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Energy poverty is a social problem that is accentuated in a climate change future scenario where families become increasingly vulnerable. This problem has been studied in cold weather, but it also takes place in warm climates such as those of Mediterranean countries, and it has not been widely targeted. In these countries, approximately 70% of its building stock was built during 1960–1980, its renovation being an opportunity to reduce its energy demand, improve tenants’ quality of life, and make it more resilient to climate change. In the retrofitting process, it is also important to consider tenants’ adaptability and regional scenarios. In this sense, the present work proposes an assessment model of retrofitting projects that takes into consideration energy consumption, comfort, tenants’ health, and monetary poverty. For this, the Index of Vulnerable Homes was implemented in this research to consider adaptive comfort in the energy calculation as well as the adaptability to climate change. A case study of 40 social housings in Seville, Spain, was analyzed in 2050 and 2080 future scenarios, defining the impact in energy poverty of the building retrofitting projects.
Mª Alba-Rodríguez; Carlos Rubio-Bellido; Mónica Tristancho-Carvajal; Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Madelyn Marrero. Present and Future Energy Poverty, a Holistic Approach: A Case Study in Seville, Spain. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7866 .
AMA StyleMª Alba-Rodríguez, Carlos Rubio-Bellido, Mónica Tristancho-Carvajal, Raúl Castaño-Rosa, Madelyn Marrero. Present and Future Energy Poverty, a Holistic Approach: A Case Study in Seville, Spain. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7866.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMª Alba-Rodríguez; Carlos Rubio-Bellido; Mónica Tristancho-Carvajal; Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Madelyn Marrero. 2021. "Present and Future Energy Poverty, a Holistic Approach: A Case Study in Seville, Spain." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7866.
Trust is a fundamental ingredient of prosperous democracies. In Europe, trust in existing elected democratic institutions is fading while authoritarian nationalist movements grow. Experiences of neglect, ignorance, and inferiority are one explanation for this. This paper explores the link between the experiences of households in a state of energy poverty and their trust in institutions and social networks. Using qualitative data from ten different European countries, we show that a lack of trust in both public and private institutions is widespread among energy-poor households. Our interviewees show distrust in various dimensions. In their contacts with institutions, they report experiences of powerlessness, bad and unfair treatment, and feelings of inferiority. While some interviewees do trust single individuals within institutions, others trust only their own social networks and some have no trust in anyone. We further show how trust in networks or (people in) institutions can strengthen the coping capacities of energy-poor households while a lack of trust even cuts people off from the support they could attain and thus deepens their state of energy poverty.
Katrin Grossmann; George Jiglau; Ute Dubois; Anca Sinea; Fernando Martín-Consuegra; Malgorzata Dereniowska; Robert Franke; Rachel Guyet; Ana Horta; Filiz Katman; Louiza Papamikrouli; Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Leona Sandmann; Ana Stojilovska; Anais Varo. The critical role of trust in experiencing and coping with energy poverty: Evidence from across Europe. Energy Research & Social Science 2021, 76, 102064 .
AMA StyleKatrin Grossmann, George Jiglau, Ute Dubois, Anca Sinea, Fernando Martín-Consuegra, Malgorzata Dereniowska, Robert Franke, Rachel Guyet, Ana Horta, Filiz Katman, Louiza Papamikrouli, Raúl Castaño-Rosa, Leona Sandmann, Ana Stojilovska, Anais Varo. The critical role of trust in experiencing and coping with energy poverty: Evidence from across Europe. Energy Research & Social Science. 2021; 76 ():102064.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatrin Grossmann; George Jiglau; Ute Dubois; Anca Sinea; Fernando Martín-Consuegra; Malgorzata Dereniowska; Robert Franke; Rachel Guyet; Ana Horta; Filiz Katman; Louiza Papamikrouli; Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Leona Sandmann; Ana Stojilovska; Anais Varo. 2021. "The critical role of trust in experiencing and coping with energy poverty: Evidence from across Europe." Energy Research & Social Science 76, no. : 102064.
