Energy poverty occurs when energy bills represent a high percentage of consumers’ income or when they must decrease their household’s energy consumption to an extent that negatively affects their health and well-being. When I first began researching the highly under-discussed topic of energy poverty, I felt myself leaning into the imagery of each family in each home with a unique struggle. I became more passionate about the individuals and their labors than a large-scale view of things. 

Now, I think it was a very valid perspective to begin with, but I’ve dug deeper and begun to recognize the bigger picture. Energy poverty has a major effect on communities.

“Heat or Eat” is one of the ways we refer to the issue of energy poverty. We simplify the issue to a more digestible format by explaining that many people must decide whether to use their limited income to buy groceries or heat their homes on a cold night. It goes far beyond that uncomplicated example, but is a solid foundation to build one’s understanding.

Let’s discuss some of the larger-scale products of communities unable to access affordable, reliable and modern energy services necessary for basic human needs and economic development. 

• Health Impacts: The inability to maintain clean energy sources for cooking and heating can lead to indoor air pollution from traditional fuels such as wood, charcoal or kerosene. Exposure to indoor air pollution can cause respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, bronchitis and lung cancer, significantly affecting women and children who spend more time indoors. 

• Education: Without access to electricity, students may have restricted opportunities for studying at home, which can negatively influence educational results. Any deficiency in access to modern energy services can also impact schools’ ability to provide adequate lighting, heating, and access to information and communication technologies, hindering students’ educational opportunities.

• Economic development: Energy poverty can impede economic development by limiting access to electricity for productive activities such as agriculture, small-scale manufacturing and entrepreneurship. A shortage of reliable energy services can boost the expenses of doing business and limit job prospects in energy-intensive sectors.

• Social Impacts: Energy poverty can exacerbate existing inequalities and social dissimilarities, disproportionately impacting marginalized and vulnerable communities, including rural populations, women and older adults. A deficiency of access to electricity can also hinder social connectivity, limiting access to information, communication and social services.

• Environmental Degradation: Dependence on traditional fuels for cooking and heating contributes to deforestation, soil degradation and air and water pollution, leading to negative environmental impacts and further exacerbating climate change. These are issues to be addressed by using sustainable energy resources.

• Vulnerability to Environmental Impacts: Communities interrupted by energy poverty are often more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, and natural disasters. Lack of access to reliable energy services can hinder adaptation and resilience efforts in the face of climate-related risks.

Geothermal and TENs

So, it’s clear that energy poverty’s impact stretches far beyond the individual and throughout communities. Being connected as a community has its perks, but being connected through such morbid means is far from ideal. 

Then again, there are ways to connect that have much more merit, such as implementing thermal energy networks.

TENs are utility-scale thermal energy infrastructure projects connecting multiple buildings into a shared network with thermal energy sources such as geothermal boreholes, surface water and wastewater.

Many factors play into the issues posed by energy poverty, such as the health risks posed by the unreliable nature of air-source heat pumps. In extreme conditions, the system’s efficiency declines and can lead to serious health risks. 

This is not the case with geothermal heat pumps when engineered and installed properly. With a TEN configuration, the first cost of geothermal boreholes, geothermal exchangers and other variations to tap into the earth’s energy is normalized as a utility, such as drinking water, sewer and natural gas. With a TEN, the customer can hook up a geothermal heat pump in much the same way a furnace or boiler is connected to a natural gas service. 

TENs are connected by a myriad of potential solutions to the concerns mentioned regarding energy poverty, such as:

• Jobs: Transferability for gas utility workers and pipefitters, jobs that are accessible and promote the benefits of trade education.

• Cost: Lower energy bills for all involved, relieving many of the need to choose between which essentials they can afford on a limited income.

• Safe and Reliable: Noncombustible and consistent energy flow.

• Equity: Renewable thermal energy is delivered to all customers regardless of their situation.

• Health: Improved indoor and outdoor air quality (no combustion in the building), creating safer spaces for residents.

• Grid: Flattens the peak loads on the electricity grid.

• Climate: A major reduction in carbon emissions from buildings.

Energy poverty is a worldwide struggle; there’s no reason to stand by and do nothing when an abundance of solutions and opportunities are available to help those who need it most. The implementation of TENs is spreading, and the benefits consistently present as a realistic solution to real-world problems. 

Sustainable and renewable energy is focused on keeping our planet healthy, but that starts with caring for the people who share this planet with us. Thermal energy networks will save lives, be fiscally beneficial, keep our planet healthy and provide work for people everywhere.