cells for power generation will further increase efficiencies.
With sufficient technology investment, and after successfully solving various environmental and legal
issues, capturing CO2 from large point sources and storing it deep underground in geological
formations can curb greenhouse gas emissions, allowing for the continued use of fossil fuels while
ensuring energy supply security and economic growth.
Recent IEA Publications
Prospects for CO2 Capture and Storage, 2004
Provides detailed results of the IEA Energy Technology Perspectives (ETP)
model using scenario analysis to assess the future role of CO2 capture and
storage and the main uncertainties surrounding such a policy option.
11
Results show that an aggressive policy of developing and deploying CO2
capture and storage technologies could achieve substantial reductions in
worldwide CO2 emissions. The book provides detailed estimates of the
likely reductions available from CO2 capture and storage under a variety of
technological and economic scenarios. The analysis is a tool with which to
accelerate the design of more effective and efficient energy and
environmental policies through technology.
Solutions for the 21st Century: Zero Emissions
Technologies for Fossil Fuels, 2002
Produced by the Working Party on Fossil Fuels (WPFF), this two-volume
study sets out various options for producing energy using fossil fuels with
low emissions. The first volume, Working Document, describes ways in
which to promote the development and use of zero emissions
technologies from 2002-2004 by building on existing WPFF activities,
including various advisory group and collaborative energy technology
projects. The second volume, Status Report, provides information on
zero emissions technologies for fossil fuels and the array of RD&D
activities being undertaken worldwide by the private and public sectors.
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Zero Emissions Technologies for Fossil Fuels, 2003
Prepared on behalf of the Working Party on Fossil Fuels (WPFF) by the IEA Clean Coal Centre
Implementing Agreement, this seven-volume study assesses various aspects of producing energy
from fossil fuels with low emissions. It comprises the reports CO2 Capture at Power Stations
12 and Other Major Point Sources, CO2 Capture and Storage in Geological Formations,
The Utilisation of CO2, Policies to Support Development and Deployment,
Organisations and Major Programmes, The Need for Finance and Fiscal Incentives,
and Control and Minimisation of Coal-fired Power Plant Emissions. The work benefited
from close collaboration with the private sector, in particular with the members of the IEA’s Coal
Industry Advisory Board (CIAB).
Papers
The Future Role of CO2 Capture and Storage: Results of the IEA ETP Model,
November 2003. By Dolf Gielen, IEA. Provides preliminary results from the IEA's Energy Technology
Perspectives (ETP) model used to assess the future role of CO2 capture and storage in a greenhouse
gas emission-constrained world. The results suggest CO2 capture and storage can play an
important role in reducing emissions in the first part of the 21st century and pinpoints the electricity
sector as a major area in which to apply capture technologies.
Legal Aspects of Storing Carbon Dioxide, 2004. The paper was prepared as a follow-up
document after the joint IEA/CSLF Workshop of the same name that took place in Paris on 12-13
July 2004. As well as presenting an analysis of the current legal status of CO2 capture and storage,
the paper calls for more empirical data from storage projects to enable an assessment of storage risks
and to develop siting and monitoring standards. Such projects would be key for public acceptance
and allow for the definition of a longer-term legal framework for CO2 storage projects. The paper
also highlights the need for contracting parties to international treaties to seek clarification of the
legal status of CO2 capture and storage in saline aquifers.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
Uncertainties in relation to CO2 Capture and Sequestration: Preliminary Results,
March 2003. By Dolf Gielen, IEA. Based on preliminary results from the ETP model, this paper
assesses the various uncertainties associated with CO2 capture and storage. It recommends
developing CO2 capture and storage technologies but notes that areas for advanced power plant
designs will be needed to cut the cost of capture while uncertainties over storage permanence
must also be tackled.
Conferences
IEA/CSLF Joint Workshop on Legal Aspects of Storing Carbon Dioxide, IEA Paris, 12-13
July 2004. Organised by the IEA Working Party on Fossil Fuels (WPFF) and the Carbon Sequestration
Leadership Forum (CSLF), this joint workshop looked at legal issues surrounding CO2 capture and
storage in both domestic and international law by sharing countries' experience of the legal aspects
and by seeking a way forward to resolve these uncertainties.
