• Energy Research

The online survey was designed and conducted in the framework of the EU H2020 project ENPOR ("Actions to Mitigate Energy Poverty in the Private Rented Sector). The aim of the survey was to receive statistically sound insights on structural factors that affect the implementation of energy efficiency policies for the alleviation of energy poverty in the European Private Rented Sector. We developed it as an explorative, semi-quantitative, self-completion online questionnaire, using the online tool “EUSurvey”. We performed the online survey among different stakeholders from academia, policy, NGO’s, landlords and tenant associations, etc.

The purpose of the European Commission-funded LIFE Programme RENOVERTY project is to increase energy efficiency address and energy poverty in vulnerable rural districts in Central Eastern, Southern Eastern and Southern Europe. The latter will be achieved by setting the methodological and practical framework for the co-development of individual tailor-made Renovation Energy Efficiency Roadmaps to address the needs of energy poor households in the regions under study, with the contribution of all actors involved in the energy efficiency value chain. This report aims to contribute to this objective by expanding RENOVERTY activities, coupling the strengths of energy system modelling with qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques guiding us from the (i). updated framework of energy efficiency and energy poverty in rural areas, the (ii). stakeholders need assessment, and the (iii). RENOVERTY fieldwork (i.e., energy audits), as derived from the previous RENOVERTY report: “Updating the energy poverty and energy efficiency framework in rural areas across the EU”), to the application of the modelling assessment framework in real-life pilots (the rural region of Osona in Spain, the rural region of Parma in Italy, Bükk and SMB in Hungary, Sveta Nedelja and Žumberak in Croatia, Tartu in Estonia, Zasavje in Slovenia, and Coimbra in Portugal), allowing for the evaluation of several Energy Efficiency Measures based on their impact in households’ energy profiles and technoeconomic viability. To do so, we employ and present the results from the Dynamic high-Resolution dE-mand-sidE Management (DREEM) model. DREEM is employed to apply an evaluation framework that will determine the most suitable Energy Efficiency Measures in each case study. Modelling results provide detailed information on the energy-saving potential, CO2 emissions, and technoeconomic viability of different energy efficiency measures, indicating diverse results across the different case studies. Overall, our analysis includes findings and recommendations, which if considered could support stakeholders and end-users to recognise and address the specificities of rural areas when it comes to the implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures, while contributing to the effective design and implementation of energy efficiency policies to address energy poverty in rural contexts.

Although energy system models have become more complex, it does not necessarily mean that they are better suited to answer the questions, or address the challenges, faced by decision- and policymakers. In this report, we aim to tackle such critical issues and challenges of the European energy transition towards climate neutrality by 2050, with the user-driven updated SENTINEL modelling ensemble. Specifically, we showcase the applicability and usefulness of the SENTINEL modelling suite in the context of three case studies, a. a Continental level case study (European Union, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and some Balkan countries), b. a Regional level case study (Nordic countries), and c. a National level case study (Greece). Specifically, this report provides details on input data, as well as model linkages and results, and serves two purposes. It provides (i). detailed specifications for the application of the SENTINEL models in the context of policy-relevant scenarios and energy and climate targets, and (ii). answers to stakeholders’ critical research questions through scientific evidence from the SENTINEL models. Modelling results relevant to the power sector’s transformation showcase that the transition to a low-carbon power sector would need to consider potential lock-ins to intermediate technologies, such as natural gas, which could decrease European energy security, and increase import dependency. On the demand side, the potential for energy demand reduction in the European transport sector is large, while the industry sector presents inertia. However, electrification in both sectors is expected to become significant, which would decrease fossil-fuel extraction and use, and consequently direct fossil carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, achieving decarbonisation in the building sector by 2050 is possible but would require a higher annual rate of high-efficiency renovations and new buildings than currently prescribed, which would also require strong political support to accelerate the implementation of measures. Overall, increasing electrification across all demand sectors is expected to cause changes in total and hourly power demand, which could potentially increase peak demand. In this context, sector coupling can provide the necessary flexibility to the power system and ensure an adequate balance between energy supply and demand. Regarding the environmental impacts of the energy transition, we highlight that greenhouse-gas emission reductions should not be looked at solely, as the effect of the energy transition on other aspects (such as for example, human toxicity, human health, water depletion, particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification, etc.) may be negative. On top of that, risks regarding the availability of critical raw materials should be taken into account to avoid scarcity of raw materials required for key new renewable technologies. Finally, on the socio-economic aspect, we show that although a people-powered, decentralised energy system has the highest system cost, it has the largest economy-wide welfare benefits, including positive aggregate EU27+ employment effects by 2030 and by 2050. The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the EC. The authors would like to thank the SENTINEL colleagues that contributed to specific sections relevant to their models' application to the SENTINEL case studies. The content of this report is the sole responsibility of its authors and does not necessary reflect the views of the EC.

