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Abstract As main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, power and transportation are crucial sectors for energy system decarbonization. Their interaction is expected to increase significantly: plug-in electric vehicles add a new electric load, increasing grid demand and potentially requiring substantial grid upgrade; hydrogen production for fuel cell electric vehicles or for clean fuels synthesis could exploit the projected massive power overgeneration by intermittent and seasonally-dependent renewable sources via Power-to-Hydrogen. This work investigates the infrastructural needs involved with a broad diffusion of clean mobility, adopting a sector integration perspective at the national scale. The analysis combines a multi-node energy system balance simulation and a techno-economic assessment of the infrastructure to deliver energy vectors for mobility. The article explores the long-term case of Italy, considering a massive increase of renewable power generation capacity and investigating different mobility scenarios, where low-emission vehicles account for 50% of the stock. First, the model solves the energy balances, integrating the consumption related to mobility energy vectors and taking into account power grid constraints. Then, an optimal infrastructure is identified, composed of both a hydrogen delivery network and a widespread installation of charging points. Results show that the infrastructural requirements bring about investment costs in the range of 43–63 G€. Lower specific costs are associated with the exclusive presence of FCEVs, whereas the full reliance on BEVs leads to the most significant costs. Scenarios that combine FCEVs and BEVs lie in between, suggesting that the overall power + mobility system benefits from the presence of both drivetrain options.

Additional efforts will be needed by European countries to improve the energy efficiency, as with current trends the 20% objective will be missed. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manufacturing sector is a promising field, as SMEs are less energy-efficient than larger enterprises. Several studies investigated the barriers to the diffusion of technologies and practices for industrial energy efficiency, but little attention has been paid to understand the factors affecting the perception of such barriers by SMEs. In this multiple case-study, we have investigated 20 Primary Metal manufacturing SMEs in Northern Italy. Economic and information barriers are perceived as the major issues. Interestingly, firm's size, innovativeness of the market in which enterprises operate, as well as product and process innovation are factors affecting barriers to energy efficiency. Differences have been observed within SMEs, especially for information and competence-related barriers. In particular, a more innovative external context in which enterprises operate and a greater production process complexity seem to reduce barriers. Moreover, more product innovative enterprises seem to have a lower perception of behavioral and technology-related barriers. The results of this exploratory investigation provide useful suggestions for policy design and further research on industrial energy efficiency.

Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) are challenging the traditional food system by leveraging concepts such as self-organisation and self-management aiming to shorten the food supply chain and give cu...

Although nearly zero energy buildings have attracted growing research attention, literature analysis shows that only a limited number of researches try to couple load match/grid interaction issues and environmental impacts in early design stages. The study proposes a novel multidisciplinary design approach that allows to integrate these two conflicting aspects aiming to find trade-offs. The proposed approach has been applied to a building case study, equipped with a photovoltaics system without energy storage. The results show that even though on yearly basis the energy use (5,290 kWhe) is largely overcome by the on-site energy generation (8069 kWhe), an oversized PV system alone may not be the best solution for reducing the environmental impact of the building sector, besides not being very efficient in improving load match. Afterwards, a parametric analysis was carry out analysing three redesign scenarios, obtained varying the sizes of the PV system and installing different sizes of the storage systems. The results show that the use of storage systems, in addition to decrease the grid dependency, can increase the environmental benefits arising from the renewable energy sources (e.g. there is a decrease of global warming potential of 48%, compared to the base case, with 5.28 kWp PV system and 10 kWh storage system). Conflicting results are found according to specific impact categories and this suggests the need for a holistic approach, including different domains and indicators. In this context, the proposed approach can contribute to the transition toward low-carbon energy technologies, by supporting researches and designers to take environmentally sound considerations.

For efficient operation of heating and cooling grids, underground thermal energy storage (UTES) can be a key element. This is due to its ability to seasonally store heat or cold addressing the large mismatch between supply and demand. This technology is already available and there are many operational examples, both within and outside a district heating network. Given the range of available UTES technologies, they are feasible to install almost everywhere. Compared to other storage systems, UTES have the advantage of being able to manage large quantities and fluxes of heat without occupying much surface area, although the storage characteristics are always site specific and depend on the geological and geothermal characteristics of the subsoil. UTES can manage fluctuating production from renewable energy sources, both in the short and long term, and fluctuating demand. It can be used as an instrument to exploit heat available from various sources, e.g., solar, waste heat from industry, geothermal, within the same district heating system. The optimization of energy production, the reduction in consumption of primary energy and the reduction in emission of greenhouse gases are guaranteed with UTES, especially when coupled with district heating and cooling networks.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the potential impact of food sharing platform business models and to identify the limits and barriers in measuring the impact. Using the “theory of change” (ToC) approach, this paper develops a theoretical framework that captures the activities, outputs and outcomes of food sharing platforms and links them to indicators.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a two-step methodology, which includes a website content analysis followed by two focus groups. The purpose of the website content analysis was to list a set of activities that are performed by food sharing platforms. The focus groups allow to design the ToC and to discuss limits and barriers in measuring the impact of food sharing platforms.FindingsThe study provides an overview of the main areas of impact of food sharing platforms (environmental, social, economic and political) and identifies the related outcomes. Furthermore, the paper highlights the need for the platform to manage the multifaceted tensions of food waste recovery vs prevention and the benefits of food recovery to helping hungry people vs the actual need to eradicate poverty by addressing social injustices and inequalities.Research limitations/implicationsThe selected sample involved in the focus group comprised a wide but not comprehensive set of stakeholders. Indeed, the obtained information cannot be generalized. In addition, the ToC approach requires a certain discretion of the facilitator and introduces the potential for partiality in conducting the analysis.Practical implicationsThe framework helps to unbundle the complex challenge of measuring the impact of food sharing platforms and it provides managers, practitioners and policy makers with a practical tool to direct their activities toward a better impact.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical perspective the study advances the literature on (food) sharing platforms and contributes to research on the sustainability in the food sector. It indicates the impacts a novel actor relying on digital technology can have in the food sector and points out the tensions between food recovery and prevention and the impact on poverty. The proposed framework could be a useful tool to support practitioners in understanding the trade-offs among the outcomes they aim to attain, and to identify the proper strategies to manage them.

Abstract: This article investigates the trends in the global law-making process as it relates to carbon capture and storage (CCS) and associated technology. It detects regulatory deficiencies and makes a case favouring robust global regulation of such technology in realizing climate aspirations. CCS is recognized as an indispensable ally in the worldwide enterprise that seeks to limit carbon dioxide emissions. This article probes the relatively new and developing area of international regulation of the process of CCS and related technology, in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), a dimension that promises noteworthy results on the climate change front. It presents a case for the broader deployment of the CCS technology – including more advanced AI options – to enhance in a more radical fashion the prospect of meeting global climate goals and thus stabilising global temperature (that is, achieving net zero CO2 emissions globally in the early 2050s), identifies the need for new and revised sets of rules to govern the development, design and deployment of such technology, and argues in favour of the applicability of existing general sustainable development principles.