IEA/FFWF Conference on Gas Technologies, Houston, USA, 24-26 May, 2004.
IEA Asia Pacific Conference on Zero Emissions Technologies (ZETs) for Fossil Fuels,
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, 17-19 February, 2004. This one-day technical workshop, two-
day conference and exhibition highlighting work currently being undertaken in the ZETs area was
organised by IEA Working Party for Fossil Fuels (WPFF) with support from the United Nations, IEA
member countries, Australian and Queensland Governments and US Department of Energy.
12th International Conference on Coal Science “Coal - contributing to sustainable 13
world development”, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 2-6 November 2003. Organised by the
Australian Institute of Energy and co-hosted by the IEA Clean Coal Centre and the IEA, this provided
an extensive and stimulating technical programe of plenary lectures and over 300 oral and poster
presentations on the latest advances in coal science.
Implementing Agreements
IEA Clean Coal Centre www.iea-coal.org.uk
Clean Coal Sciences www.iea-ccs.fossil.energy.gov
Enhanced Oil Recovery www.iea.org/eor
Fluidised Bed Conversion www.iea.org/tech/fbc
Multiphase Flow Sciences www.etsu.com/ieampf
IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme www.ieagreen.org.uk
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND
END-USE TECHNOLOGIES
Various end-use technologies, ranging from advanced power grids and storage systems to ways
of improving efficiency in industrial processes and energy saving in buildings and the home, could
save energy and cut emissions while ensuring economic growth.
Improving grid performance through the use of 'intelligent' system controls and advanced
hardware will support the management of higher and more complex loads. This would reduce line
losses, improve efficiency and enable the grid to be used more flexibly, allowing small-scale,
distributed power providers such as renewable energy facilities to participate in the wider
electricity market. Similarly, improving the way in which electricity and hydrogen are stored
through advances in compression technology, nanotechnology and other sciences, will enable
safe storage over longer periods, increasing the availability of such fuels for use in a range of
applications such as fuel cells and on-board vehicles.
Reducing energy wastage from residential and commercial buildings by improving insulation will
cut the amount of energy needed, particularly for heating, and thence overall demand.
Combining energy saving technologies with power generation sited close to demand or on-site
14
co-generation of heat and power would reduce line losses. Similarly, deploying energy efficient
technologies in the heavy and light industry's production processes would cut overall energy use
and reduce CO2 emissions.
Recent IEA Publications
Oil Crises & Climate Challenges: 30 Years of Energy Use
in IEA Countries, 2004
Examines how energy efficiency and other factors such as economic
structure, income, lifestyle, prices, and fuel mix have shaped developments
of energy use and CO2 emissions in IEA countries since the organisation
was founded 30 years ago. The publication provides energy and climate
policy-makers with data and insights to help shape ways to use energy
efficiency and lower-carbon fuels to achieve a more sustainable future.
One of the main findings of the study is that the rate of energy saving in
IEA economies has slowed since 1990, as has the decline in CO2 emissions
.
relative to GDP This shows that the changes caused by the oil price shocks
in the 1970s and the resulting energy policies did considerably more to
control growth in energy demand and reduce CO2 emissions than the
energy efficiency and climate policies implemented in the 1990s.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
Cool Appliances: Policy Strategies for
Energy-Efficient Homes, 2003
Assesses the potential energy savings and carbon reductions to be achieved
through technical improvements in appliances. It analyses the policy options
available to stimulate greater manufacture and use of more efficient
appliances. The results show that additional efficiency gains of up to 30%
are possible by targeting the least life-cycle cost for appliances from 2005
onwards as the minimum efficiency performance standard. By adopting
such standards, IEA Member countries could save some 322 million tonnes
(Mt) of CO2/yr by 2010 and 642 TWh/yr of electricity by the same date. More
importantly, these savings could be achieved at a negative cost to society.
The Power to Choose: Demand Response in
Liberalised Electricity Markets, 2003
Analyses the economic, efficiency and security benefits and identifies the
changes in electricity tariffs and the network infrastructure needed to
achieve greater demand response. The study analyses the impact of price-
responsive demand and shows how pricing, policy and technology can be
used to inform consumer behaviour and choice. It looks at several cases of
volatile prices in IEA countries' electricity markets, and finds that while
market prices are a necessary incentive for new investment in peak capacity, 15
government intervention into the market to limit prices may undermine such
investment. For investment to thrive, the government's role in electricity
market reform needs to be more carefully defined. Its role should include
monitoring the level of investment, and being able to respond effectively to
threats of market manipulation.