Studies have found that across Europe, household energy consumption varies according to a number of demographic factors, including gender, yet energy policy at pan-European, national and regional levels continues to be designed for a "gender-neutral" energy consumer. Nevertheless, pervasive gender inequality in society, gendered care responsibilities and household labour, lower incomes and the higher likelihood of being a single parent were identified as key drivers of energy poverty amongst women across Europe. Current policy barriers were highlighted as being a dearth of sex-disaggregated multi-scalar data on gender and energy poverty, a lack of awareness of gender disparities, inaccessibility and untargeted current policy, and a general lack of representation in all areas of policy- and decision-making. This report combines an in-depth review of academic and grey literature, an analysis of existing energy efficiency policies targeting the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and a primary scoping survey of stakeholders to generate a series of targeted policy recommendations to address the gender dimension in European energy efficiency policy. It should be noted that this report follows the definition of gender put forward by Robinson et al. (2023); gender is not a binary or discrete category, but intersects with and is constructed through "other forms of social difference, such as class, ethnicity, race, disability, sexuality and age", which shapes social relations in unequal ways (Robinson, Simcock and Petrova, 2023). The overarching recommendations arising from the report are: Policies must address the underlying, structural causes of gender inequality and vulnerability to energy poverty. Improved data collection and identification of policy beneficiaries. Creating policy that accounts for the needs of women and families. Increased accessibility to enhance women's uptake of energy policies. Improved representation of women in the energy sector and in policymaking. Integration of energy efficiency policy with measures to tackle other gendered environmental injustices. The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the EC. The authors would also like to thank the stakeholders that participated in the survey. The content of this report is the sole responsibility of its authors and does not necessary reflect the views of the EC.

This report examines the structural barriers preventing investment in energy efficiency measures in Europe’s Private Rented Sector (PRS) housing stock. The analysis is undertaken with reference to the broader trends in private renting, the regulatory landscape that currently exists, and the need to reduce social vulnerability and income poverty more generally. An introduction detailing historical and geographical trends in Europe, using case studies, and elaborating upon research and policy analysis from previous ENPOR project reports, serves to provide the starting point of the review. Following desk-based reviews of academic and grey literature, we identified Financial, Political/Regulatory, Social, and Geographical factors as key barriers to the implementation of energy efficiency policies in the PRS, which provide the backbone structure of this review. Several strands of analysis are drawn upon, including expert viewpoints and a stakeholder survey. The primary survey was conducted with a range of stakeholders working in the field of energy poverty, energy efficiency, housing, and decarbonisation, and served to generate primary data on knowledge of policies, ratings of importance on the identified barriers and governance scales, and understandings of the effects of policy on vulnerable groups. Partners from the ENPOR Consortium also provided expert situated viewpoints, which were drawn together to provide a holistic overview of factors contributing to the key barriers, as well as suggesting potential solutions from a multi-stakeholder perspective, supplemented by the survey’s findings. A common theme running throughout our analyses and recommendations is that solutions to energy poverty in the private rented sector are situated across the barriers, and are ultimately financial, social, political/regulatory and technical. Although a practical way of identifying structural factors that can prevent investment in energy efficiency, this is where we reach the limits of the conceptual notion of ‘barriers’ as an explanatory tool for understanding the persistent energy poverty, housing quality and energy efficiency related challenges. The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the EC. The authors would like to thank the stakeholders that participated in the online survey. The content of this report is the sole responsibility of its authors and does not necessary reflect the views of the EC.

