To speed-up innovation for Energy efficiency in buildings and industry

In the context of a post-peak-oil economy:

• reduced C02 emissions (factor 4 by 2050)
• energy independence (imported fossil fuels)

In 2007, the EDF Group and two high-level scientific partners, Ecole Mines ParisTech and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne set up a European Centre for Energy Efficiency Research: ECLEER.

Other partners are joining Ecleer for specific projects.

Its objective is to provide energy efficiency for customers and reduce CO2 emissions through the use of low-carbon electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels.

The main objectives in creating the Centre are to:

• speed up energy efficiency innovation
• gather complementary skills of leading scientific partners

Two themes of research are already running: energy efficiency in industry and heat pumps for buildings. Two themes of research are under construction: building envelope and solar technologies; energy demand and dynamics of consumption. With now some 27 people working on PhD projects at the beginning of 2009, Ecleer's scope covers energy efficiency, from the development of new technologies to energy demand related socio-economic issues.