Papers
Challenges in Energy and Environment Modelling: a Materials Perspective,
November 2003. By Dolf Gielen and Sohbet Karbuz, IEA. Discusses the IEA ETP model and the
challenges encountered in energy and materials modelling. The preliminary results suggest
industrial CO2 emission mitigation policies are complicated by carbon leakage. Technological
change alone is insufficient to prevent leakage, and trade and greenhouse gas should be co-
ordinated. The paper also discusses a number of key modelling challenges and proposes some
steps on how to establish research priorities.
Better Data for Better Energy Policy; Developing Indicators of Energy Use in India,
2002. By Fridjof Unander, Pierre Audinet and Lee Schipper, IEA. This paper identifies the challenges
to analyzing energy use in India, given the data available and the institutional processes responsible
for collecting and processing them.
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Curbing Energy Demand in India? Where to Start?, 2002. By Fridjof Unander and Pierre
Audinet, IEA. This note presents findings from a feasibility study that assessed how the IEA Energy
Indicator Approach could be applied to India.
Energy Indicators and Sustainable Development, by Fridtjof Unander, IEA. Describes how
energy indicators can be used as a tool to track progress in energy efficiency developments and how
energy efficiency progress can contribute to sustainable development within the energy sector.
Conferences
Workshop on Electricity Transmission and Distribution Technology and R&D, IEA,
Paris, 4-5 November 2004. Organised by the IEA Office of Energy Efficiency, Technology and R&D,
this workshop reviewed technology priorities and the research and collaboration needed to bring
critical technologies to fruition to meet future power delivery needs.
Workshop on Advances in Technology and Instrumentation to Guarantee the
Reduction of GHG in different Sectors, INETI, Lisbon, Portugal, 6 October 2004. Organised
by the End-Use Working Party and INETI. The workshop covered advances in the transport, industrial
and buildings sectors and reviewed technology priorities and the research and collaboration needed.
Cooling Buildings in a Warming Climate, Sophia Antipolis, France, 21-22 June 2004.
Organised by the IEA and France's Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie (ADEME),
16 this bi-annual meeting of the Building Forum and its Implementing Agreement examined trends in
cooling energy demand, climate change science and projections for climate change impacts on
building energy demand over the next 25 years, as well as policy options and priorities.
International Workshop on Saving Energy in Set-Top Boxes, IEA, Paris, 27-28 May 2004.
This IEA-hosted workshop examined the energy efficiency of set-top boxes. Government officials
also met separately and agreed to coordinate their policies towards set-top boxes principally
designed to convert digital signals into analog signals.
Energy Efficiency: Past Development & Future Potential, IEA, Paris, 26-27 April 2004. This
IEA-hosted workshop, chaired by the Energy Efficiency Working Party (EEWP), examined past
activities, policies, methodology and data issues relating to energy efficiency.
Workshop on International Collaboration on Industrial Energy Efficiency
Technologies, Bahia, Brazil, 23-25 March 2004. Hosted by the Brazilian Government and organised
by the IEA Implementing Agreement on Process Integration with participation from Brazilian industry,
this workshop on energy efficiency technologies in industry introduced participants to the IEA energy
technology international research networks (Implementing Agreements) and explained the various
technologies available for improving the energy efficiency of industrial processes.
Highly Efficient Energy Utilisation in Factories and Buildings, Tokyo, Japan, 19 January
2004. Organised by the IEA and the Energy Conservation Center of Japan, this workshop examined
advanced practices in energy efficiency in IEA countries and discussed the role of and co-operation
between governments and the private sector.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
3rd International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and
Lighting (EEDAL'03), Turin, Italy, 1-3 October 2003. Organised by the European Commission, the
IEA, the UN and the Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program, this event examined
the importance of maximising energy efficiency in consumer products following the World Summit
on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg which concluded that changing unsustainable
patterns of energy use is a key area for global action.
