Audrey Dobbins - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Audrey Dobbins
Sustainable Development, 2024
Throughout the last decade, the goal of acknowledging and alleviating energy poverty has made its... more Throughout the last decade, the goal of acknowledging and alleviating energy poverty has made its way to the core of energy policies across the world, including the high-standing SDG7 as a benchmark. While much debate is still devoted to conceptual and empirical clarifications, its measurement through indicators, or the appropriate policies aimed at tackling it, there is widespread acceptance that energy poverty impacts tens of millions of lives across Europe and beyond. More recently, energy poverty has been deepened by a succession of international crises. We argue that the responses currently enacted to address energy poverty, in the context of these overlapping crises, point to a more profound problem that pre-existed the crises and reflects the current paradigm for household energy access. In this article, we aim to tie some of the loose ends in debates around the right to energy. We address some essential underpinnings of a rights-based approach to energy, by connecting existing narratives to the broader scope of the social contract, used as a concept which bears implications on the social and economic arrangements emphasized by the fundamental pillars of SDGs. We argue that, because energy markets are highly sensitive to instability and crisis contexts, there is a need to shift the paradigm from energy as a commodity purchased by consumers from markets towards energy as a right of people living in modern political communities, and tailoring energy policies around the right to energy.
A Decision Support Method to Assess Energy Policy Impacts on Different Household Types for a Socially Just Energy Transition in Germany
Lecture Notes in Operations Research, Dec 31, 2022
Energy Strategy Reviews, Nov 1, 2019
Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordabl... more Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordable, reliable, and low carbon energy system. To achieve this objective, the EU has explicitly stated targets for greenhouse reduction, shares of renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency improvements for 2020 and 2030. In this paper, we focus on the drivers, barriers and enablers to achieving the EU's RES targets (20% by 2020 and 27% by 2030). Effective energy policies play a key role in the deployment of RES technologies. In order to design effective policies, a clear understanding of past trends and projections for future deployment is required. In this paper, we first analyse the past deployment of RES technologies for electricity supply (RES-E) in selected EU Member States. This highlights the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for deployment of RES in the past. In a second step, we conduct a meta-analysis of projections for RES-E shares from multiple well-established studies. Such an analysis will help in supporting the design of more effective energy policies and successfully achieving the EU's energy targets.
Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, May 1, 2012
This paper focuses on the energy economics and environmental impacts of solar water heaters (SWH)... more This paper focuses on the energy economics and environmental impacts of solar water heaters (SWH) in the Gauteng Province and compares the results with other technology options for residential water heating with regard to the different income groups. The critical energy situation in South Africa and the highly coal dependent energy generation demonstrates the need to shift to a more sustainable way of living. The residential sector proves to be an optimal starting point to implement new technologies, especially for water heating. The residential hot water demand calculation shows that the annual demand in Gauteng is about 188 million cubic meters. In order to satisfy this demand, different technologies are investigated in this paper, where SWHs lie in focus. Due to the vast income inequality in Gauteng, and also in South Africa, it is obvious that there cannot be one single optimal solution suitable to all households. Therefore, this paper focuses on the differentiation of the residential sector into income groups to show the divergence in warm water demand and the applicability of alternative technologies. In order to analyse appropriate solutions for all income groups, low-cost alternatives are also analysed. The economic analysis shows that although SWHs have higher investment costs than conventional technologies, the payback periods are relatively short (between 3 and 4 years) for high and mid income groups. The payback periods will be even shorter when the planned electricity price tariff increase comes into effect. Furthermore, SWH utilisation has the additional effect of reducing the overall electricity demand up to 70% and greenhouse gas emissions significantly. In addition, SWHs are the most cost-effective water heating technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for mid and high income groups with negative abatement costs. It is concluded that the SWHs are the most suitable option to decrease fossil energy consumption and reduce the household's expenditure for energy services, especially for mid and high income groups. For lower income groups the utilisation of solar energy can increase the access to energy services and living quality and, therewith, lessen the financial burden to meet their energy needs.
