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Happy holidays!
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Towards Sustainability Certification of Jatropha Biofuels in Mozambique
The Jatropha Alliance, Partners for Innovation, Elaion, Sun Biofuels Mozambique and Agro Pecuaria de Manica, have started the project ‘Towards Sustainability Certification of Jatropha Biofuels in Mozambique’. The Global Sustainable Biomass Fund of the Dutch government is funding the project. In the project Partners for Innovation will develop a methodology to assess the sustainability of Jatropha projects. This will include existing initiatives for the development of sustainability criteria as much as possible. In February 2010, Partners for Innovation will present the assessment methodology to participating companies in Mozambique.
More information: Peter Vissers and Eva Froger
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New ACP-EU Energy Facility call launched
More than 1.6 billion people in the world do not have access to electricity. The 2nd Energy Facility (EFII) aims at improving this situation in African, Caribbean and Pacifique (ACP) countries. The first call with 100 million Euro available closes on February 1, 2010. Both public and private bodies are invited to submit project proposals. Partners for Innovation can support with developing project proposals and implementing projects.
More information: Emiel Hanekamp and Peter Karsch
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CUR Bouw & Infra builds further on ‘sustainable concrete’
CUR Bouw & Infra, the knowledge network of and for the construction industry, wants to do more with the topics ‘sustainable concrete’ and ‘sustainable building with concrete’ within her long term R&D program for concrete and concrete constructions. Partners for Innovation has facilitated two workshops in which representatives of business, government and knowledge institutes have discussed the joint ambition and practical realization these topics. The results of the workshops have been captured in a mindmap website.
More information: Siem Haffmans
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Successful workshop Ecodesign for Dutch Asociation of Suppliers of Large Kitchen Appliances
Recently, Partners for Innovation together with FME-CWM has presented a successful workshop Ecodesign under the title “Score with Ecodesign: more turnover with environment”. Topics were sustainability aspects for members of the NVLG, trends in government, clients and sector and opportunities for Ecodesign and sustainability. The NVLG members have already taken several substantial actions to be able to score with sustainability.
More information: Peter Vissers
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Practical solutions for climate policy municipality Amsterdam Oud-Zuid
Municipality Amsterdam Oud-Zuid plans to be a CO2-neutral organization in 2015. To achieve this, Partners for Innovation has supported the municipality with: making her CO2-footprint, determining an approach plan with concrete CO2-reduction measures and (in cooperation with Greenfocus) formulating an energy advice document for the new municipality office building, Tripolis.
More information: Emiel Hanekamp
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Ander Paz starts internship at Partners for Innovation
Ander Paz has started his internship at Partners for Innovation. Ander is an agronomic engineer specialised in the research and development of sustainable biomass technologies. During his internship he will give technical advice and carry out sustainability assessments for bio energy projects. Ander grew up in Bilbao (Spain) but studied Environmental Technology at Wageningen Univeristy in The Netherlands.
More information: Ander Paz
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Editorial – Sustainable Lighting: More than just energy saving
We are dependent on artificial light. During the day in stores and offices, but especially at night we are used to having optimal sight. The growth of the economy is nowadays even visible in satellite photos of the earth at night time.
At least 15% of all electricity demand in Europe is for lighting. Reason for the European Commission to adopt Regulation (EC) No 244/2009 on the ecodesign of household lamps. It went into force in September 2009, which means the incandescent light bulb will be phased out in four steps. Bulbs with the highest voltage and the least efficient lamps will be taken out of the market first. A considerable step towards sustainable lighting.
For many people LED-lighting has become synonymous for sustainable lighting and the alternative for incandescent light bulbs. LED-lamps have a long lifespan and low voltage (at the same light output). The opportunities for sustainable lighting with LED are thus great. Moreover, technological developments for this light source are rapid.
Still LED has a few hurdles to take before it can be applied everywhere straight away. So called ‘LED cowboys’, who are only interested in sales and are not afraid of unfounded claims on the product’s wrapping, are an annoying side-effect of the huge interest in sustainable lighting. They make it difficult for the serious companies, such as Philips and Osram, who are putting a quality product on the market. This often does imply a higher purchase price.
So what so we mean by sustainable lighting? This was demonstrated in the project Sustainable Lighting Deventer. It is lighting that: Meets the requirements of clients (better and affordable lighting); saves energy and thus emits less carbon; has a long lifespan; is produced in an environmentally friendly manner and is easy to recycle; and does not create light hindrance.
Can this be LED? Sure, and this is increasingly the case due to all technological developments. Important for users is to select professional parties to do business with, have a light plan made and possibly request a test set-up. Especially smaller companies are not sure what sustainable lighting can mean for them and how they can achieve it. Therefore we support municipalities and entrepreneurial organizations to help their SME entrepreneurs on the right path. We are happy to share our long experience with you!
Carolien van Merksteijn, advisor at Partners for Innovation
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