End-Use Working Party (EUWP) Industry Workshop: Maximising the Impact of the
Implementing Agreements on Industry, Manchester, UK, 21 October 2003, examined process
integration, efforts to improve linkages between Implementing Agreements and plan new projects.
From the Laboratory to the Marketplace (and the policies to make it happen),
Washington, USA, 8 October 2003. Organised jointly by the Working Party on Energy End-use
Technologies (EUWP) and the Energy Efficiency Working Party (EEWP), this workshop explored the
linkages between basic and applied science and energy technology development, and the
deployment of such new technologies in the marketplace.
Meeting with Green Building Challenge, IEA, Paris, 24 April 2003, led to a collaboration
between GBC and the ECBCS Implementing Agreements.
Energy Efficient Bioprocesses Workshop, Ottawa, Canada, 3-4 March 2003.
Demand Response Workshop, IEA, Paris, 24-25 February 2003, in conjunction with the IEA
Demand-Side Management Implementing Agreement.
17
Implementing Agreements
Energy Conservation and Emissions
Reduction in Combustion www.im.na.cnr.it/IEA/
Assessing the Impacts of High-Temperature
Superconductivity (HTS) on the
Electric Power Sector http://spider.iea.org/tech/scond/scond.htm
Process Integration www.iea-pi.org
Pulp and Paper www.ieapap.com
Demand-Side Management www.dsm.iea.org
District Heating and Cooling www.iea-dhc.org/index.htm
Energy Conservation in Buildings and
Community Systems Programme (ECBCS) www.ecbcs.org
Energy Conservation Through Energy Storage www.iea-eces.org
Heat Pumping Technologies www.heatpumpcentre.org
Energy and Environmental
Technologies Information Centres (EETIC) www.eetic.org
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE) www.etde.org
Energy Technology Systems
Analysis Programme (ETSAP) www.etsap.org
Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) www.climatetech.net
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
TRANSPORT, HYDROGEN AND
FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES
Improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines and switching from petrol to alternative fuels
such as natural gas, electricity or bio or synthetic fuels could cut emissions from the transport sector
in the short term. Longer term, advances in fuel cell technology may lead to important cost
reductions and allow for a transition to a hydrogen-powered transport system.
Advancing the way in which hydrogen is produced from cost-competitive technologies which do
not produce CO2 could lead its widespread adoption in power generation using hydrogen gas
turbines and fuel cells, in flexible electricity storage systems and for emissions-free vehicle
propulsion. Ultimately, breakthrough technologies such as photo-electrochemical water splitting
and algal systems for water production could see zero-emission hydrogen transforming the energy
system as we know it.
Recent IEA Publications
IEA Energy Technology Briefs: Transport, 2004
18 Produced for the 10th Session of the UNFCCC Co-operation of the Parties in
December 2004, this pamphlet describes technologies and actions that
could provide the foundation for a ‘clean’ transport system in OECD
countries. It shows that many of the actions available now to reduce CO2
emissions stemming from transport will be important steps for a transition
to a transport system with very low emissions, and that in order to achieve
this, even by 2050, it will be necessary to take certain actions soon.
Biofuels for Transport: An International Perspective, 2004
Explores the range of options on offer for biofuels for transport and asks
whether a global trade in biofuels should be more rigorously pursued. It
looks at recent trends in biofuel production and considers what the future
might hold if such alternatives were to displace petroleum in transport. The
report takes a global perspective on the nascent biofuels industry, assessing
regional similarities and differences as well as the cost and benefits of the
various initiatives being undertaken around the world. It includes the
finding that, in the absence of strong government policies, the worldwide
use of oil in transport will nearly double between 2000-2030, leading to a
similar increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Review of National
R&D Programs, 2004
Maps current efforts by IEA countries to research, develop and deploy the
interlocking elements that constitute a 'hydrogen economy', including
CO2 capture and storage when hydrogen is produced out of fossil fuels.
It provides an overview of what is being done, and by whom, covering
an extensive complexity of national government R&D programmes.
The survey highlights the potential for exploiting the benefits of
international co-operation.
Bus Systems for the Future: Achieving Sustainable
Transport Worldwide, 2002
Demonstrates the advantages of bus rapid transit over traditional systems
and the way in which improving bus systems and technologies can put
urban transportation on a more sustainable path by reducing traffic
congestion and air pollution. Shows how new bus systems emerging in
Latin America in particular are revolutionising urban travel, providing a fast,
reliable and efficient service.
