ABOUT THE SPEAKER
DeAndrea Salvador - Environmental justice advocate
DeAndrea Salvador reshapes the way we use and engage with energy.

Why you should listen

DeAndrea Newman Salvador is an energy expert with a background in economics, an entrepreneur and a founder of two groundbreaking organizations, Renewable Energy Transition Initiative (RETI) and JouleScout. She works to create seamless integration of low-income families into a world of energy abundance.

Witnessing neighbors in her home state of North Carolina struggle to keep up with energy expenses, Salvador took action in 2013 and founded RETI, a nonprofit focused on helping low-income families sustainably reduce energy costs and gain access to cutting-edge technology. Through RETI, Salvador is partnering with Duke Energy (one of the nation's largest utilities) to launch a low- to moderate-income shared solar program in South Carolina. RETI also worked with the City of Charlotte to create a Smart Home Kick Start for the city's residents.
 
Furthering her mission to create energy equity in the new energy economy, Salvador founded JouleScout in 2018. JouleScout is a social enterprise focused on helping energy providers incentivize customers to use less energy at key times without sacrificing comfort, thereby ensuring grid reliability, fewer blackouts and more renewables on the grid with a cost savings to customers.
 
As a social entrepreneur and advocate, Salvador has been featured by The Atlantic, Fast Company, the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Utility Drive and the Charlotte Observer. Her own articles are published in Pacific Standard Magazine, GOOD, The Development Set, BRIGHT Magazine and on TheWeek.com.
 
Salvador is a TED2018 Fellow, a recipient of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Young Alumna of the Year Award and was recognized as one of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce's 30 under 30. She is a member of the Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission and sits on the Board of Directors for Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!).

More profile about the speaker
DeAndrea Salvador | Speaker | TED.com
TED2018

DeAndrea Salvador: How we can make energy more affordable for low-income families

DeAndrea Salvador: Como podemos tornar a energia mais acessível para famílias de baixa renda

