Addressing Energy Poverty through Transitioning to a Carbon-Free Environment

Sofia-Despoina Papadopoulou,Evangelia Karasmanaki,Georgios Tsantopoulos,Sideri Lefkeli,Niki Kalaitzoglou,Maria Psarra

doi:10.3390/su11092634

Sofia-Despoina Papadopoulou, Evangelia Karasmanaki + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092634

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: May 8, 2019
Citations: 14	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Democritus University of Thrace

Abstract

The excessive consumption of fossil fuels not only leads to resource depletion, but also involves negative environmental effects on both public health and the climate. However, Greece’s renewable energy (RE) capacity is considerable and could meet a great part of the country’s energy needs while helping to tackle the ecological problem our planet faces. At the same time, the deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) can facilitate the creation of new jobs and enable households to become energy independent, while addressing energy poverty. The present study investigates the views and attitudes of citizens of the Thessaloniki conurbation towards RES. To collect the data, structured questionnaires were used, which were completed through personal interviews. Moreover, random sampling was performed to select the sample, and in total 420 citizens participated in the survey. Results showed that the respondents supported the replacement of lignite plants with renewable energy sources since they perceived that they constitute a necessary solution providing opportunities for economic growth and improvement to their quality of life. Finally, the vast majority expressed increased interest in future investment in photovoltaic systems, which in their opinion could contribute to improving air quality and increasing the energy independence not only of Greece but also of households.

Highlights

Economic growth is dependent on energy which supports economic activity, enhances productivity and meets basic human needs
The present study investigated the investment willingness and the views on energy-related topics of citizens living in the Thessaloniki conurbation in order to examine whether it is possible to address energy poverty through investments in renewable energy
In view of the study’s findings, it can be inferred that most participants were willing to make investments in renewables in the future and expressed positive attitudes to renewable energy

Summary

Introduction

Economic growth is dependent on energy which supports economic activity, enhances productivity and meets basic human needs. The member states of the European Union (EU) are required to take immediate action for the development of new energy production technologies, and to that end the EU has established a legislative framework which provides for the promotion and use of renewable energy sources [1]. The Directive 2001/77/EC was introduced, which provided that 12% of the energy produced within the EU should be generated from renewable sources [2]. In the context of the European Energy Policy, the National Renewable Energy Action Plan was established in Greece for energy saving. Renewable energy sources must be promoted for electricity generation and Greece is bound to meet certain environmental commitments regarding the set targets of 2020. To achieve the set targets, the suggested RES technologies involved both onshore and offshore wind energy, photovoltaic technology, as well as geothermal energy [4]

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