19
Papers
Transport Technologies and Policies for Energy Security and CO2 Reductions, March
2003, IEA. Summarises energy technology and policy issues facing the transportation sector in
three time periods: during a petroleum supply shortfall; the near-term through 2010; the longer
term after 2010. The policy objectives considered are to achieve oil savings, improve energy security
and reduce CO2 emissions though improved technologies and policy frameworks.
IEA collaborative project with the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD). Over the past two years, the IEA and the Sustainable Mobility Project
(SMP) of the WBCSD have jointly developed a global transport spreadsheet model and used it to
develop long-term transportation/energy scenarios used in the SMP report Mobility 2030: Meeting
the Challenges to Sustainability. This report, as well as the model and a model documentation
report, are available to the general public for free on the WBCSD website (http://www.wbcsd.org).
The model is a spreadsheet that tracks vehicle sales and stocks, travel, efficiency, energy use and
emissions for all major transport modes and regions worldwide. Reference case projections are
made up to 2050, calibrated to the IEA's World Energy Outlook 2002. The project brought together
12 leading international automotive and energy companies who worked closely with the IEA on
key aspects of their analysis.
Hydrogen and Transport: Alternative Scenarios, By Carmen Difiglio and Dolf Gielen, IEA.
This paper analyses alternative ways that hydrogen can be produced, transported and used. Several
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
hydrogen scenarios are developed and compared to each other. In addition, other technology
options to achieve these goals are analyzed. A full fuel cycle analysis is used to compare the energy
use and carbon emissions of these technology scenarios.
Conferences
Fueling the Future: Workshop on Automobile CO2 Reduction and Fuel Economy
Improvement Policies, Shanghai, China, 13 October 2004. Organised by the IEA and the United
National Environment Programme (UNEP), this workshop provided an opportunity for government
representatives from Asian countries to discuss recent policy initiatives and share experience
regarding implementation of fuel economy improvement policies and measures.
Windsor Workshop on Transportation Technology and Fuels Forum, Toronto, Canada,
14-17 June 2004. Organised by the IEA, Natural Resources Canada and the US Department of
Energy, this annual international transport technology and fuel forum examined vehicle and engine
technologies; fuels, production, storage and infrastructure; and policies, programmes, as well as
socio-economic and implementation issues.
Toward Hydrogen - R&D Priorities to Create a Hydrogen Infrastructure, IEA, Paris, 3
March 2003. This high-level Renewable Energy Working Party-sponsored IEA workshop examined
the path to a hydrogen economy including issues around production, storage and international co-
operation. The event led to the creation of the IEA Hydrogen Coordination Group to provide
coordination in relation to international co-operative activities on hydrogen and fuel cell
20 technologies and policies.
Implementing Agreements
Advanced Fuel Cells www.ieafuelcell.com
Advanced Materials for Transportation Applications http://ia.amt.ornl.gov
Advanced Motor Fuels www.iea-amf.vtt.fi
Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technologies and Programmes www.ieahev.org
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
NUCLEAR FISSION AND
FUSION TECHNOLOGIES
For countries choosing to include nuclear in their fuel mix, advances in nuclear technology could
improve the competitive position of nuclear power compared to fossil fuels while enhancing reactor
safety and tackling waste disposal. Fourth-generation designs such as gas-cooled fast reactors (GFR)
or very high temperature reactors (VHTR) could be deployed from 2015-2025 onwards. Longer term,
advances in cutting-edge nuclear fusion technology could contribute to large-scale, low-emissions
electricity generation over a 100-year horizon.
Recent IEA Publications
Innovative Nuclear Reactor Development: Opportunities for
International Co-operation, 2002
Reviews the various innovative nuclear-fission technologies under
development and the way in which they attempt to address the challenges
facing nuclear energy. Findings suggest areas for collaborative R&D to
reduce the time and cost required to develop new technologies. The report
is a product of the 'Three-Agency Study', a joint project involving the 21
International Energy Agency (IEA), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Papers
Technology Options: Fusion Power, February 2003. Provides an overview of the International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, IEA activities in the area of fusion power and an
Annex setting out a Position Paper by the IEA Fusion Power Co-ordinating Committee.