This chapter evaluates the role of fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) technologies in the future energ... more This chapter evaluates the role of fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) technologies in the future energy sector. However, the first FCH applications date well back in time. One of the first applications was in space missions: From the 1960s to nowadays, hydrogen has been used in fuel cells to provide electricity for space ships, e.g., during the GEMINI and APOLLO space programs and in the space shuttles [1]. Only recently, FCH technologies and applications have started to be developed for the energy sector, and several countries now focus on research and development projects for innovative FCH technologies and applications: Japan, South Korea, the USA, and Germany are leaders in demonstration projects and the commercialization of FCH technologies due to proactive national incentives and funding. They see FCH technologies, processes, and applications as potentially relevant elements in a low-carbon energy system in the medium to long term. a Expected benefits include the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, their high energy efficiency, the reduction of fossil fuel dependency, and promotion of exports. Hydrogen is an energy carrier with very high gravimetric energy density (142 MJ/kg), but low volumetric energy density (5.6 MJ/L at 700 bar), e.g., in comparison with gasoline (46 MJ/kg, 34 MJ/L). Hydrogen can be produced from various hydrocarbons or water, and it can be further converted into other energy carriers such as methane (via methanation). Today, hydrogen is mostly used as industrial feedstock, e.g., in petrochemistry for refining, in ammonia production for fertilizers, and in methanol production [2]. In the energy sector, fuel cells allow for its conversion into electricity. Because this process is based on electro-chemistry, it is not limited by the Carnot efficiency and thus has the potential to operate with an electrical efficiency of up to 60% and an overall theoretical efficiency of over 80% (including both heat and electricity) [3]. The simultaneous production of heat and electricity allows for the use of fuel cells as combined heat and power (CHP) applications. Stationary FCH solutions are expected to be deployed in the future energy system, e.g., for energy storage (seasonal or diurnal, with optional re-electrification), for ancillary services to stabilize the power grid, and for residential heating with micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) plants using fuel cells. In comparison with FCH applications for mobility (e.g., fuel cell cars), stationary FCH facilities have several advantages: a lower power and energy density is required, lower ramping rates are needed, less vibrations are to be withstood, co-generation with a The strengths and weaknesses of different world regions regarding FCH technologies were assessed by the INSIGHT_E consortium in Ref. [14].
Energy technology, Nov 10, 2020
Since the signing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations Member Sta... more Since the signing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations Member States and the Yellow vest movement, it is clear that emissionreducing policies should consider their distributional impacts to ensure a sustainable and equitable growth compatible with the Paris Agreement goals. To this end, the design of environmental and energy policies should be accompanied by an interdisciplinary analysis that includes potential effects on distinct groups of society (defined by income, age, or location), regions, and sectors. This work synthesizes common modeling frameworks used to assess technical, socioeconomic, and environmental aspects in policy analysis and the recent progress to portray distributional impacts in each of them. Furthermore, the main indicators produced by each method are highlighted and a critical review pointing to gaps and limitations that could be addressed by future research is presented.
Nature Energy, Jan 14, 2019
Rückverteilung von Einnahmen aus der CO2-Bepreisung sozialverträglich gestalten
Ökologisches Wirtschaften, Aug 30, 2022
Um negative Folgen für einkommensschwächere Haushalte in Folge der CO2-Bepreisung zu vermeiden, s... more Um negative Folgen für einkommensschwächere Haushalte in Folge der CO2-Bepreisung zu vermeiden, sollte die Rückverteilung der Einnahmen aus der CO2-Bepreisung entsprechend den finanziellen Möglichkeiten und der Entscheidungsfähigkeit der Haushalte erfolgen.
A toolkit for a just transition with the people
Descripcion: Manual del WG4 de ENGAGER, Nov 19, 2021
Chapter 26 – Introduction
Consumers are at the heart of the energy system and are not only encouraged, but also required to... more Consumers are at the heart of the energy system and are not only encouraged, but also required to take an active role in the European Union’s transition towards a secure and sustainable low-carbon energy system. Options for the roles consumers can play as part of this transition as well as the overall structure of this section are introduced in this chapter.
Chapter 31 – Conclusions
Consumers can and should take an active role in driving the European energy transition. This acti... more Consumers can and should take an active role in driving the European energy transition. This active participation can take the form of generating energy for self-consumption, exploring alternative solutions towards reducing energy consumption, such as employing direct current networks, or harnessing existing networks for integrating renewable sources. The Commission can and should also play an active role in guaranteeing and safeguarding the involvement of all members of society and the European Union.
