Energy poverty risk mapping methodology considering the user's thermal adaptability: The case of Chile

Abstract

Today, identifying energy poverty is one of the scientific community's challenges. In this sense, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) assumes getting to know which areas are the most vulnerable. This study considers the development of a new territory energy poverty evaluation indicator, called Poverty Adaptive Degree Hourly Index (PADHI). The novelty of this indicator is that it combines the number of inhabitants in poverty with the hourly heating and cooling degrees of each climate, determined using adaptive thermal comfort limits based on ASHRAE 55-2017. The area studied focuses on Chile and its 346 municipalities. The application of the adaptive comfort model can exceed 90% in the north of the country and be below 20% in the most meridional areas. The results also outlined that the municipalities defined as PADHI's 10th decile are those which have a higher risk of energy poverty in their population, a higher percentage of income poverty and climatic severity. A cluster analysis was also run for this decile, identifying two risk groups with the aim of identifying the critical areas. This methodology applied to Chile, but international in nature, allows identifying priority areas on which the measures needed to reduce energy poverty can be focused.