Social acceptance of low-carbon transport technologies is a crucial but frequently underrepresented dimension in energy system optimization models (ESOMs), despite its potential relevance for the design of effective decarbonization policies. This study examines the role of social acceptability in the transition of the European Union transport sector toward climate neutrality by integrating behavioral factors into the open-source ESOM TEMOA-Europe. In particular, social acceptability is represented through technology-specific hurdle rates, used as proxies for perceived risk and financing barriers, alongside assumptions on declining investment costs for low-carbon vehicle technologies. Four scenarios are developed and compared: (i) a Base scenario, (ii) a scenario with reduced hurdle rates for battery electric and fuel-cell vehicles, (iii) a CostSC scenario with lower investment costs for green truck technologies, and a Net0 scenario (iv) imposing a binding net-zero emissions constraint by 2050. The analysis evaluates these scenarios based on technology uptake, system costs, CO2 emissions, and critical raw material requirements. Results show that, in the passenger car sector, lower perceived risk can substantially accelerate electrification and achieve emissions reductions comparable to those obtained under stringent regulatory constraints, in some cases at lower overall system cost. By contrast, the freight sector appears considerably less responsive to such demand-side measures, indicating the need for stronger regulatory intervention. The findings also highlight that deep transport decarbonization implies a substantial increase in demand for critical raw materials, reinforcing the importance of complementary recycling and supply-chain policies.
Month: June 2026
Energy poverty: a transient or chronic condition?
Energy poverty remains a pressing challenge in the European Union, with Spain exhibiting one of the highest incidence rates. Despite an ambitious national strategy, over 20% of Spanish households continues to report difficulties maintaining adequate indoor temperatures. This study examines energy poverty dynamics in Spain using longitudinal data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) covering the period 2004–2023. We distinguish between transient and chronic energy poverty, revealing that 2.6–3.6% of households experience persistent deprivation. Vulnerability is higher among single-person and female-headed households, while education and employment significantly reduce chronic risk. By focusing on household trajectories, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of structural and temporal dimensions of energy poverty, supporting more effective policy design. Spain’s case highlights the limitations of current measures and the need for strategies addressing long-term vulnerability within a just energy transition framework.
Assessing the Economic Impact of Photovoltaic Generation on Electricity Prices and Consumer Economic Benefits under Feed-in Tariff System: Evidence from Japan
In this study, the impact of photovoltaic generation on electricity prices and net consumer benefits is evaluated by accounting for the cost of a feed-in tariff system. A structural model is utilized to estimate electricity prices in a counterfactual scenario in which photovoltaics are not generated, and the results are compared with actual prices to evaluate the consumer economic benefits of photovoltaic adoption. To quantitatively estimate the consumer economic benefit, an empirical analysis is performed by using the data on electricity prices, electricity demand, and photovoltaic generation in Japan. The results indicate positive consumer economic benefits owing to the adoption of photovoltaics in recent years, particularly during the summer, which confirms the theoretical prediction that the net economic benefits from photovoltaics increase with increasing electricity demand and difference between photovoltaic generation and the demand. These results offer practical insight for implementing policies that balance renewable energy expansion with economic feasibility. By applying the insights on consumer economic benefits, policymakers could more accurately adjust the feed-in tariff to balance the cost of photovoltaic installation with the consumer burden.
Analysis of Natural Gas and Electricity Load Profiles for the Decarbonisation Strategy of a Commercial Area
The aim of the analysis is to create a database that maps the company-specific energy demand of a commercial area in hourly resolution. The focus is on determining the electricity and heat demand profile of companies in a commercial area using a combination of synthetic and real load profiles. These are necessary to map the heterogeneous energy requirements of industrial and commercial companies in a commercial area as realistically as possible. Due to the limited availability of real consumption data, 323 synthetic electricity and 125 gas load profiles from various studies were used. The comparison shows that synthetic profiles can only reflect the actual requirements of individual companies to a limited extent. However, as the temporal resolution becomes more aggregated and the number of companies increases, the synthetic data approximates the real consumption profile of the entire commercial area. The analysis carried out forms the basis for implementing an energy system model that examines the economic and technical synergies of local energy communities as part of decarbonisation strategies in commercial areas.