Optimale Struktur von dezentralen und zentralen Technologien im Systemverbund - Intelligente dezentrale Energiesysteme : Schlussbericht
Policy Brief: Folgen des Kohleausstiegs und der Energiewende für die Haushalte in Deutschland
Der aktuell diskutierte "Kohleausstieg" sowie das geplante Klimaschutzgesetz verursache... more Der aktuell diskutierte "Kohleausstieg" sowie das geplante Klimaschutzgesetz verursachen Kosten. Die Bepreisung von Kohlendioxyd (CO2) ist in diesem Zusammenhang als kosteneffizientes Instrument zu beurteilen und daher aus ökonomischer Sicht vorteilhaft. Durch die CO2-Bepreisung entstehen einerseits Kosten für den Systemumbau, andererseits werden staatliche Einnahmen generiert. Werden diese Mehreinnahmen jedoch nicht zur Entlastung der Verbraucher genutzt, so kommt es auf Haushaltsebene zu erheblichen Mehrbelastungen. Um diese Mehrbelastungen zu vermeiden, sind flankierende Ausgleichsmaßnahmen unbedingt notwendig.
Measures to protect vulnerable consumers in the energy sector: an assessment of disconnection safeguards, social tariffs and financial transfers
Energy is central to driving not only productivity in the broader economy, but has a fundamental ... more Energy is central to driving not only productivity in the broader economy, but has a fundamental role for enabling minimum living standards in the residential sector through the energy services provided. These energy services are crucial to ensure warm homes, provide water supply and cooking, lighting, refrigeration and the operation of other electrical appliances. However, some households across all Member States are increasingly struggling to meet their basic energy needs due to energy prices increasing faster than household budgets, poorly insulated buildings and inefficient household appliances leading to higher energy bills. Estimates based on proxy indicators suggest 10-25% of the European population could already be affected by energy poverty to some extent. Given the rising income inequality across Europe and the associated costs of the energy transition, the share of households experiencing energy poverty is likely to increase. Energy poverty is gaining visibility in European legislation, as is the need to protect vulnerable consumers in the gas and electricity markets. The transition to a liberalised retail market for electricity and gas means that the market system increasingly rules the way retailers and consumers interact with each other, as the use of market distorting measures such as regulated prices or energy subsidies to households are removed. While this should increase opportunity for consumers to find the best deal to suit their needs, some households will need additional protection in such a market. Therefore, protective mechanisms are vital to enabling vulnerable energy consumers to access the full benefits of the market, which may not be otherwise available due to issues such as energy affordability. With over 17% of the European population at risk of poverty and 10% in arrears on utility accounts in 2014, this points towards the need to reevaluate the measures in place to safeguard lower income and other vulnerable households given increasing liberalisation under the Internal Energy Market. The objective of this report was to appraise measures associated with ensuring vulnerable consumers are able to afford and maintain a connection to electricity and gas with a particular view of supporting the European Commission’s directorate of Internal Energy Market in assessing which legislative support can be provided across the European Union in the revision of the electricity and gas Directives of the Third Energy Package. This report specifically fed into the impact assessment for the revisions reflected in the European Commission’s proposal for a Clean Energy Package. Firstly, we reviewed how different Member States have implemented specific protection measures (financial transfers, disconnection safeguards and social tariffs). Following this review, an economic assessment compared existing and alternative schemes for the implementation of protective measures across the EU. Finally, recommendations were made regarding the types of measures that provide minimum protection standards for vulnerable consumers in the energy sector.
Direct and Indirect Solar Energy Usage in Gauteng, South Africa: An Energy System Perspective
Energy Strategy Reviews
Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordabl... more Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordable, reliable, and low carbon energy system. To achieve this objective, the EU has explicitly stated targets for greenhouse reduction, shares of renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency improvements for 2020 and 2030. In this paper, we focus on the drivers, barriers and enablers to achieving the EU's RES targets (20% by 2020 and 27% by 2030). Effective energy policies play a key role in the deployment of RES technologies. In order to design effective policies, a clear understanding of past trends and projections for future deployment is required. In this paper, we first analyse the past deployment of RES technologies for electricity supply (RES-E) in selected EU Member States. This highlights the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for deployment of RES in the past. In a second step, we conduct a meta-analysis of projections for RES-E shares from multiple well-established studies. Such an analysis will help in supporting the design of more effective energy policies and successfully achieving the EU's energy targets.
