Recognising summer energy poverty. Evidence from Southern Europe

Abstract

Summer energy poverty (SEP) is becoming a more concerning issue in southern European countries. This is due to the increasing intensity and frequency of heatwaves, which are particularly severe in urban areas. In this matter, scientific literature has grown on topics such as urban microclimate, passive urban cooling or assessing people’s adaptability to high temperatures. However, there is still a gap between scientific knowledge and local policies when addressing energy poverty, particularly SEP. This paper aims to bridge this scientific and policy knowledge gap by gathering existing methodologies and approaches to SEP in the context of southern Europe. The methodology consists on a meta-study on the topic, involving analysis and synthesis of multiple and heterogeneous sources. A collaborative collection and revision of nearly two hundred references was conducted, focusing mainly on Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria. Through a screening process, these references were examined and the main ideas, current debates, as well as limitations and boundaries in SEP knowledge were incorporated. Results show that, although authorities have developed local plans to tackle summer vulnerability and energy poverty, a cross-sectional vision is still needed to make operative the scientific advances. Therefore, this paper proposes instruments in the form of definitions, indicators, evaluation methodologies and their policy implications for identifying and addressing SEP in the context of the EU.