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In this work, energy poverty in the Canary Islands is analysed, and a new indicator to measure it is proposed. In the first place, a quantitative analysis has been conducted using different income-based indicators and contrasting the results with the Spanish situation during the 2006–2016 period. The archipelago presents some specific characteristics (high poverty rates combined with low energy consumption) that make necessary the introduction of an alternative, more robust indicator than those existing in the literature. Based on a combination of different income-based indicators, a new one is proposed, named “Compound Energy Poverty Indicator” (CEPI). The CEPI reveals the special features of the Canaries consistent with their regional singularities, as recommended by the European Union energy policies. The evolution of this indicator shows the greater impact of the 2008 economic crisis on the Canary Islands compared to Spain, almost reaching the Spanish energy poverty rates at the end of the period (12.5 versus 11.49). Moreover, the average growth rate from 2006 to 2016 (13.0%) results very high in comparison with the national 2.6%. The development of a systematic and coordinated strategy in the Canaries to assess the energy poverty incidence would not be possible without a proper, accurate indicator.

Abstract:The aim of this paper is to analyze Rogers-system categories of electric vehicle adopters in Tenerife (Canary Islands) to highlight the psychological factors defining each category. The paper runs a model to calculate willingness to change and willingness to pay for an electric vehicle following the contingent valuation methodology. A survey performed in Tenerife Island collected data from 444 private cars drivers. The survey contained a set of questions on psychological and car-features issues, as well as other items querying the socioeconomic factors and mobility characteristics of the drivers. This paper brings key contributions to the literature. First, it uses two theoretical frameworks to define the categories of innovators from a psychosocial standpoint. Second, the results will usefully inform both policymakers and automaker marketing departments on specific actions to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles. Our results confirm that electric vehicle adopter categories are similar in proportion and characteristics to those of Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory, and can be collapsed into two macro-groups of adopters distributed in a 50%-50% split in our sample, i.e., the earlier adopters and the later adopters.

Isolated energy systems in archipelagos are characterized for having a great dependence on fossil sources due to isolation and territorial fragmentation. The island of La Palma is situated on the northwest of the Canary Islands, and its electric system is very small. Sustainability policies planned by local authorities are aimed to increase the share of renewable energies and the reduction of fossil energies. However, intermittence and the concentration of unmanageable renewable energies in few locations may hinder the operation of the system. In order to solve these problems, energy storage plays an essential role. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effects of the introduction of two possible alternatives as a way of energy storage: pumped hydro storage and electric vehicles. For this, we use a simulation model adapted to the features of La Palma, considering different scenarios. Results show that, in the most favourable scenario, the installation of an additional 25 MW from renewables (more than double the current power), supported by 20 MW of pumped hydro storage and a fleet of 3361 electric vehicles, would allow the current share of renewables to increase from 11% (in 2015) to 49%. Furthermore, this would mean a 26% reduction in CO 2 emissions, 10% in costs of generated kWh and 19% in energy dependence.

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