Energy consumption of buildings and urban energy poverty assessment: case study of a Madrid neighbourhood.

Abstract

The assessment of the energy consumption of buildings is essential in analysing energy poverty. Current indicators in Spain are based on real consumption. The aim is to advance with the assessment of theoretical energy consumption in order to understand the economic expense behind keeping a home at an adequate temperature, regardless of actual use of energy facilities, which might be low as a result of lack of resources or excessive due to lack of control. A simplified method is proposed for this, which allows for an agile assessment on an urban scale and which is applied to a vulnerable Madrid neighbourhood, Pan Bendito, in Spain. The household in Pan Bendito with electric heating find themselves in energy poverty due to the high economic cost of the aforementioned heating system. Households with gas heating, whose economic cost is lower, do not find themselves in energy poverty. Establishing a reduced price for adjusted consumption and a high price for excessive consumption is advisable.