• Energy Research
• 11. Sustainability close
• 15. Life on land close
• IT close
• DE close
• ES close

Construction involves the use of significant quantities of raw materials and entails high-energy consumption. For the sake of choosing the most appropriate solution that considers environmental and sustainable concepts, tools such as the integrated value model for sustainable assessment (Modelo Integrado de Valor para una Evaluación Sostenible, MIVES) used in Spain, plays a key role in obtaining the best solution. MIVES is a multi-criteria decision-making method based on the value function concept and the seminars delivered by experts. Such tools, in order to show how they may work, require application to case studies. In this paper, two concrete slabs manufactured with differing reinforcements during the construction of the La Canda Tunnels are compared by means of MIVES. The two concrete slabs were reinforced with a conventional steel-mesh and with polyolefin fibres. This research was focussed on the main aspects affecting the construction. That is to say, the environmental, economic, and social factors were assessed by the method, being of special impact the issues related with maintenance of the structure. The results showed that from the point of view of sustainability, the use of polyolefin fibres provided a significant advantage, mainly due to the lower maintenance required.

According to the renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC, the European Union Member States should increase by 2020 the use of renewable energy to 20% of gross final energy consumption and to reach a mandatory share of 10% renewable energy in the transport sector. This study aims to quantify the impact of 2020 bioenergy targets on the land use in the EU, based on the projections of the National Renewable Action Plans in four scenarios: Scenario 1. Bioenergy targets according to NREAPs; Scenario 2. Bioenergy targets according to NREAPs, no second generation biofuels; Scenario 3. Bioenergy targets according to NREAPs, reduced import of biofuels and bioliquids; Scenario 4. Bioenergy targets according to NREAPs, high imports of biofuels and bioliquids. This study also considers the credit for co-products generated from biofuel production. The analysis reveals that the land used in the EU for bioenergy would range between 13.5 Mha and 25.2 Mha in 2020. This represent between 12.2% and 22.5% of the total arable land used and 7.3% and 13.5% of the Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA). In the NREAPS scenario, about 17.4 Mha would be used for bioenergy production, representing 15.7% of arable land and 9.4% of UAA. The increased demand from biofuels would lead to an increased generation of co-products, replacing conventional fodder for animal feed. Considering the co-products, the land used for bioenergy would range between 8.8 Mha and 15.0 Mha in 2020 in the various scenarios. This represent between 7.9% and 13.3% of the total arable land used in the EU and 4.7% and 8.0% of the UAA. In the NREAPS scenario, when co-products are considered, about 10.3 Mha would be used for biofuels, bioliquids and bioenergy production, representing 9.3% of arable land and 5.6% of agricultural land. This study further provides detailed data on the impact on land use in each Member State.

Abstract. Flooding in the Amazon basin is frequently attributed to modes of large-scale climate variability, but little attention is paid to how these modes influence the timing and duration of floods despite their importance to early warning systems and the significant impacts that these flood characteristics can have on communities. In this study, river discharge data from the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS 2.1) and observed data at 58 gauging stations are used to examine whether positive or negative phases of several Pacific and Atlantic indices significantly alter the characteristics of river flows throughout the Amazon basin (1979–2015). Results show significant changes in both flood magnitude and duration, particularly in the north-eastern Amazon for negative El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases when the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly is positioned in the central tropical Pacific. This response is not identified for the eastern Pacific index, highlighting how the response can differ between ENSO types. Although flood magnitude and duration were found to be highly correlated, the impacts of large-scale climate variability on these characteristics are non-linear; some increases in annual flood maxima coincide with decreases in flood duration. The impact of flood timing, however, does not follow any notable pattern for all indices analysed. Finally, observed and simulated changes are found to be much more highly correlated for negative ENSO phases compared to the positive phase, meaning that GloFAS struggles to accurately simulate the differences in flood characteristics between El Niño and neutral years. These results have important implications for both the social and physical sectors working towards the improvement of early warning action systems for floods.

Abstract The central role of occupants for achieving energy savings in residential buildings is increasingly recognised. Simulation programmes able to take into account occupant behaviour are considered to be powerful tools for bridging the gap between the predicted and the actual energy consumption for new buildings. Nevertheless, the majority of residential buildings that will constitute the housing stock in 2050 have already been built today, therefore occupant behaviour and building simulation tools need to be fully exploited for supporting the renovation of existing housing stock. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of occupant behaviour modelling in supporting decision-makers dealing with the design of renovation strategies for residential buildings. An Italian multi-family public housing building is assumed as case study to estimate the influence of three dimensions linked with occupant behaviour – management of the thermostat, management of the heating system, variation of building characteristics – on energy heating consumption. The results show that, while the occupant behaviour influences the heating loads up to 1/3 in case of high level of building retrofit, the less the building is renovated, the higher is the behavioural impact in absolute terms of energy reduction. Therefore, in order to be effective, renovation strategies are required to design appropriate informative instruments at an early stage to support behaviour changes towards responsible energy consumption.

El proyecto REVen “Rehabilitación energética de viviendas sociales, aplicando productos innovadores de ventana con marcado CE” (BIA2014-56650-JIN), tiene como objetivo realizar un análisis integral del impacto de la ventana en los aspectos relativos a eficiencia energética y calidad ambiental. Para caracterizar los flujos de energía y las condiciones ambientales internas se ha construido el Laboratorio REVen. Este artículo describe la construcción y la monitorización de este laboratorio analizando los datos de su primer año de funcionamiento. Los resultados permiten afirmar que se logra una mejora significativa del confort térmico obteniendo un ahorro de energía anual del 25 %.

Considering recent environmental regulations, the need to adapt domestic biomass combustion systems to models that generate less emissions has gained relative importance. The present research proposes an analysis of the bed cooling effects on emission patterns, specifically focusing on the concentration, typology and morphological aspects of the released particles. The study was carried out by comparing the behaviour of a small-scale pilot plant with air stratification, with and without bed cooling. The results revealed an optimal behaviour of the facility with distributions of 30% primary-70% secondary air, accompanied by a significant decrease in emissions due to the reduction in the operating temperatures. More than 75% of the particles were retained in the bed on the cooled surfaces due to the effect of the prominent temperature gradient that was produced. Among the types of emitted particles (mostly with sizes below 0.1 μm), the presence of partial biomass degradation remnants was observed, representing three-quarters of the total collected matter. To a lesser extent, the presence of carbonaceous agglomerates was detected and usually in very compact clusters; however, in cases of high primary air supply, large amounts of immature soot were observed. Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RTI2018-100765-B-I00

Abstract This work, framed in the IEA SHC Task 51 “Solar Energy in Urban Planning”, presents an illustrative perspective of solar energy in urban planning through the analysis of 34 international case studies conducted in 10 countries. The aim here is to examine challenges, barriers and opportunities for active solar systems and passive solar strategies by taking into consideration interrelated technical and non-technical aspects in ongoing and completed projects. It focuses on exposing potential pitfalls and illustrating lessons learned in case studies divided into three categories: (i) existing urban areas, (ii) new urban areas, and (iii) solar landscapes. The analysis has yielded insights into the solar energy strategy adoption, the evaluation of solar energy production, solar irradiation and daylighting, and the architectural quality, sensitivity and visibility of the solar systems for urban planning. The outcomes have implications to stimulate successful practices in implementing solar strategies in urban planning and facilitating their replicability worldwide by avoiding common mistakes.