Energy poverty, defined as the inability to fulfil adequate levels of domestic energy services, has been analysed in Japan previously. However, neither policy agendas nor official definitions of energy poverty have been established yet, resulting in the neglect of energy-poor households and other relevant aspects of this issue. This study is the first to examine the contextual factors of energy poverty in Japan, through the perspective of energy poverty vulnerabilities. The study uses a new multidimensional approach, covering the issues of affordability and accessibility to different forms of energy, as well as the effects of new technologies on the risk of energy poverty. The study develops several unexplored issues in previous literature, such as access to low-carbon energy as an issue in developed countries. The results highlight the role of location, infrastructure and household characteristics in influencing the risk of suffering energy poverty in Japan. The seasonality of energy poverty in Japan is also analysed, revealing higher rates of energy poverty in the northern regions during winter and in the southernmost region during summer. Finally, the impact of the ongoing energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy on energy poverty is discussed.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Shinichiro Okushima. Prevalence of energy poverty in Japan: A comprehensive analysis of energy poverty vulnerabilities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2021, 145, 111006 .
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Shinichiro Okushima. Prevalence of energy poverty in Japan: A comprehensive analysis of energy poverty vulnerabilities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2021; 145 ():111006.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Shinichiro Okushima. 2021. "Prevalence of energy poverty in Japan: A comprehensive analysis of energy poverty vulnerabilities." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 145, no. : 111006.
The intensity and duration of hot weather and the number of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, are increasing, leading to a growing need for space cooling energy demand. Together with the building stock’s low energy performance, this phenomenon may also increase households’ energy consumption. On the other hand, the low level of ownership of cooling equipment can cause low energy consumption, leading to a lack of indoor thermal comfort and several health-related problems, yet increasing the risk of energy poverty in summer. Understanding future temperature variations and the associated impacts on building cooling demand will allow mitigating future issues related to a warmer climate. In this respect, this paper analyses the effects of change in temperatures in the residential sector cooling demand in 2050 for a case study of nineteen cities across seven countries: Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Israel, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain, by estimating cooling degree days and hours (CDD and CDH). CDD and CDH are calculated using both fixed and adaptive thermal comfort temperature thresholds for 2020 and 2050, understanding their strengths and weaknesses to assess the effects of warmer temperatures. Results suggest a noticeable average increase in CDD and CDH values, up to double, by using both thresholds for 2050, with a particular interest in northern countries where structural modifications in the building stock and occupants’ behavior should be anticipated. Furthermore, the use of the adaptive thermal comfort threshold shows that the projected temperature increases for 2050 might affect people’s capability to adapt their comfort band (i.e., indoor habitability) as temperatures would be higher than the maximum admissible values for people’s comfort and health.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Roberto Barrella; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara; Ricardo Barbosa; Ioanna Kyprianou; Eleftheria Paschalidou; Nikolaos Thomaidis; Dusana Dokupilova; João Gouveia; József Kádár; Tareq Hamed; Pedro Palma. Cooling Degree Models and Future Energy Demand in the Residential Sector. A Seven-Country Case Study. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2987 .
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Roberto Barrella, Carmen Sánchez-Guevara, Ricardo Barbosa, Ioanna Kyprianou, Eleftheria Paschalidou, Nikolaos Thomaidis, Dusana Dokupilova, João Gouveia, József Kádár, Tareq Hamed, Pedro Palma. Cooling Degree Models and Future Energy Demand in the Residential Sector. A Seven-Country Case Study. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2987.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Roberto Barrella; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara; Ricardo Barbosa; Ioanna Kyprianou; Eleftheria Paschalidou; Nikolaos Thomaidis; Dusana Dokupilova; João Gouveia; József Kádár; Tareq Hamed; Pedro Palma. 2021. "Cooling Degree Models and Future Energy Demand in the Residential Sector. A Seven-Country Case Study." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2987.