Filmed:
1,539,290 views

Todos os meses, milhões de norte-americanos enfrentam uma opção impossível: pagar por energia para abastecer suas casas ou pagar por necessidades básicas, como alimentos e remédios. A bolsista TED DeAndrea Salvador está trabalhando para reduzir os custos de energia para que ninguém tenha que tomar esse tipo de decisão. Nesta palestra rápida, ela compartilha seu plano para ajudar famílias de baixa renda a reduzir suas contas enquanto também constrói um futuro energético mais limpo, mais confiável e acessível para todos nós.
- Environmental justice advocate
DeAndrea Salvador reshapes the way we use and engage with energy. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
So, as a child,
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Quando eu criança,
00:14
I used to spend all of my time
at my great-grandmother's house.
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passava todo o meu tempo
na casa da minha bisavó.
00:17
On hot, humid, summer days,
I would dash across the floor
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Em dias quentes e úmidos de verão,
eu deslisava pelo chão
00:21
and stick my face in front of
her only air conditioner.
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e grudava meu rosto na frente
do único ar-condicionado dela.
Mas eu não percebia
que essa simples experiência,
00:24
But I didn't realize
that that simple experience,
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00:27
though brief,
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embora fosse breve,
00:29
was a privileged one in our community.
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era um privilégio em nossa comunidade.
00:32
Growing up, stories of next-door neighbors
having to set up fake energy accounts
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Histórias de vizinhos próximos
tendo que criar contas falsas de energia
00:36
or having to steal energy
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ou tendo que roubar energia
00:38
seemed normal to me.
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pareciam normais para mim.
00:40
During the winter, struggling to get warm,
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No inverno, lutando pra se aquecer,
meus vizinhos não tinham escolha
a não ser ignorar o medidor
00:42
my neighbors would have no choice
but to bypass the meter
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00:45
after their heat was shut off,
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depois que o aquecimento era desligado,
00:47
just to keep their family
comfortable for one more day.
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apenas para manter a família
confortável por mais um dia.
00:52
These kinds of dangerous
incidents can take root
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Esse tipo de incidente perigoso
pode criar raízes
00:54
when people are faced
with impossible choices.
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quando as pessoas se deparam
com escolhas impossíveis.
00:57
In the US, the average American spends
three percent of their income on energy.
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Nos EUA, o norte-americano médio
gasta 3% da renda em energia.
01:02
In contrast, low-income
and rural populations
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Em contraste, as populações rurais
e de baixa renda
01:05
can spend 20, even 30 percent
of their income on energy.
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podem gastar 20, até 30%
da renda deles em energia.
01:10
In 2015, this caused over
25 million people to skip meals
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Em 2015, isso fez mais de 25 milhões
de pessoas pularem refeições
01:15
to provide power to their homes.
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para proporcionar energia em casa.
01:18
This is when energy becomes a burden.
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É quando a energia se torna um fardo.
01:21
But energy burdens are so much more
than just a number.
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Mas os encargos energéticos são
muito mais do que um número.
01:24
They present impossible
and perilous choices:
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Eles apresentam escolhas
impossíveis e perigosas:
01:29
Do you take your child
to get her flu medicine,
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Levar o filho para tomar remédio pra gripe
ou alimentá-lo?
01:31
or do you feed her?
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01:34
Or do you keep her warm?
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Ou mantê-lo aquecido?
01:36
It's an impossible choice,
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É uma escolha impossível
01:38
and nearly every month,
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e, quase todo mês,
01:40
seven million people choose
between medicine and energy.
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7 milhões de pessoas escolhem
entre medicina e energia.
01:45
This exposes a much larger
and systemic issue.
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Isso expõe um problema
muito maior e sistêmico.
01:48
Families with high energy burdens
are disproportionately people of color,
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Famílias com altos encargos energéticos
são desproporcionalmente pessoas de cor,
01:53
who spend more per square foot
than their white counterparts.
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que gastam mais por metro quadrado
do que os equivalentes brancos.
01:56
But it's also nurses, veterans
and even schoolteachers
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Mas também são enfermeiros,
veteranos e até professores
que fazem parte da massa
de 37 milhões de pessoas por ano
01:59
who fall into the mass
of 37 million people a year
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02:03
who are unable to afford energy
for their most basic needs.
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que são incapazes de pagar a energia
para as necessidades mais básicas.
Como resultado, aqueles
com altas cargas de energia
02:07
As a result, those with
high energy burdens
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têm uma probabilidade maior
de doença cardíaca e asma.
02:09
have a greater likelihood of conditions
like heart disease and asthma.
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02:14
Look -- given our rockets to Mars
and our pocket-sized AI,
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Considerando nossos foguetes
à Marte e nossa IA de bolso,
02:19
we have the tools to address
these systemic inequities.
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temos as ferramentas para lidar
com essas desigualdades sistêmicas.
02:23
The technology is here.
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A tecnologia está aqui.
02:25
Cost of renewables, insulation,
microgrids and smart home technology
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O custo de energias renováveis,
isolamento, microrredes e casa inteligente
02:29
are all decreasing.
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estão todos diminuindo.
02:31
However, even as we approach cost parity,
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No entanto, mesmo quando nos
aproximamos da paridade de custo,
02:34
the majority of those who own solar
earn much more than the average American.
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a maioria dos que têm energia solar ganha
muito mais do que o norte-americano médio.
02:40
This is why, when I was 22,
I founded the nonprofit RETI.
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É por isso que, com 22 anos,
fundei o "RETI" sem fins lucrativos.
02:44
Our mission is to alleviate energy burdens
by working with communities,
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Nossa missão é aliviar a carga de energia,
trabalhando com as comunidades,
02:48
utilities and government agencies alike
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serviços públicos e agências do governo
02:51
to provide equitable access
to clean energy,
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para fornecer acesso equitativo
à energia limpa,
02:54
energy efficiency and energy technology.
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eficiência e tecnologia energética.
02:57
But there's no one way to solve this.
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Mas não há só um jeito de resolver isso.
03:01
I believe in the power
of local communities,
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Acredito no poder das comunidades locais,
03:05
in the transforming effect
of relationships.
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no efeito transformador
dos relacionamentos.
03:09
So we start by working directly
with the communities
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Então, começamos trabalhando
diretamente com as comunidades
que têm as maiores cargas energéticas.
03:12
that have the highest energy burdens.
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Organizamos oficinas
e eventos para comunidades
03:14
We host workshops
and events for communities
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aprenderem sobre pobreza energética
03:16
to learn about energy poverty,
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03:18
and how making even small
updates to their homes
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e como fazer pequenas
atualizações nas casas,
como melhor isolamento para janelas
e aquecedores de água,
03:20
like better insulation for windows
and water heaters
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03:23
can go a long way to maximize efficiency.
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que podem contribuir muito
e maximizar a eficiência.
03:26
We're connecting neighborhoods
to community solar
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Estamos conectando bairros
à comunidade solar,
conduzindo pesquisas lideradas
pela comunidade sobre casas inteligentes
03:29
and spearheading community-led
smart home research
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03:31
and installation programs
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e programas de instalação
para ajudar as famílias
a reduzir as contas de energia.
03:33
to help families bring down
their energy bills.
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03:36
We're even working directly
with elected officials,
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Trabalhamos diretamente
com representantes eleitos,
03:39
advocating for more equitable pricing,
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defendendo preços mais justos,
03:41
because to see this vision
of energy equity and resilience succeed,
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porque, para esta meta de equidade
e resiliência da energia ter sucesso,
03:46
we have to work together sustainably.
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temos que trabalhar juntos
de forma sustentável.
03:51
Now, the US spends
over three billion a year
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Os EUA gastam mais de US$ 3 bilhões ao ano
03:53
on energy bill payment assistance.
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no pagamento de contas de energia.
03:55
And these programs do help
millions of people,
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Esses programas ajudam milhões de pessoas,
03:58
but they're only able to help
a fraction of those in need.
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mas eles só conseguem ajudar
uma fração daqueles que precisam.
04:02
In fact,
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Na verdade,
04:03
there is a 47-billion-dollar
home-energy affordability gap,
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há uma lacuna de acessibilidade
da energia doméstica de US$ 47 bilhões,
04:09
so assistance alone is not sustainable.
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então, a assistência sozinha
não é sustentável.
04:13
But by building energy equity
and resilience into our communities,
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Mas desenvolvendo a equidade energética
e a resiliência em nossas comunidades,
04:17
we can assure fair and impartial access
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podemos assegurar acesso justo e imparcial
à energia limpa, confiável e acessível.
04:20
to energy that is clean,
reliable and affordable.
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04:23
At scale, microgrid technology,
clean technology and energy efficiency
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Em escala, tecnologia de microrredes,
tecnologia limpa e eficiência energética
04:28
dramatically improve public health.
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melhoram drasticamente a saúde pública.
04:30
And for those with high energy burdens,
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E para aqueles com altos
encargos de energia,
04:33
it can help them reclaim
20 percent of their income --
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pode ajudá-los a recuperar 20% da renda;
04:37
20 percent of a person's income
who's struggling to make ends meet.
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20% da renda de uma pessoa
que está lutando para pagar as contas.
04:41
This is life-changing.
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Isso é uma mudança de vida.
04:43
This is an opportunity
for families to use their energy savings
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Esta é uma oportunidade para as famílias
usarem as economias de energia
04:48
to sponsor their future.
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para patrocinar o futuro.
04:51
I think back to my great-grandmother
and her neighbors,
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Eu penso em minha bisavó e seus vizinhos,
04:55
the impossible choices
that they had to make
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as escolhas impossíveis
que eles tinham que fazer
04:58
and the effect it had
on our whole community.
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e o efeito que isso tinha
em toda a comunidade.
05:01
But this is not just about them.
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Mas isso não é apenas sobre eles.
05:04
There are millions nationwide having
to make the same impossible choices today.
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Há milhões em todo o país tendo que fazer
as mesmas escolhas impossíveis hoje.
05:09
And I know high energy burdens
are a tremendous barrier to overcome,
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Eu sei que altos encargos de energia
são uma tremenda barreira para superar,
05:14
but through relationships
with communities and technology,
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mas através de relacionamentos
com comunidades e tecnologia,
05:18
we have the paths to overcome them.
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nós temos os caminhos para superá-la.
05:21
And when we do,
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E quando superarmos,
05:23
we will all be more resilient.
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todos seremos mais resilientes.
05:25
Thank you.
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Obrigada.
05:26
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
Translated by Carolina Aguirre
Reviewed by Maricene Crus

