A Methodology to Estimate High-Resolution Gridded Datasets on Energy Consumption Drivers in Ecuador’s Residential Sector during the 2010–2020 Period

Abstract

There are no methodologies in the literature for estimating the temporal and spatial distribution of consumption drivers for the residential sector of a region or country. Factors such as energy requirement, population density, outdoor temperature, and socioeconomic aspects are considered the major drivers of consumption and have been found to directly influence residential energy consumption. In this study, a methodology is proposed to evaluate the impact of the above drivers in domestic energy consumption in Ecuador between 2010 and 2020 using publicly available data. This methodology aims to provide a spatiotemporal approach to estimate high-resolution gridded datasets for a 10-year period, 2010–2020, assessing seven energy drivers: (1) gridded population density, (2) gridded space heating requirements, (3) gridded space cooling requirements, (4) gridded water heating requirements, (5) gridded Gross Domestic Product (GDP), (6) gridded per capita GDP, and (7) the Human Development Index (HDI). Drivers 1 to 6 were analyzed at one square kilometer (1 km2), whereas HDI was analyzed at the city level. These results can be used to evaluate energy-planning strategies in a range of sustainable scenarios. This methodology can be used to evaluate a range of consumption drivers to evaluate long-term energy policies to reach the net-zero target by midcentury. The proposed methodology can be reproduced in other countries and regions. Future research could explore the spatiotemporal correlation of the consumption drivers provided in this study.