Identifying those households in an energy poverty vulnerability situation is the first step towards addressing a global social problem associated with the lack of minimum energy services, known as Fuel Poverty and Energy Poverty, FP and EP, respectively. The FP concept is defined in the United Kingdom as "the inability to obtain adequate thermal comfort due to the inefficiency of the house", while the EP concept reflects the impossibility in developing countries of having access to a minimal energy service. The lack of consensus when defining a clear path has meant that some countries have not recognized it as a social problem. The research is based on the review of both concepts, through the conceptual analysis of the terms, FP and EP, a review of indicators used, and the study of the capacity of the indicators to identify and propose solutions to the problem. All this regarding the objectives included: available infrastructures, energy efficiency, social and economic poverty, well-being and social health. The result is a review from a technical perspective in the residential sector, that helps develop solutions that cover the deficiencies found. Identificar aquellos hogares en una situación de vulnerabilidad a la pobreza energética es elprimer paso para abordar una problemática social a nivel mundial asociada a la falta de servicios energéticos mínimos, conocido por los términos anglosajones–Fuel Poverty y Energy Poverty, FP y EP, respectivamente. El concepto FP, definido en el Reino Unido como “la incapacidad para obtener un adecuado confort térmico debido a la ineficiencia de la vivienda”, mientras que el concepto EP refleja la imposibilidad de tener acceso a un servicio energético mínimo en países en desarrollo. La falta de un consenso a la hora de definir una ruta clara ha originado que algunos países no la reconozcan como un problema social. La investigación se basa en la revisión de ambos conceptos, a través del análisis conceptual de los términos FP y EP, revisión de indicadores utilizados, estudio de la capacidad de los indicadores para identificar y proponer soluciones a la problemática. Todo ello en relación a los objetivos incluidos: infraestructuras disponibles, eficiencia energética, pobreza social y económica, bienestar y salud social. El resultado es la revisión desde una perspectiva técnica en el sector residencial que ayude a desarrollar soluciones que cubran las carencias encontradas.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. Midiendo la pobreza energética. Una revisión de indicadores. Revista Hábitat Sustentable 2020, 10, 08 -21.
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Jaime Solís-Guzmán, Madelyn Marrero. Midiendo la pobreza energética. Una revisión de indicadores. Revista Hábitat Sustentable. 2020; 10 (1):08-21.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. 2020. "Midiendo la pobreza energética. Una revisión de indicadores." Revista Hábitat Sustentable 10, no. 1: 08-21.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. Energy poverty goes south? Understanding the costs of energy poverty with the index of vulnerable homes in Spain. Energy Research & Social Science 2020, 60, 1 .
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Jaime Solís-Guzmán, Madelyn Marrero. Energy poverty goes south? Understanding the costs of energy poverty with the index of vulnerable homes in Spain. Energy Research & Social Science. 2020; 60 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. 2020. "Energy poverty goes south? Understanding the costs of energy poverty with the index of vulnerable homes in Spain." Energy Research & Social Science 60, no. : 1.
Energy poverty is a multidimensional issue, and this means that it is difficult to understand the different levels of vulnerability to this phenomenon and its relationship with households’ quality of life. This paper presents the validation of an innovative index for the analysis of vulnerability to energy poverty according to monetary, energy, and thermal comfort factors: The Index of Vulnerable Homes (IVH). The IVH goes beyond the use of single self-reported indicators of thermal comfort, and instead uses the adaptive thermal-comfort model defined in the normative UNE EN 15251:2007 to assess thermal comfort in relation to energy poverty. Furthermore, it has the potential to evaluate the societal impacts of current energy poverty policies by providing the economic analysis of different situations of vulnerability. The IVH is validated by comparing its results to those obtained from a survey conducted in a small-scale study undertaken in Salford, UK. To this end, evidence from households living in terraced houses built before 1980 is used to analyze health status in terms of vulnerability to energy poverty vulnerability according to their monetary situation and the characteristics of the dwelling. In the end, the results show good agreement between both the IVH’s assessment and households’ evidence, leading to consider the IVH as a suitable approach to understanding different levels of vulnerability to energy poverty.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Graeme Sherriff; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. The validity of the index of vulnerable homes: evidence from consumers vulnerable to energy poverty in the UK. Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy 2020, 15, 72 -91.
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Graeme Sherriff, Jaime Solís-Guzmán, Madelyn Marrero. The validity of the index of vulnerable homes: evidence from consumers vulnerable to energy poverty in the UK. Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy. 2020; 15 (2):72-91.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Graeme Sherriff; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. 2020. "The validity of the index of vulnerable homes: evidence from consumers vulnerable to energy poverty in the UK." Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy 15, no. 2: 72-91.
