en-gbCopyright: (C) Cool Products, see privacy_policy.aspx for terms and conditions of reuseimages/logo.jpgcool_blog_archive_The_end_of_polar_chill_in_supermarkets_511.aspxAs reported recently on our sister site Coolproducts.fr, France has announced a voluntary agreement to reduce electricity use in supermarkets. The sector agreed to put in place doors to close display fridges in their stores. This may seem like a small measure, but these fridges actually represent around half of electricity consumption in an...cool_blog_archive_ENDS_Europe_Leap_in_ecodesign_rules_predicted_for_2012_486.aspxWell respected environmental news outlet ENDS Europe reports on expectations for next year''s work on ecodesign. Thanks to ENDS for permission to re-publish this content. Leap in ecodesign rules predicted for 2012 20th December 2011 Next year could be a "vintage year" for the EU's ecodesign regime, according to Stephane Arditi, a policy officer at...cool_blog_archive_Vacuum_cleaners_sucking_up_more_electricity_451.aspxMore power doesn’t mean better performance, and the modern day cleaner, which uses the energy of 10 large-screen TVs combined, should stop sucking up so much power.  Does a more powerful vacuum cleaner necessarily clean better? Today’s trend is for manufacturers to sell us more "powerful" vacuum cleaners in the hope of improved...cool_blog_archive_Only_real_energy_savings_should_be_rewarded_440.aspxThe European Commission is discussing how to go about making Europe more efficient through the Energy Efficiency Directive. If pushed to its full potential, this Directive could secure massive energy and CO2 emissions savings and incidentally also enable savings on our energy bill. This proposal contains three important levers to help us achieve...cool_blog_archive_Step_forward_to_greener_EU_air_conditioning_products_383.aspx  PRESS RELEASE  [Brussels, June 1st] Member states yesterday voted in favour of strong ecological requirements for air-conditioners and fans, under the Ecodesign Directive. The coolproducts coalition welcomed this vote saying that while many Europeans are bracing themselves for a hot and dry summer it was crucial the EU acted quickly...cool_blog_archive_Debate_on_air_conditioners_hots_up__PRESS_RELEASE_382.aspxPRESS RELEASE [Brussels, 30th May, 2011] European countries will have the opportunity to save enormous amounts of energy on 31st May with member states voting on a regulation for air conditioners under the Europe-wide Ecodesign Directive, which aims to improve the environmental performance of energy-using products. “Following one...cool_blog_archive_Crunch_time_for_boilers__and_100_million_tons_of_CO2_at_stake_361.aspx  We’ve mentioned many times before the crucial importance of regulating the energy efficiency of the boilers we use to heat our homes. Finally, after years of debates and delays, the European Union's Ecodesign Directive and energy labelling measures on boilers seem to be back on track. Last month the European Commission made its final...cool_blog_archive_Energy_conservation_the_forgotten_solution_in_debate_over_nuclear_300.aspxWe have been reluctant so far to add our comment to the huge amount of early analysis about the implications of the Fukushima Daichi nuclear facility explosions in Japan that one can read on the media and social networks. It is still quite early, and the first thing to say at this point is that out thoughts are mainly with the thousands of people...cool_blog_archive_Energy_efficiency_package_nice_words_but_overall_a_major_disappointment_285.aspxThe European Commission adopted today an Energy Efficiency plan that aims at bridging the gap towards the EU’s 20% energy savings commitment. Unfortunately we have to report that this plan does not really show the required commitment to deliver the full potential of energy and cost savings to European consumers. The EU already has in...cool_blog_archive_Will_Europe_lead_the_way_on_green_computers_282.aspx(originally published on BusinessGreen.com - see link for full article below) The electricity used by PCs in our home and offices is expected to grow almost 50% in 10 years in Europe alone. In addition, the life of a computer is becoming increasingly short and many feel not enough is being done to reduce the use of precious materials and...