The Price Elasticity of Comfort
Assessing energy poverty by utilizing the effects of energy price increases on energy usage and thermal comfort
J.A.J.P. Baas (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
Regina Bokel – Mentor (TU Delft - Environmental & Climate Design)
A.C. Bergsma – Mentor (TU Delft - Building Design & Technology)
H. Sohn – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
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Abstract
Energy price fluctuations have been occurring more frequently as global insecurity rises and the energy transition continues. Households have reacted to these energy price increases in diverse ways, many by reducing their home energy consumption habits. Depending on factors like household income, construction date, quality of dwelling and the significance of the price increase, these energy consumption reductions range in severity. Severe energy price increases can result in energy poverty, a situation where a households’ permittable energy consumption is too little to suffice the households’ needs. Effects of energy poverty on the indoor temperatures of dwellings can be quite drastic, with indoor temperatures as low as 13 degrees becoming a reality for households which are affected heavily. Current strategies and interventions which aim towards reducing energy poverty have been inefficient, as they fail to structurally solve the issue and focus too much on temporary financial aid. In order to increase the effectiveness of these strategies, a clear definition of energy poverty is needed, and focus should shift towards providing case-level assessments of energy poverty within buildings. At the same
time, energy efficiency interventions applied in these strategies need to be reviewed under different criteria. Not just energy efficiency, but also thermal comfort and financial efficiency are crucial in identifying the optimal interventions for a given case. The research provides a framework for the assessment of energy poverty within a building case. Besides this, review criteria are constructed to analyse interventions on their effectiveness in reducing energy poverty. With the use of the Poptahof Noord case study, the effectiveness of different existing interventions is simulated. The research discusses the factors which influence the effectiveness of these interventions and provides examples of how the proposed assessment method can be used to successfully assess and decrease energy poverty in cases.