Fuel poverty, or energy poverty, has traditionally been associated with households that cannot afford to keep their homes adequately warm and/or cool due to low income and energy inefficient dwellings. Recent studies show a need for a good understanding of levels of vulnerability and how they are shaped by poor quality housing and economic circumstances. This work, which examines the current level of vulnerability to fuel poverty in a neighbourhood in the Broughton ward of Salford using quantitative data, provides a comprehensive tool to assess fuel poverty vulnerability at a local scale in England, the Index of Vulnerable Homes (IVH), which evaluates the identification of households in or at risk of fuel poverty. The IVH results lead to an evaluation of current fuel poverty indicators in terms of their ability to assess fuel poverty vulnerability in England, providing a fuller understanding of the variety of fuel poverty situations, as well as recognizing the high prevalence of hidden fuel poverty. Additionally, having used the IVH in both England and Spain, it makes possible reflections upon how vulnerability to fuel poverty may differ in these countries, leading to relevant recommendations for policymakers to develop effective fuel poverty measures.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Graeme Sherriff; Harriet Thomson; Jaime Solís Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. Transferring the index of vulnerable homes: Application at the local-scale in England to assess fuel poverty vulnerability. Energy and Buildings 2019, 203, 109458 .
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Graeme Sherriff, Harriet Thomson, Jaime Solís Guzmán, Madelyn Marrero. Transferring the index of vulnerable homes: Application at the local-scale in England to assess fuel poverty vulnerability. Energy and Buildings. 2019; 203 ():109458.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Graeme Sherriff; Harriet Thomson; Jaime Solís Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. 2019. "Transferring the index of vulnerable homes: Application at the local-scale in England to assess fuel poverty vulnerability." Energy and Buildings 203, no. : 109458.
Dwelling renovation has gained major importance in the European Union due to the current need for the urban regeneration of many cities, most of whose existing buildings (approximately 60%) were built in the 1960s to 1980s. These renovations require improvements in aspects such as structural integrity, accessibility, and the updating of deteriorated or obsolescent installations. This reveals that building renovations constitute a key factor in the future of the European building sector and must be included in strategies both for the reduction of this sector’s environmental impact and for climate change mitigation. In order to determine the effectiveness of renovations and their impact, the HEREVEA (Huella Ecológica de la Rehabilitacion de Viviendas en Andalucia or Ecological Footprint of the Renovation of Dwellings in Andalusia) model is proposed on data obtained from the project’s bill of quantities, its ecological footprint is assessed, and the economic-environmental feasibility of different proposals are evaluated simultaneously. The resulting model is integrated into a geographic information system, which allows georeferenced results. The tool can be used for sustainable and resilient planning policy-making at all government levels, and for the decision-making processes. In this paper, economic and environmental indicators are, for the first time, simultaneously assessed through statistical normalization obtained from 50 cases analyzed in the city of Seville. Furthermore, five case studies are assessed in detail in order to determine the sensitivity of the model. These renovations represent less than 30% of the cost and 6% of the ecological footprint of a new construction project. During the subsequent 25 years, the energy efficiency improvements could significantly reduce the CO2 emissions that are due to direct consumption.
María Rocío Ruiz-Pérez; Mª Desirée Alba-Rodríguez; Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. HEREVEA Tool for Economic and Environmental Impact Evaluation for Sustainable Planning Policy in Housing Renovation. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2852 .
AMA StyleMaría Rocío Ruiz-Pérez, Mª Desirée Alba-Rodríguez, Raúl Castaño-Rosa, Jaime Solís-Guzmán, Madelyn Marrero. HEREVEA Tool for Economic and Environmental Impact Evaluation for Sustainable Planning Policy in Housing Renovation. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (10):2852.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Rocío Ruiz-Pérez; Mª Desirée Alba-Rodríguez; Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. 2019. "HEREVEA Tool for Economic and Environmental Impact Evaluation for Sustainable Planning Policy in Housing Renovation." Sustainability 11, no. 10: 2852.
The term energy poverty (EP), mostly used to capture problems related to an inadequate access to energy suppliers in developing countries, and that of fuel poverty (FP), commonly employed when households suffer from insufficient monetary resources to pay for their basic energy needs, are used interchangeably by many researchers. Energy poverty and/or fuel poverty are considered to be an indication of domestic energy deprivation or energy vulnerability and remain a global problem that has been accentuated in Europe due to the economic crisis. This work has made a comprehensive review of the current concepts and indicators of FP, and of current initiatives to tackle this issue, across Europe, thereby raising the discussion of how energy vulnerability factors fit FP situations: available infrastructure, energy efficiency, social and economic poverty, and wellbeing and health. In this context, the first weak spot of the FP indicators and initiatives analyzed is that most factors that influence the everyday activities of a household are not considered (comfort, health, and wellbeing), resulting in an incomplete analysis if these are used in an isolated way. This paper provides a multiple-indicator approach to understand an FP situation beyond its traditional definition, thereby establishing a starting point for the reflection of vulnerability in policy decisions and methodological implications.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Carlos Rubio-Bellido; Madelyn Marrero. Towards a multiple-indicator approach to energy poverty in the European Union: A review. Energy and Buildings 2019, 193, 36 -48.
