Leading the Green Revolution: Danish Perspectives on Building Energy Efficient Cities

A global leader in energy efficiency, Denmark has roughly halved energy consumption in its buildings over the last 40 years. Denmark’s experience may offer considerable insights for other countries and cities seeking to reduce their carbon footprints. On April 11, the Guarini Center welcomed Peter Bach, chief adviser on energy efficiency at the Danish Energy Agency, Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building for a conversation on Danish energy efficiency policies. Bach discussed the strategies Denmark has implemented to achieve these impressive results and the obstacles the country encountered along the way.

Monday, April 11th, 6:30 – 8:00pm 

NYU School of Law
Faculty Library (3rd Floor), Vanderbilt Hall
40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012

Speakers: 

• Peter Bach, President, European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy; Chief Adviser on Energy Efficiency, Danish Energy Agency
• Elta Kolo, Analyst, GTM Research
• Danielle Spiegel-Feld, ’10, Executive Director, Guarini Center
• Richard Yancey, Executive Director, Building Energy Exchange, Inc.

1.5 credits of CLE were available in the Areas of Professional Practice category. The credit was both transitional and non-transitional. 

This project, which is produced in cooperation with the Heinrich Boll Foundation, is part of the Transatlantic Energy and Climate Network, a program funded by the European Union. It brings together opinion leaders, legislators and policy experts from both sides of the Atlantic who are committed to achieving policy change in support of a low carbon economy agenda that creates sustainable jobs, strengthens local economies and helps to fight climate change.

Speakers’ Biographies:

Peter Bach is the President of the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. He is based at the Danish Energy Agency where he works as chief adviser on energy efficiency. He has worked with energy issues and policies during 30 years, with special focus on energy efficiency over the last 20 years.

Peter Bach is strongly involved in formulation, implementation and evaluation of Danish energy efficiency policies and measures. Over the last years he has especially been involved in an overall evaluation of the Danish energy saving activities; preparation of a new action plan on reduction on energy consumption in buildings; developing the rules for the energy utilities energy saving obligations, and the development of the Danish Energy Strategy 2050, which shows how Denmark can become independent of fossil fuels.

Peter Bach has also been strongly involved in international energy efficiency activities, including negotiations of new directives in EU as a representative for the Danish Government.

Elta Kolo (moderator) is a Grid Edge Analyst at GTM Research working on demand-side management in U.S. electricity markets. Prior to joining GTM, Elta pursued a joint PhD funded by the European Commission on Sustainable Energy Technologies and Strategies at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. During her PhD she researched demand response policies for the implementation of smart grids, and has presented her work at both U.S. and European conferences in addition to publishing in international scholarly journals. Elta holds an MSc in Economics and Management of Network Industries from Spain and France and a BA in Economics from Union College (NY).

Richard C. Yancey, AIA, LEED AP, is the founding Executive Director of the Building Energy Exchange, Inc. (BEEx), an independent, nonprofit organization that connects the New York real estate and design communities to energy and lighting efficiency solutions through education, exhibitions, technology demonstrations, and research, at their resource center in downtown Manhattan.

The work of BEEx has been featured widely, including the Wall Street Journal, Crain’s, Capital New York, and NY1; and Richard was named one of the Top Ten New York Energy Entrepreneurs (2015), and Top Ten Cleantech Leaders of New York (2013), by Breaking Energy.

Prior to BEEx, Richard has over twenty years of experience as an practicing architect, in Seattle and New York, leading a diverse array of commercial, institutional, and residential projects.  He has lectured and published widely, and sits on the the New York City Mayor’s Climate Action Plan Technical Working Group.  Richard received his Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.