The Oil Drum: Europe

The EU statistics show a steady growth in m2/person and it is the same trend all over europe. In Denmark there is an average 55 m2 / person and the rest of Europe is closing in on that number. Luckily the improvment of building standards has kept the heat loss in check. In Denmark the energy use for heating per person has been the same for 25 years.

As once a farmers boy I pity the depopulation of the countryside. On the other hand I cannot blame people for seeking well paid jobs in the city- and for the remaining farmers to merge farms to make a living?

As many have mentioned in TOD there will, at some stage be a reversal of the trend - but possibly not before biomass/ renewables are dominating energy supply and will need a localized workforce.
In terms of energy use, cities are usually more efficient than living in the countryside. The " compact city" with short distances, piping, sewers, wiring and the relatively lower heat loss from apartment buildings compared to single houses ( volume/area) will possibly mean that people will be better off in cities. As long as there is work there.
But what is important to me is to reduce the base energy consumption in society. Ideally by incremental steps year by year.  As I have mentioned before, Denmark 2005 used 840 PJ/year. In a post fossil scenario Denmark can sustainably produce some 250 PJ energy with biomass and full use of renewables ( solar hot water PV, Windmills etc.
So sustainable " forever" energy consumption should be 250/840 ~1/3 of 2006 for Denmark. The big energy consumers are building energy use plus transport- together some 70% of all energy use, and we should concentrate on reducing them.

For buildings a reduction of energy use to 1/3 for buildings over a 50-75 year time frame is possible and demonstrated already- both for new- and old buildings. For transport it should be possible also in shorter time frame.
So I am quite optimistic. There is no easy fix- but a lot of changes.

In order to prepare society for this future it is important to improve energy understanding on all levels in society and for this education and "visibility" are important ingredients.

Regards And1