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Jaime Solís-Guzmán, Carlos Rubio-Bellido, Madelyn Marrero. Towards a multiple-indicator approach to energy poverty in the European Union: A review. Energy and Buildings. 2019; 193 ():36-48.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Carlos Rubio-Bellido; Madelyn Marrero. 2019. "Towards a multiple-indicator approach to energy poverty in the European Union: A review." Energy and Buildings 193, no. : 36-48.
The design and construction of buildings is currently subject to a growing set of requirements concerning sustainability and energy efficiency. This paper shows a case study of the Torre Sevilla skyscraper, located in the city of Seville (in the south of Spain), which has high-tech energy-efficient features and which uses air-conditioning systems during most of its operating hours. The analysis carried out starts from a simulation in which occupants’ thermal comfort are obtained, based on the adaptive comfort model defined in the standard EN 15251:2007. With this approach, it is possible to determine the number of hours during operation in which the building has adequate comfort conditions only with the help of the envelope and natural ventilation. Consequently, the remaining useful hours require the use of air-conditioning systems. The results show that it is possible to improve the thermal performance of the building due to its location in the Mediterranean climate. To do this, advanced mixed mode (through manual-opening or mechanically-controlled opening windows) and active air-conditioning are suggested. This experimental proposal provides a reduction of the occupation hours which require the use of air-conditioning equipment by 28.57%, reducing the air-conditioning demand and, consequently, the energy consumption of the building.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Carlos E. Rodríguez-Jiménez; Carlos Rubio-Bellido. Adaptive Thermal Comfort Potential in Mediterranean Office Buildings: A Case Study of Torre Sevilla. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3091 .
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Carlos E. Rodríguez-Jiménez, Carlos Rubio-Bellido. Adaptive Thermal Comfort Potential in Mediterranean Office Buildings: A Case Study of Torre Sevilla. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (9):3091.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Carlos E. Rodríguez-Jiménez; Carlos Rubio-Bellido. 2018. "Adaptive Thermal Comfort Potential in Mediterranean Office Buildings: A Case Study of Torre Sevilla." Sustainability 10, no. 9: 3091.
This paper develops a novel index of vulnerable homes in terms of fuel poverty that is based on the analysis of different existing fuel poverty indicators and their relationship to the residential sector. The new index of vulnerable homes unifies the many indicators hitherto employed, and assesses the home vulnerability situation regardless of whether or not it is in fuel poverty by using three dimensions: monetary cost, energy and thermal comfort. The monetary dimension analyses vulnerability in relation to the available net income to face everyday life. The energy variable assesses the vulnerability related to the constructive characteristics of the dwelling. Finally, the introduction of the thermal-comfort variable enables the evaluation of the vulnerability related to the inner temperature of the dwelling and its perception by occupants. The combination of the different resulting values in each dimension and its relationship to the quality of life of occupants establishes a hierarchy of vulnerable levels. As a result, a multi-dimensional index is defined which relates technical aspects (characteristics of the dwelling) and social aspects (quality of life of households). The index of vulnerable homes provides a more complete assessment of the home situation than the existing fuel poverty indicators by identifying which variables require a greater assistance.
Raúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. A novel Index of Vulnerable Homes: Findings from application in Spain. Indoor and Built Environment 2018, 29, 311 -330.
AMA StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa, Jaime Solís-Guzmán, Madelyn Marrero. A novel Index of Vulnerable Homes: Findings from application in Spain. Indoor and Built Environment. 2018; 29 (3):311-330.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Castaño-Rosa; Jaime Solís-Guzmán; Madelyn Marrero. 2018. "A novel Index of Vulnerable Homes: Findings from application in Spain." Indoor and Built Environment 29, no. 3: 311-330.