Implementing Agreements
Environmental, Safety and
Economic Aspects of Fusion Power
Fusion Materials
Large Tokamaks
Nuclear Technology of Fusion Reactors
www.iea.org/dbtw-wpd/textbase
Plasma Wall Interaction in TEXTOR
/techno/technologies/index_fusion.asp
Reversed Field Pinches
Stellerator Concept
Toroidal Physics in, and Plasma Technologies of
Tokamaks with Poloidal Field Divertors (ASDEX-Upgrade)
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
OVERVIEW AND MODELLING
Creating Markets for Energy Technologies, 2003
Explores the design of technology deployment programmes and the
reasons behind their success through 22 case studies from IEA countries.
Shows that while expanding markets for clean and efficient technologies will
increase energy security and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many
promising technologies are still too expensive or face other obstacles to
commercial deployment. The book notes that realising the potential for a
cleaner and more secure energy system will require governments to consider
deployment policies to create markets for the new technologies.
World Energy Outlook, 2004
This edition in the bi-annual World Energy Outlook series incorporates in-
depth information on energy technologies, including a detailed overview of
World Alternative Policy Scenario assessing the impact on energy use of a
range of new policies and of faster deployment of energy-efficient technology.
22
World Energy Investment Outlook, 2003
This special publication from the bi-annual World Energy Outlook series
includes a chapter on advanced technologies such as CO2 capture and
storage, hydrogen and fuel cells, advanced nuclear reactors, and advanced
electricity transmission and distribution technologies. It highlights the fact
that advanced energy technologies of this sort could change the long-term
energy investment outlook.
Papers
International Technology Collaboration and Climate Change Mitigation, 9 June 2004.
By Cédric Philibert, IEA. Prepared by the OECD and IEA at the request of the Annex I Expert Group
on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to provide input into
climate change negotiations. It notes that increased international co-operation could facilitate and
accelerate technology innovation, development and diffusion but that formal negotiating processes
can sometimes slow the process.
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004
Integrating Energy and Environmental Goals: Investment Needs and Technology
Options, 1 December 2003. Foreword by Corrado Clini and Alessandro Ortis. A background
report prepared for the Italian Government by the IEA for the 9th Conference of the Parties of the
UNFCCC, Milan, 1-12 December 2003. The report highlights the challenges facing the integration
of energy and environmental policies. It describes the investments needed to fund the production
of energy over the next 30 years, and the technology options that could, if developed, improve the
economic and environmental performance of the energy sector.
Conferences
IEA Conference on Linking Basic Science and the Development of New Energy
Technologies, IEA, Paris, 1-2 April 2003, provided an opportunity to build on the growing view
that meeting world energy challenges will greatly benefit from better interaction between basic
science and energy technology innovation.
China - IEA Seminar on Modelling and Energy Statistics, Beijing, 20-21 October 2003,
organised jointly by the IEA and the Energy Research Institute (ERI), under the National
Development and Reform Commission of China. The seminar highlighted energy modelling and
statistics activities where IEA and China are collaborating. Presentations were given by Chinese
experts, IEA staff and other international experts, including representatives from the IEA
Implementing Agreement ETSAP .
IEA - Brazil Seminar on Modelling and Energy Planning, Rio de Janeiro, 10-11 May 23
2004, organised jointly by the Federal University of Rio, CEPEL (the Electricity Research Center) and
the IEA, and sponsored by Petrobras and the Government of Norway. The seminar brought
together different institutions involved in energy planning in Brazil to discuss energy planning
activities with focus on energy models and data. The well-attended event provided an important
opportunity for policy-makers and experts to exchange opinions on how energy planning process
in Brazil should be developed.
2002 - 2004 IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Further Information
More information on IEA energy technology research is available at:
http://library.iea.org/dbtw-wpd/textbase/subjectqueries/keyresult.asp?KEYWORD_ID=4120
or by emailing: impag@iea.org
Regular updates on activities within the IEA energy technology and R&D community are available
by subscribing to the OPEN Energy Technology Bulletin:
24 http://spider.iea.org/impagr/cip/index.htm
IEA ACTIVITIES for ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 2002 - 2004