Mr. Green's Efficiency Watch: July 2023

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Mr. Green's Efficiency Watch

The quarterly review of energy efficiency standards & regulations

July 2023

Mr. Green says...

Welcome to the latest issue of Efficiency Watch. We begin in the EV industry with a look at the two key solutions for reducing battery charging time, followed by a report on how electric buses can operate effectively in extreme weather. Staying with the topic of weather and temperature control, we examine the increasing popularity of heat pumps before visiting the UK’s latest initiative to reduce heating bills for low-income families. We end this episode in China with a review of the first 20 years of the country’s energy efficiency labeling system.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, or would like me to report on a specific regulation, please feel free to contact me through our web form.

In this issue:

As we enter the second decade of the global electric car movement, battery charging time remains the highest hurdle to clear. Choosing between the two primary solutions, battery swapping and extreme-fast charging (XFC), is not an either-or technology decision. It’s a “depending on the use case” economic decision. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method and explore the possibility of five-minute EV charging. Read more.

Cold weather reduces the range of EVs by up to 30%! The impact can be greater for electric buses due to the large cabin space that needs to be heated without the presence of an internal combustion engine. As cities around the world transition to electric public transportation, transit agencies in cold places are working deep into their winter nights to mitigate the negative impact of climate on their EV fleets. We examine several key solutions being deployed and technologies that can extend range. Read more.

Heat pumps have emerged as a compelling alternative to traditional home air conditioning methods. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that a home can save as much as $1300 in energy cost annually by replacing traditional furnaces with heat pumps. We look at how heat pumps work, what the market trends are and why high-efficiency motor driver technologies are driving the heat pump revolution. Read more.

The UK Government recently launched a program called “Help to Heat,” which aims to reduce the energy bills for approximately 130,000 low-income households across England. The initiative will be supported with up to £1.5 billion from the Social Housing Decarbonization Fund (SHDF) and Home Upgrade Grants. Qualified upgrades include external wall and loft insulation, energy-efficient doors and windows, heat pumps, as well as energy-generation systems like solar panels. Read more.

A robust energy labeling system has been proven to be one of the most effective ways of steering consumer decisions toward energy-efficient products. In China, the country accounting for almost a quarter of the world’s energy consumption, the China Energy Label (CEL) has been a great success. We look back at the first 20 years of CEL and other national programs that have contributed greatly to China’s energy conservation and emission reduction efforts. Read more.

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