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This paper analyzes different policies that may promote the transition to sustainability, with a particular focus on the energy sector. We present a dynamic simulation model where three different strategies for sustainability are identified: reduction in GHG emissions, improvements in energy efficiency and the development of the renewable energy sector. Our aim is to evaluate the dynamics that those strategies may produce in the economy, looking at different performance indicators: rate of growth, unemployment, fiscal position, GHG emission, and transition to renewable energy sources.

This paper investigates the energy distribution and the waste heat energy characteristics of a compression ignition engine for micro-cogeneration applications, at different engine speeds and loads. The experimental activity was carried out on a three-cylinder, 1028 cc, common-rail engine. Tests were performed with diesel fuel and a 20% v/v biodiesel blend (B20). The quantity and the quality of the waste heat energy were studied through energy and exergy analyses, respectively. Combustion characteristics were investigated by means of indicating data. Gaseous emissions were measured and particles were characterized in terms of number and size at exhaust. It was found out that the addition of 20% v/v of RME to diesel fuel does not affect significantly the brake fuel conversion efficiency and the energetic flows. On the other hand, biodiesel blend allows to reduce the combustion noise and the pollutants emissions in most of the operating conditions. A proper phasing of the injection strategy for the biodiesel blend could further reduce the exhaust emissions, mainly at high engine speeds. The results presented in this paper could be useful for the development of diesel engine based micro-cogeneration systems working at different engine speeds and loads.

Life Cycle Assessment is a tool to assess the environmental impacts and resources used throughout a product's life cycle, i.e., from raw material acquisition, via production and use phases, to waste management. The methodological development in LCA has been strong, and LCA is broadly applied in practice. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of recent developments of LCA methods. The focus is on some areas where there has been an intense methodological development during the last years. We also highlight some of the emerging issues. In relation to the Goal and Scope definition we especially discuss the distinction between attributional and consequential LCA. For the Inventory Analysis, this distinction is relevant when discussing system boundaries, data collection, and allocation. Also highlighted are developments concerning databases and Input-Output and hybrid LCA. In the sections on Life Cycle Impact Assessment we discuss the characteristics of the modelling as well as some recent developments for specific impact categories and weighting. In relation to the Interpretation the focus is on uncertainty analysis. Finally, we discuss recent developments in relation to some of the strengths and weaknesses of LCA.

The implementation of resource management strategies aimed at reducing the impacts of the anthropogenic activities system requires a comprehensive approach to evaluate on the whole the environmental burdens of productive processes and to identify the best recovery strategies from both an environmental and an economic point of view. In this framework, an analytical methodology based on the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), ExternE and Comprehensive Analysis was developed to perform an in-depth investigation of energy systems. The LCA methodology, largely utilised by the international scientific community for the assessment of the environmental performances of technologies, combined with Comprehensive Analysis allows modelling the overall system of anthropogenic activities, as well as sub-systems, the economic consequences of the whole set of environmental damages. Moreover, internalising external costs into partial equilibrium models, as those utilised by Comprehensive Analysis, can be useful to identify the best paths for implementing technology innovation and strategies aimed to a more sustainable energy supply and use. This paper presents an integrated application of these three methodologies to a local scale case study (the Val D'Agri area in Basilicata, Southern Italy), aimed to better characterise the environmental impacts of the energy system, with particular reference to extraction activities. The innovative methodological approach utilised takes advantage from the strength points of each methodology with an added value coming from their integration as emphasised by the main results obtained by the scenario analysis.

Sustainability has become a central issue for firms in the energy industry. These firms have been under increasing pressure to uplift not only their environmental consciousness but also social impact of their actions. One constraint of these firms is prevention of trading off shareholder value maximization with increasing their corporate social responsibility activities geared to the long term benefits of stakeholders. Based on the principles of fairness and equity, Islamic Banking and Finance also provides a vehicle for the firms in the energy industry by incentivizing their corporate social responsibility activities.

Abstract Implementing policies able to drive energy sector transition is an objective of the European Union. Based on economic literature, we argue that several determinants might be either drivers or barriers to the effectiveness of energy policy interventions: political-institutional, socio-economic and region-specific factors. For understanding their role in the Italian framework, this research aims at assessing to what extent each group of determinants influences the transition towards green energy systems. In doing so, by using several econometric techniques, we are able to offer useful suggestion to the policymaker about potential intervention strategy. Finding shows that institutional and regional-specific drivers play a pivotal role in driving Italian regions energy transition.

Abstract This paper investigates on the determinant factors that drive the Italian regions toward a sustainable development path and evaluates the effectiveness of European Regional Development incentives in promoting investments in renewable energy sources (RES). Starting from the consideration that there are spillover effects between similar regions, first we identify the factors that capture these similarities, then we use them to evaluate their relevance in determining the success of the investments in RES. An econometric analysis, based on the use of spatial panel specification model, is implemented to support the hypotheses. Two important results emerge from the study. The first is the identification of regional determinants of RES production, that are driven by the similarities between regions, and that can be interpreted as guidelines in the policy choices in support of investments. The second is the lack of effectiveness of the incentives in support of RES. Results indicate that the capacity of some regional governments to direct the funds allocated by the central government or European Commission towards efficient production of renewable energy is likely limited, and these incentives have been undone.

The path toward a greener economy is leading the world energy scenario to an ever-increasing use of renewable energy sources. Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) systems are typically based on technologies in which solar energy, concentrated by means of optical sun tracking mirrors, is exploited to drive power cycles or sustain chemical processes. Integration of CST technologies with relatively inexpensive energy storage systems decouples the collection of solar radiation from its use, and thus greatly increases the dispatchability of thermal energy production. Huge research efforts are currently devoted to the study of ThermoChemical Energy Storage (TCES) systems, in which solar energy is used to perform endothermal chemical reactions featuring large latent heat, so as to store solar energy in the noble and stable form of chemical bonds and/or produce solar fuels. Since most TCES processes involve gas/solid chemical reactions, multiphase chemical reactors own a key role for the success of the TCES technology. In this study, a novel batch lab-scale fluidized bed reactor for TCES of concentrated solar power and solar fuels production was designed. The reactor targets at maximizing the collection of solar energy, withstanding the highly-concentrated flux typical of high-temperature CST applications and ensuring uniform temperature distribution of the reactive materials. An experimental campaign consisting in hydrodynamical and thermal characterization of the system under inert conditions was performed. Moreover, reactive tests aimed at TCES of solar energy were performed using limestone calcination/carbonation as model reversible reaction. Heating of the system was performed by means of a simulator of concentrated solar energy made of a 7 kW short-arc Xe lamp coupled with an elliptical reflector. The hydrodynamical characterization disclosed the main features of the reactor and the possibility of establishing different regimes of operation. Thermal characterization revealed that reactor can be safely operated at temperature of over 1000 °C. Reactive tests proved the feasibility and reliability of the designed reactor toward chemical reactions aimed at TCES of concentrated solar energy and encourage future studies toward solar fuels production.