Household energy use in urban Venezuela: Implications from surveys in Maracaibo, Valencia, Merida, and Barcelona-Puerto La Cruz

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10192502· OSTI ID:10192502

Figueroa, M J; Sathaye, J

This report identifies the most important results of a comparative analysis of household commercial energy use in Venezuelan urban cities. The use of modern fuels is widespread among all cities. Cooking consumes the largest share of urban household energy use. The survey documents no use of biomass and a negligible use of kerosene for cooking. LPG, natural gas, and kerosene are the main fuels available. LPG is the fuel choice of low-income households in all cities except Maracaibo, where 40% of all households use natural gas. Electricity consumption in Venezuela`s urban households is remarkably high compared with the levels used in households in comparable Latin American countries and in households of industrialized nations which confront harsher climatic conditions and, therefore, use electricity for water and space heating. The penetration of appliances in Venezuela`s urban households is very high. The appliances available on the market are inefficient, and there are inefficient patterns of energy use among the population. Climate conditions and the urban built form all play important roles in determining the high level of energy consumption in Venezuelan urban households. It is important to acknowledge the opportunities for introducing energy efficiency and conservation in Venezuela`s residential sector, particularly given current economic and financial constraints, which may hamper the future provision of energy services.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Ministry of Energy and Mines (Venezuela)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 10192502
• Report Number(s): LBL--33199; ON: DE94002259
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320105
BUILDING SERVICES
ELECTRICITY
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FOOD PROCESSING
HOUSES
KEROSENE
LOW BTU GAS
LOW INCOME GROUPS
NATURAL GAS
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
SURVEYS
URBAN AREAS
VENEZUELA