Technology roadmap. Energy-efficient buildings: heating and cooling equipment
Current trends in energy supply and use are unsustainable – economically, environmentally and socially. Without decisive action, global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will more than double by 2050 and increased oil demand will heighten concerns over the security of supplies. In the building sector, the global number of households will grow by 67% and the floor area of service sector (commercial and institutional) buildings by almost 195%. We can and must change our current energy and climate path; energy-efficient and low/zero-carbon energy technologies for heating and cooling in buildings will play a crucial role in the energy revolution needed to make this change happen.
To effectively reduce GHG emissions, numerous items will require widespread deployment: energy efficiency, many types of renewable energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), nuclear power and new transport technologies. Every major country and sector of the economy must be involved and action needs to be taken now to ensure that today’s investment decisions do not burden us with suboptimal technologies in the long-term …
http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/buildings_roadmap.pdf