The Climate Dance continues

Events:
The Copenhagen climate dance continues. Before the end of January 55 nations representing 78 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, submitted pledges to the UN to cut emissions by 2020.


The commitments were made to meet a deadline set at the climate talks held in Copenhagen in December. But they mostly reiterate national pledges made before the summit, and are steeped in conditions. The US, for instance, reaffirmed its commitment to cut emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels, contingent on legislation being passed at home. China repeated that it would "endeavour to lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 per cent" between 2005 and 2020.

"The vast majority of nations has failed to seize this opportunity to make their pledges more ambitious," says Niklas Höhne, a policy analyst at Ecofys in Cologne, Germany. "Our analysis suggests that the world is still on track for a 3.5 °C rise."

Listed below is the table showing developing countries and their pledges (the developed countries are listed above).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Progress:
On Friday I was given a quick introduction to operation and maintenance of the ventilation aggregate and the heatpump. The first part was very useful. They even showed me ways to extend the solution with connection to external control programs/consoles.    
 
The second part on the use- and maintenance of the heatpump, however, was done in 30 seconds and basically consisted of handing over the instruction manual - "it's all in there".  
 
They have promised to reduce the noice from the two extra fans - by using rubber bushings to avoid direct contact between the fans and ventilation network. On Friday they also said that the high frequency sound that we get when we reduce the effects on the fan - can be avoided if the electrician modifies a setting on the dimmer.  
 
I am looking forward to hear the results of these modifications.        
 
I should also add that one of the two passive houses I visited last week ("the house on the hill" in Lier outside Oslo) had the same ventilation aggregate that we have in our house. Given that SINTEF/Byggforsk and other power houses have been involved - I take this as proof that the product was a good choice and the issues we're facing are associated with the implementation project. For more info (in Norwegian: http://www.husbanken.no/Venstremeny/Miljo%20og%20energi/Passivhus_meny/Huset%20pa%20Haugen%20reiser%20seg.aspx)