Nature Energy
Energy poverty in the European Union poses a distinctive challenge across Member States, and requ... more Energy poverty in the European Union poses a distinctive challenge across Member States, and requires tailored and targeted action. EU policy makers need to strengthen the response to energy poverty and engender action across Member States, moving beyond the focus on vulnerable consumers in energy markets. It is estimated that in 2018 more than 50 million people were experiencing energy poverty in Europe 1 . Energy poverty is a multi-dimensional concept but can be thought of as a situation where households are unable to adequately meet their energy needs at affordable cost, and is caused by a combination of interrelated factors including low income, high energy prices, poorly insulated buildings and inefficient technologies and sometimes limited access to clean and affordable energy sources 2,3 . Energy poverty is linked to wider health issues, including excess winter death and poor mental health . Energy poor households may also face disproportionately higher energy costs due to lower levels of access to competitive tariffs and other energy market benefits. However, the issue has only recently gained meaningful recognition by the European policy community. The concept of energy poverty is intertwined with but distinct from that of vulnerable consumers (Table ). Member States identify vulnerable consumers based on different criteria. Their definition and protection is tasked to regulators as per EU legislation , where protective measures are typically more short-term, address acute access issues, and are limited to electricity and gas supply 2 . Energy poverty goes
This report explored the strengths and weaknesses of the European innovation capacity within the ... more This report explored the strengths and weaknesses of the European innovation capacity within the Strategic Energy Technologies (SET) Plan Integrated Roadmap through the assessment of energy technology R&I in these specific sectors. The methodology is based on collating publicly available data and compares how the EU performs in comparison to other key countries worldwide through key indicators (e.g., patents, publications and export/import) across these 13 SET Plan themes.
Sustainable Development, 2024
Throughout the last decade, the goal of acknowledging and alleviating energy poverty has made its... more Throughout the last decade, the goal of acknowledging and alleviating energy poverty has made its way to the core of energy policies across the world, including the high-standing SDG7 as a benchmark. While much debate is still devoted to conceptual and empirical clarifications, its measurement through indicators, or the appropriate policies aimed at tackling it, there is widespread acceptance that energy poverty impacts tens of millions of lives across Europe and beyond. More recently, energy poverty has been deepened by a succession of international crises. We argue that the responses currently enacted to address energy poverty, in the context of these overlapping crises, point to a more profound problem that pre-existed the crises and reflects the current paradigm for household energy access. In this article, we aim to tie some of the loose ends in debates around the right to energy. We address some essential underpinnings of a rights-based approach to energy, by connecting existing narratives to the broader scope of the social contract, used as a concept which bears implications on the social and economic arrangements emphasized by the fundamental pillars of SDGs. We argue that, because energy markets are highly sensitive to instability and crisis contexts, there is a need to shift the paradigm from energy as a commodity purchased by consumers from markets towards energy as a right of people living in modern political communities, and tailoring energy policies around the right to energy.
A Decision Support Method to Assess Energy Policy Impacts on Different Household Types for a Socially Just Energy Transition in Germany
Lecture Notes in Operations Research, Dec 31, 2022
Energy Strategy Reviews, Nov 1, 2019
Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordabl... more Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordable, reliable, and low carbon energy system. To achieve this objective, the EU has explicitly stated targets for greenhouse reduction, shares of renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency improvements for 2020 and 2030. In this paper, we focus on the drivers, barriers and enablers to achieving the EU's RES targets (20% by 2020 and 27% by 2030). Effective energy policies play a key role in the deployment of RES technologies. In order to design effective policies, a clear understanding of past trends and projections for future deployment is required. In this paper, we first analyse the past deployment of RES technologies for electricity supply (RES-E) in selected EU Member States. This highlights the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for deployment of RES in the past. In a second step, we conduct a meta-analysis of projections for RES-E shares from multiple well-established studies. Such an analysis will help in supporting the design of more effective energy policies and successfully achieving the EU's energy targets.
Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, May 1, 2012
This paper focuses on the energy economics and environmental impacts of solar water heaters (SWH)... more This paper focuses on the energy economics and environmental impacts of solar water heaters (SWH) in the Gauteng Province and compares the results with other technology options for residential water heating with regard to the different income groups. The critical energy situation in South Africa and the highly coal dependent energy generation demonstrates the need to shift to a more sustainable way of living. The residential sector proves to be an optimal starting point to implement new technologies, especially for water heating. The residential hot water demand calculation shows that the annual demand in Gauteng is about 188 million cubic meters. In order to satisfy this demand, different technologies are investigated in this paper, where SWHs lie in focus. Due to the vast income inequality in Gauteng, and also in South Africa, it is obvious that there cannot be one single optimal solution suitable to all households. Therefore, this paper focuses on the differentiation of the residential sector into income groups to show the divergence in warm water demand and the applicability of alternative technologies. In order to analyse appropriate solutions for all income groups, low-cost alternatives are also analysed. The economic analysis shows that although SWHs have higher investment costs than conventional technologies, the payback periods are relatively short (between 3 and 4 years) for high and mid income groups. The payback periods will be even shorter when the planned electricity price tariff increase comes into effect. Furthermore, SWH utilisation has the additional effect of reducing the overall electricity demand up to 70% and greenhouse gas emissions significantly. In addition, SWHs are the most cost-effective water heating technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for mid and high income groups with negative abatement costs. It is concluded that the SWHs are the most suitable option to decrease fossil energy consumption and reduce the household's expenditure for energy services, especially for mid and high income groups. For lower income groups the utilisation of solar energy can increase the access to energy services and living quality and, therewith, lessen the financial burden to meet their energy needs.
This chapter evaluates the role of fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) technologies in the future energ... more This chapter evaluates the role of fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) technologies in the future energy sector. However, the first FCH applications date well back in time. One of the first applications was in space missions: From the 1960s to nowadays, hydrogen has been used in fuel cells to provide electricity for space ships, e.g., during the GEMINI and APOLLO space programs and in the space shuttles [1]. Only recently, FCH technologies and applications have started to be developed for the energy sector, and several countries now focus on research and development projects for innovative FCH technologies and applications: Japan, South Korea, the USA, and Germany are leaders in demonstration projects and the commercialization of FCH technologies due to proactive national incentives and funding. They see FCH technologies, processes, and applications as potentially relevant elements in a low-carbon energy system in the medium to long term. a Expected benefits include the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, their high energy efficiency, the reduction of fossil fuel dependency, and promotion of exports. Hydrogen is an energy carrier with very high gravimetric energy density (142 MJ/kg), but low volumetric energy density (5.6 MJ/L at 700 bar), e.g., in comparison with gasoline (46 MJ/kg, 34 MJ/L). Hydrogen can be produced from various hydrocarbons or water, and it can be further converted into other energy carriers such as methane (via methanation). Today, hydrogen is mostly used as industrial feedstock, e.g., in petrochemistry for refining, in ammonia production for fertilizers, and in methanol production [2]. In the energy sector, fuel cells allow for its conversion into electricity. Because this process is based on electro-chemistry, it is not limited by the Carnot efficiency and thus has the potential to operate with an electrical efficiency of up to 60% and an overall theoretical efficiency of over 80% (including both heat and electricity) [3]. The simultaneous production of heat and electricity allows for the use of fuel cells as combined heat and power (CHP) applications. Stationary FCH solutions are expected to be deployed in the future energy system, e.g., for energy storage (seasonal or diurnal, with optional re-electrification), for ancillary services to stabilize the power grid, and for residential heating with micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) plants using fuel cells. In comparison with FCH applications for mobility (e.g., fuel cell cars), stationary FCH facilities have several advantages: a lower power and energy density is required, lower ramping rates are needed, less vibrations are to be withstood, co-generation with a The strengths and weaknesses of different world regions regarding FCH technologies were assessed by the INSIGHT_E consortium in Ref. [14].
Energy technology, Nov 10, 2020
Since the signing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations Member Sta... more Since the signing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations Member States and the Yellow vest movement, it is clear that emissionreducing policies should consider their distributional impacts to ensure a sustainable and equitable growth compatible with the Paris Agreement goals. To this end, the design of environmental and energy policies should be accompanied by an interdisciplinary analysis that includes potential effects on distinct groups of society (defined by income, age, or location), regions, and sectors. This work synthesizes common modeling frameworks used to assess technical, socioeconomic, and environmental aspects in policy analysis and the recent progress to portray distributional impacts in each of them. Furthermore, the main indicators produced by each method are highlighted and a critical review pointing to gaps and limitations that could be addressed by future research is presented.