Households in the private rented sector (i.e., households renting properties at a market rate from a private landlord), and especially those of lower income, face far more energy poverty issues than the general population, meaning that they are often unable to afford socially and materially required levels of energy services. In this context, energy efficiency policies are of the outmost importance as they can improve households' living conditions and contribute to the alleviation of energy poverty. Nevertheless, when it comes to the private rented sector across Europe, implementing such policies is hindered by several barriers. Our article sheds light on structural factors that serve as barriers to, and solutions for, the implementation of energy efficiency policies in the private rented sector across Europe. Our approach is twofold: first, an in-depth desk research is performed to identify financial, social, political/regulatory, and technical barriers and solutions. Literature findings are then supplemented and validated by a European-wide survey, eliciting knowledge embedded in 64 relevant stakeholders and field experts. Our findings indicate that although financial barriers are always of the essence, a holistic assessment of barriers is required, as there is a lack of awareness about policies that could improve tenants' living conditions. They also provide possible solutions that governmental bodies at all levels and other organisations could implement to improve energy efficiency and tackle energy poverty. Overall, our work suggests key implications, which, if acted upon, could accelerate the deployment of energy efficiency policies in the private rented sector across Europe.

This report analyses and assesses policies and measures that address energy poverty in the private rented sector (PRS) across Europe. We review intervention strategies aimed at reducing energy poverty in private rented properties, particularly scrutinising policies targeting vulnerable households in the sector. The overarching objective is to investigate the content, aim, and structure of PRS policies in this domain, noting key patterns in the coverage, distribution, and delivery of such initiatives. As a result, the review identifies some of the wider structural challenges in the type of support currently available to energy poor households. Policies have been identified on the basis of publicly available, non-confidential and nonpersonal information, collected between January 2021 and January 2023. Data was compiled by experts from the ENPOR consortium, as well as from submissions via the ENPOR Energy Poverty Dashboard (EPD) portal. Although 122 policies appear on the EPD (as of 31st March 2023), 114 are included in this analysis, as a result of insufficiently available information for the remaining measures. The resulting dataset is a diverse set of measures operating at different geographic and governance scales, and with highly variegated programmatic objectives. The objective of this report is to provide indicative insights into the overall typology of support measures and interventions that target the PRS. We also caveat that the level of information available online on each policy was highly variable: for some, highly comprehensive levels of detail were given, for others, only basic information was publicly noted. Given that a pan-national review with a similar conceptual remit has not been undertaken to date, this updated document proposes a framing to help develop methodological tools and analytical approaches for future investigations into policy measures in this domain. This work has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement 889385, ENPOR project). We would also like to thank the stakeholders for taking the time to participate in the online survey. The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the EC. The content of this report is the sole responsibility of its authors and does not necessary reflect the views of the EC.

This paper introduces the Composite Energy and Transport Poverty Indicator (CETPI), a tool designed to address rural vulnerabilities in the EU, with a focus on Croatia, Italy, and the Netherlands. By assuming a social practice theory perspective, this article explores the intersection of energy and transport poverty, emphasizing the need for a far more holistic approach to capture the complexity of these phenomena. Using data on household energy consumption, transport expenditure, and socioeconomic variables, the study developed a replicable indicator, pointing at areas where disparities in energy and transport access might be elusive and therefore unaddressed. As such, the findings reveal that rural areas experience unique challenges, including generally higher costs and limited access to affordable services, contributing to deeper levels of social exclusion. The CETPI provides policymakers with a framework to better understand these intertwined issues to inform targeted interventions that can alleviate both energy and transport poverty. The paper concludes by advocating for policy solutions that can improve equitable access to essential services for vulnerable rural populations.