Energy poverty methodology based on minimal thermal habitability conditions for low income housing in Spain

Abstract

Energy poverty affects an increasing number of households in the European Union. It is urgent the development of definitions and methods adapted to regional conditions that gather important housing construction and climatic differences between Northern and Southern countries beyond different income levels. Mainstream energy poverty methods are focused on heating requirements influenced by health risks derived from living in cold homes. However, the evaluation of energy poverty in warmer climates must also consider health impacts related to households’ exposure to indoor overheating and consequent cooling needs that will likely be exacerbated by temperature increase due to climate change.The present research is aimed at developing a method for evaluating energy poverty in low income dwellings adapted to the Spanish context that gathers climatic, building and socioeconomic particularities of the country. The research was conducted through the evaluation of three representative social housing blocks of vulnerable households located in three different climates and regions. The proposed method is focused on the energy expenditure required to achieve minimal thermal habitability conditions in low income dwellings. Hence, both heating and cooling needs are appraised according to adaptive comfort criteria.The resulting method constitutes a useful tool for the identification of households suffering from energy poverty as well as the degree of the need they require (Fig. 1). Finally, the method poses an aid in the decision-making processes related to dwelling energy retrofitting actions and policy development.