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2012, May 19 Global climate policy. The criticism on the UNFCCC functioning has grown, and workable alternatives are necessary. The column on climate policy design "Het belangrijkste komt laatst: wie redt het klimaat?" is published in the first number of the Dutch language journal Tijdschrift voor Omgevingsrecht en Omgevingsbeleid. The paper The urgency of a light climate policy needs updating and improvement to get acceptance by an A journal. Renewable energy. The special IPCC report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation has been published by Cambridge University Press (I contributed to seven parts of this volume). The article with Volkmar Lauber "Assessing the performance of renewable electricity support instruments" is published by Energy Policy (2012 Vol.45: 635-644), after a quite controversial review process. At IRENEC2012 (Istanbul) I deliver the oral presentation "Balancing Incumbent and Opposite Perspectives on Key Issues in the 100% Renewable Electricity Transition". Energy Efficiency. The paper delivered at eceee-2011 summer school has been reworked to a journal article and is published by Energy Efficiency as "Financial appraisal of energy efficiency investments: Why the Good may be the Worst Enemy of the Best." An abstract on measuring the energy savings of CHP plants was accepted by eceee-2012, but I withdrew it by lack of time to edit the article in due time. More applied: I am involved in the shallow renovation of a farm house dating from 1950. Because the house has no cavity walls, proper insulation is only feasible for the new roof. Also the central heating system is overhauled with separate circuits by room and a new LPG burner installed. A 25 m2 kitchen-living room is thoroughly renovated and fully insulated (floor, walls, roof) because it was the former bakery with an open fireplace, in very bad condition. It is appropriate to fully heat the 25m2 living space during winter, and selectively or modestly heat the remainder of the house, as part of a future sustainable lifestyle. February 1st a funded 4-year research project on advanced ORC (Organic Rankine Cycles) started, where we are the economics partner of advanced technical groups at the Universities of Ghent and Liège, the Highschool West-Vlaanderen (HOWEST) and the global company Atlas Copco. More information at www.orcnext.be From March onwards I (again) engaged as chair of the board of CENERGIE, a consulting engineering company on energy efficiency and efficient buildings. For a couple of months this will override part of my academic work, until a new equilibrium is installed. Lectures and contributions: 2012 February 23: University Ghent - Institute for International Studies: The Urgency of a Light Climate Policy 2012 May 03: Universiteit Antwerpen - ACTUA: De Kwestie Atoomenergie, gekaderd in de klimaatcrisis en haar energieoplossingen. 2012 May 06: Antwerpen - Het Groene Boek: paneldebat over De Grote Transitie 2012 June 7: Universiteit Antwerpen: Kernenergie, deelgenoot in een duurzame energievoorziening, in Kernenergie één jaar na Fukushima: wie is er nog mee? http://www.ua.ac.be/fukushima/programma 2012 June 28-30: Istanbul - IRENEC2012: Balancing incumbent and opposite perspectives on key issues in the 100% renewable electricity transition
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