IEA to address COGEN Europe Annual Conference

Jean-François Gagné of the International Energy Agency (IEA) will discuss the need to link energy efficiency and system flexibility opportunities supporting the energy transition when he addresses the COGEN Europe Annual Conference on 3 April 2014.

In addition to enhanced energy efficiency benefits, flexibility has been identified as the ‘unveiled’ added value of cogeneration. In the framework of the recent relaunch of the IEA CHP/DHC Collaborative, the IEA is emphasising the analysis of cogeneration technologies’ contribution to achieving sustainable energy systems. Smart solutions will be needed to manage heat and electricity systems to reduce climate impacts while enhancing system resilience, security and affordability; cogeneration technologies can be part of the overall solution by bridging both systems.

The IEA last year built a case for energy efficiency to be considered as the world’s “first fuel” (see IEA’s Energy Efficiency Market Report; October 2013). The IEA’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2014 publication, due to be published on 12 May 2014, explores various energy technology options for increased efficiency and flexibility in the electricity system, and the annexed report Linking Heat and Electricity Systems: Cogeneration and District Heating and Cooling Solutions for a Clean Energy Future, provides a first approach to cogeneration and thermal distribution networks as efficiency opportunities and flexibility enablers.

“By linking electricity and heat systems, cogeneration can provide flexible and efficient generation solutions. The ability of a technology to be integrated with others to allow benefitting from a wider range of locally available energy sources and to adapt to varying demand requirements is being increasingly valued,” said Jean-François Gagné, Head of the Energy Technology Policy Division in the Directorate of Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology, International Energy Agency.

Mr Gagné will speak at the COGEN Europe Annual Conference, which is taking place on 3-4 April at the Renaissance Hotel in the heart of the Brussels EU quarter. The Conference is open for registration. To see the full agenda and to register, please click here.

For more information please contact:
Andrew Williams
Communications Manager
Tel: +32 (0)2 775 9071
andrew.williams@cogeneurope.eu