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
DeAndrea Salvador - Environmental justice advocate
DeAndrea Salvador reshapes the way we use and engage with energy.

Why you should listen

DeAndrea Newman Salvador is an energy expert with a background in economics, an entrepreneur and a founder of two groundbreaking organizations, Renewable Energy Transition Initiative (RETI) and JouleScout. She works to create seamless integration of low-income families into a world of energy abundance.

Witnessing neighbors in her home state of North Carolina struggle to keep up with energy expenses, Salvador took action in 2013 and founded RETI, a nonprofit focused on helping low-income families sustainably reduce energy costs and gain access to cutting-edge technology. Through RETI, Salvador is partnering with Duke Energy (one of the nation's largest utilities) to launch a low- to moderate-income shared solar program in South Carolina. RETI also worked with the City of Charlotte to create a Smart Home Kick Start for the city's residents.
 
Furthering her mission to create energy equity in the new energy economy, Salvador founded JouleScout in 2018. JouleScout is a social enterprise focused on helping energy providers incentivize customers to use less energy at key times without sacrificing comfort, thereby ensuring grid reliability, fewer blackouts and more renewables on the grid with a cost savings to customers.
 
As a social entrepreneur and advocate, Salvador has been featured by The Atlantic, Fast Company, the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Utility Drive and the Charlotte Observer. Her own articles are published in Pacific Standard Magazine, GOOD, The Development Set, BRIGHT Magazine and on TheWeek.com.
 
Salvador is a TED2018 Fellow, a recipient of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Young Alumna of the Year Award and was recognized as one of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce's 30 under 30. She is a member of the Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission and sits on the Board of Directors for Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!).

More profile about the speaker
DeAndrea Salvador | Speaker | TED.com