Residential energy efficiency in Chile. Policies to reduce firewood dependency

Cortés, Alejandra; Rismanchi, Behzad

doi:10.18537/est.v009.n017.a05

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The regulations specify maximum thermal transmittance (U values as W/m 2 K) of the building envelope but do not yet specify values for ground heat transfer, air infiltration, ventilation or heating; all key variables to improve the energy efficiency performance of a building. However, all these variables are considered in the thermal retrofit programme implemented in cities with an ADP (Cortes and Rismanchi, 2020). In 2009, the thermal retrofit programme was launched, aiming to reduce 30 per cent of the housing stock heating demand.…”

Section: Thermal Retrofit Programmementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only recently have public policies combined both programmes, so no studies have evaluated the joint impact to date. Some studies have modelled different scenarios of pollutants emission, stressing a lack of information regarding the specific impacts that each policy of the ADPs has on residential emission (Cortés and Ridley, 2014;Cortes and Rismanchi, 2020). Notwithstanding the scientific evidence, the air pollution problem remains.…”

Section: The Study Of Energy Poverty In Chilementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Discussion: Lack of Understanding of Local Energy Culture in Chile It is acknowledged that the four factors contributing to emissions of residential firewood combustion as the main source of pollution are a) the commercialisation and use of firewood that does not comply with the minimum humidity standards; b) the use of wood in old and inefficient appliances with lack of appropriate technology; c) the high demand of firewood for heating due to poor building insulation; and d) the behaviour of firewood consumers (burning preferences, opening-closing air flow, volume of wood combusted, etc.) (Huneeus et al 2020;Cortes and Rismanchi, 2020). However, there is one crucial blind spot: energy culture in relation to heating systems as a barrier for residential energy transition.…”

Section: The Study Of Energy Poverty In Chilementioning

confidence: 99%

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Energy culture and the dynamics of energy poverty in south Chile: a blind spot for decontamination energy efficiency policies

Cortés¹,

Amigo²

2022

PPP

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While energy poverty has received increasing policy focus in Europe, in Latin America, energy poverty has only recently emerged in the public agenda. Although energy efficiency policies have been implemented in some countries in the region, these typically lack an understanding of the complexities related to energy poverty. In southern Chile, the case study of this article, energy efficiency interventions have been focussed on tackling air pollution from residential firewood combustion. This approach fails to consider the energy poverty condition of households such as the lack of equitable access to high-quality energy services and the cultural aspects of firewood use and preference. This not only hinders efforts around energy efficiency but also in overcoming the environmental problem (i.e. air pollution). Therefore, the concept of energy poverty in middle-developed countries such as Chile needs reframing to have a better contextsensitivity and cultural understanding of this phenomenon.The concept of energy poverty in this article is understood as a context-sensitive three-dimensional approach that considers quality, access, and equity giving special importance to local energy cultures. This understanding is fundamental to foster a just energy transition and re-scope the air pollution problem. To do so, we examined the economic and political backdrop of energy poverty in south Chile to discuss the sitespecific sociocultural factors that must be recognised and included in the energy efficiency policies for developing effective and more responsive local solutions to energy poverty and air pollution. We argue that local energy culture has turned into an air pollution problem that is being tackled by policies that do not consider, for example, the multifunctionality of heating and cooking appliances, the habits related to indoor thermal comfort and the whole culture around firewood use embedded in the everyday life in southern Chile.

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Section: Thermal Retrofit Programmementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Study Of Energy Poverty In Chilementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Study Of Energy Poverty In Chilementioning

confidence: 99%

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