Finance & economics | Free exchange

Energy shocks can have perverse consequences

The 1970s offer unhappy lessons for policymakers

The now-dismantled dth-nul-energihus in suburban Copenhagen offers a vision of a future that never came to pass. Built during the oil shock of 1973 by the Technical University of Denmark, this squat, white building—consisting of two living spaces divided by a glass atrium and topped with a spine of solar panels—was one of the first attempts to create a zero-energy home.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Solarpunked”

The world China wants

From the October 15th 2022 edition

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