Development of Energy Poverty and Its Solutions through the Use of Renewables: The EU Case with a Focus on Slovakia

Marcela Taušová, Lucia Domaracká, Katarína Čulková (), Peter Tauš and Pavol Kaňuch
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Marcela Taušová: Faculty BERG, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
Lucia Domaracká: Faculty BERG, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
Katarína Čulková: Faculty BERG, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
Peter Tauš: Faculty BERG, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
Pavol Kaňuch: Faculty BERG, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-14

Abstract: The problem of energy poverty (EP), when energy becomes unaffordable for some population groups, is not only a problem for developing countries, but this phenomenon is appearing more and more often in European countries. In Europe, it is estimated that 50 to 125 million people are living in energy poverty. We hear more and more about energy poverty in connection with the current energy crisis and rising energy prices, but also because of insufficient renewable use. Due to increasing energy prices, we are increasingly hearing about the deepening energy poverty in Slovakia. This study aims to evaluate the development of energy poverty in Slovakia compared to other EU countries. The situation is studied from the view of the number of heating and cooling days, the percentage of the population that cannot maintain adequate heat at home, the percentage of the population that lacks heat, and the percentage of residents without enough heat. During the research, we used distribution analysis, trend analysis, analysis of variance, and one-way analysis. The main results show that the heating degree days (HDD) index recorded a decrease, the cooling degree days (CDD) index recorded an increase, and energy poverty is most obvious in a low-income group of inhabitants, having shortage of heat, when renewable energy sources (RES) use contributes to the mitigation of energy poverty. Solving the unfavorable situation of energy poverty is possible by increasing the share of renewables used in the gross final energy consumption for heating and cooling, primarily in residential buildings. The results provide information for policymakers regarding the triple bottom line approach (people, planet, and profit).

Keywords: energy consumption; cooling and heating degree days; renewable energy sources; risk of energy poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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