Analyzing the complementarity between thermal improvement and the replacement of wood-burning heaters to reduce outdoor air pollution

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) 2024, Vol.21 (1), p.189-204
• Main Author: Mardones, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Original Paper; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s13762-023-04964-z

Many cities in central–southern Chile have severe problems due to fine particulate matter pollution associated with firewood for residential heating in the fall-winter season. Attempts have been made to solve this problem by financing heater replacement (certified wood-burning heaters, pellet heaters, or kerosene vented heaters) and thermal improvement programs to which households can apply each year. However, both programs were initially justified through ex-ante evaluations whose assumptions may be questionable under real conditions. Therefore, this study evaluates these programs’ individual and combined impact on firewood consumption, energy consumption, and fine particulate matter emissions through the differences-in-differences technique. The results show that the heater replacement program is only effective when households replace firewood with another fuel. Specifically, the consumption of firewood per household is significantly reduced by 2900 or 3500 kg/year when a pellet or kerosene vented heater is chosen, while the consumption of energy per household is only significantly reduced when a vented kerosene heater is chosen. However, the thermal improvement program does not generate the expected environmental benefits since households maintain their firewood consumption to increase thermal comfort. In addition, the coefficients that evaluate the interaction between both programs are not statistically significant, so there is no complementarity to reduce consumption or emissions. For the above, it is concluded that public resources allocated to certified wood-burning heaters and thermal improvement should be redirected to pellet or kerosene vented heaters. Finally, collecting data from the beneficiary and non-beneficiary households during more periods is suggested to determine how the impacts change over time.