Abstract
In the face of severe air pollution and implementation of energy and climate policy, it remains a challenge to develop effective strategies addressing the problem of solid fuels use in single-family houses (SFH) in rural areas in Poland. This study investigated the correlations between thermal modernization of SFH, the changes of heat sources from coal to clean energy, including heat pumps driven by prosumers’ photovoltaic (PV) installation, and the disposable income of households in Polish rural areas. It also provided an analysis of the current support mechanisms promoting energy efficiency and PV development. The application of simulation modelling of energy consumption and costs in the research has proved that comprehensive thermal modernization of rural SFH constructed in the period of 1945–1970 and investments supporting PV/heat pump systems would enable the most cost-effective way of heating to be implemented. Considering that, today, spending on energy for heat puts a burden on the budget of rural households, especially those living in the SFH aged 50 years and more that dominate rural areas in Poland, the changes in energy supply–demand patterns would be an enhancement of their economic, energy and environmental security. The research argued that, in the wider process of energy transformation and solving air pollution problems, the role of rural households should not be neglected in public policy.
Highlights
Energy efficiency and development of renewable energy sources have been identified as key areas of actions aimed at mitigating climate change
We focus on an affordability side of a household energy security, i.e., the heating costs and estimated financial savings as an effect of the changes in energy efficiency and heat source patterns in rural
In 2011, single-family houses (SFH) accounted for 58.72% (3.3 million) of all housing in the rural areas while in the urban areas its share was 31.22% (1.7 million)
Summary
Energy efficiency and development of renewable energy sources have been identified as key areas of actions aimed at mitigating climate change. Changes (IPCC), United Nations (UN), and European Union (EU) [1,2]. In this context, the role of the residential buildings has been growing in importance across the EU. The EU as a whole improved energy efficiency in this sector by around 29% (2.1%/year) over the period. In many studies, introduced political measures, financial incentives and energy performance standards have been found a key factor in successful promotion of energy efficiency in the residential sector of individual EU countries [5,6]. Given the huge variations between the Energies 2020, 13, 6358; doi:10.3390/en13236358 www.mdpi.com/journal/energies
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