Energy Communities: A Significant Factor to alleviate Energy Poverty

At the end of the 20th century, one of the phenomena that affect humanity on a social, economic, political, and environmental level is the energy poverty, a concept that is still misunderstood. It is a distinct form of poverty associated with a range of adverse effects for people’s health and wellbeing. Energy poverty is often described as the inability to keep homes adequately warm. In the late of 20th and especially in the early of 21st century, the protection of the environment and the developing capacity of economy, through sustainable development, set the vision for the innovation of distribution networks and production of energy, through renewable energy sources. To optimize energy production and to reduce production costs, the socio-technological system envisages optimal results through decentralized systems, and smart grid cities. It offers to consumers the power to be producers of the energy that they consume. The new concept of prosumer (the ability to be both consumer and producer) involves the production of the energy from renewable sources and its consumption in a social context. This new institution is called “energy community” and constitutes the key to transition to a decarbonized economy and society and it is considered as a significant step in tackling climate change. The aim of this research is to evaluate the intervention of energy communities in the efficiency of the energy consumption sector and their social impact, based on the subjective indicators of energy poverty.