Nature Energy, Jan 14, 2019
Rückverteilung von Einnahmen aus der CO2-Bepreisung sozialverträglich gestalten
Ökologisches Wirtschaften, Aug 30, 2022
Um negative Folgen für einkommensschwächere Haushalte in Folge der CO2-Bepreisung zu vermeiden, s... more Um negative Folgen für einkommensschwächere Haushalte in Folge der CO2-Bepreisung zu vermeiden, sollte die Rückverteilung der Einnahmen aus der CO2-Bepreisung entsprechend den finanziellen Möglichkeiten und der Entscheidungsfähigkeit der Haushalte erfolgen.
A toolkit for a just transition with the people
Descripcion: Manual del WG4 de ENGAGER, Nov 19, 2021
Chapter 26 – Introduction
Consumers are at the heart of the energy system and are not only encouraged, but also required to... more Consumers are at the heart of the energy system and are not only encouraged, but also required to take an active role in the European Union’s transition towards a secure and sustainable low-carbon energy system. Options for the roles consumers can play as part of this transition as well as the overall structure of this section are introduced in this chapter.
Chapter 31 – Conclusions
Consumers can and should take an active role in driving the European energy transition. This acti... more Consumers can and should take an active role in driving the European energy transition. This active participation can take the form of generating energy for self-consumption, exploring alternative solutions towards reducing energy consumption, such as employing direct current networks, or harnessing existing networks for integrating renewable sources. The Commission can and should also play an active role in guaranteeing and safeguarding the involvement of all members of society and the European Union.
Optimale Struktur von dezentralen und zentralen Technologien im Systemverbund - Intelligente dezentrale Energiesysteme : Schlussbericht
Policy Brief: Folgen des Kohleausstiegs und der Energiewende für die Haushalte in Deutschland
Der aktuell diskutierte "Kohleausstieg" sowie das geplante Klimaschutzgesetz verursache... more Der aktuell diskutierte "Kohleausstieg" sowie das geplante Klimaschutzgesetz verursachen Kosten. Die Bepreisung von Kohlendioxyd (CO2) ist in diesem Zusammenhang als kosteneffizientes Instrument zu beurteilen und daher aus ökonomischer Sicht vorteilhaft. Durch die CO2-Bepreisung entstehen einerseits Kosten für den Systemumbau, andererseits werden staatliche Einnahmen generiert. Werden diese Mehreinnahmen jedoch nicht zur Entlastung der Verbraucher genutzt, so kommt es auf Haushaltsebene zu erheblichen Mehrbelastungen. Um diese Mehrbelastungen zu vermeiden, sind flankierende Ausgleichsmaßnahmen unbedingt notwendig.
Measures to protect vulnerable consumers in the energy sector: an assessment of disconnection safeguards, social tariffs and financial transfers
Energy is central to driving not only productivity in the broader economy, but has a fundamental ... more Energy is central to driving not only productivity in the broader economy, but has a fundamental role for enabling minimum living standards in the residential sector through the energy services provided. These energy services are crucial to ensure warm homes, provide water supply and cooking, lighting, refrigeration and the operation of other electrical appliances. However, some households across all Member States are increasingly struggling to meet their basic energy needs due to energy prices increasing faster than household budgets, poorly insulated buildings and inefficient household appliances leading to higher energy bills. Estimates based on proxy indicators suggest 10-25% of the European population could already be affected by energy poverty to some extent. Given the rising income inequality across Europe and the associated costs of the energy transition, the share of households experiencing energy poverty is likely to increase. Energy poverty is gaining visibility in European legislation, as is the need to protect vulnerable consumers in the gas and electricity markets. The transition to a liberalised retail market for electricity and gas means that the market system increasingly rules the way retailers and consumers interact with each other, as the use of market distorting measures such as regulated prices or energy subsidies to households are removed. While this should increase opportunity for consumers to find the best deal to suit their needs, some households will need additional protection in such a market. Therefore, protective mechanisms are vital to enabling vulnerable energy consumers to access the full benefits of the market, which may not be otherwise available due to issues such as energy affordability. With over 17% of the European population at risk of poverty and 10% in arrears on utility accounts in 2014, this points towards the need to reevaluate the measures in place to safeguard lower income and other vulnerable households given increasing liberalisation under the Internal Energy Market. The objective of this report was to appraise measures associated with ensuring vulnerable consumers are able to afford and maintain a connection to electricity and gas with a particular view of supporting the European Commission’s directorate of Internal Energy Market in assessing which legislative support can be provided across the European Union in the revision of the electricity and gas Directives of the Third Energy Package. This report specifically fed into the impact assessment for the revisions reflected in the European Commission’s proposal for a Clean Energy Package. Firstly, we reviewed how different Member States have implemented specific protection measures (financial transfers, disconnection safeguards and social tariffs). Following this review, an economic assessment compared existing and alternative schemes for the implementation of protective measures across the EU. Finally, recommendations were made regarding the types of measures that provide minimum protection standards for vulnerable consumers in the energy sector.
Direct and Indirect Solar Energy Usage in Gauteng, South Africa: An Energy System Perspective
Energy Strategy Reviews
Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordabl... more Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordable, reliable, and low carbon energy system. To achieve this objective, the EU has explicitly stated targets for greenhouse reduction, shares of renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency improvements for 2020 and 2030. In this paper, we focus on the drivers, barriers and enablers to achieving the EU's RES targets (20% by 2020 and 27% by 2030). Effective energy policies play a key role in the deployment of RES technologies. In order to design effective policies, a clear understanding of past trends and projections for future deployment is required. In this paper, we first analyse the past deployment of RES technologies for electricity supply (RES-E) in selected EU Member States. This highlights the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for deployment of RES in the past. In a second step, we conduct a meta-analysis of projections for RES-E shares from multiple well-established studies. Such an analysis will help in supporting the design of more effective energy policies and successfully achieving the EU's energy targets.
Nature Energy
Energy poverty in the European Union poses a distinctive challenge across Member States, and requ... more Energy poverty in the European Union poses a distinctive challenge across Member States, and requires tailored and targeted action. EU policy makers need to strengthen the response to energy poverty and engender action across Member States, moving beyond the focus on vulnerable consumers in energy markets. It is estimated that in 2018 more than 50 million people were experiencing energy poverty in Europe 1 . Energy poverty is a multi-dimensional concept but can be thought of as a situation where households are unable to adequately meet their energy needs at affordable cost, and is caused by a combination of interrelated factors including low income, high energy prices, poorly insulated buildings and inefficient technologies and sometimes limited access to clean and affordable energy sources 2,3 . Energy poverty is linked to wider health issues, including excess winter death and poor mental health . Energy poor households may also face disproportionately higher energy costs due to lower levels of access to competitive tariffs and other energy market benefits. However, the issue has only recently gained meaningful recognition by the European policy community. The concept of energy poverty is intertwined with but distinct from that of vulnerable consumers (Table ). Member States identify vulnerable consumers based on different criteria. Their definition and protection is tasked to regulators as per EU legislation , where protective measures are typically more short-term, address acute access issues, and are limited to electricity and gas supply 2 . Energy poverty goes
This report explored the strengths and weaknesses of the European innovation capacity within the ... more This report explored the strengths and weaknesses of the European innovation capacity within the Strategic Energy Technologies (SET) Plan Integrated Roadmap through the assessment of energy technology R&I in these specific sectors. The methodology is based on collating publicly available data and compares how the EU performs in comparison to other key countries worldwide through key indicators (e.g., patents, publications and export/import) across these 13 SET Plan themes.
Energy poverty is a serious concern in our societies which receives more and more attention these... more Energy poverty is a serious concern in our societies which receives more and more attention these days. Only a few publication collects the latest findings of social sciences, energy related or urban studies for students, scholars, policy makers or concerned citizens to get a comprehensive picture of the subject. This handbook describes the social consequences of the phenomena, the health implications, the state of the building stock, regional differences in the EU, lists the existing definitions and state regulations and measures, financial support and introduces some of the grass root best practices to inspire and encourage the reader to act in order to eradicate energy poverty in the EU.