• Energy Research

According to Eurostat, Italy is the fifth country of the European Union per immigrant population. The complexity of the phenomenon, as it has evolved in recent years, leads to analyzing it from a specific point of view, that of the real estate market. The article represents the early stage of research on the housing condition of the immigrant population in the Southern Italy and its effect on the housing market. First, we describe the spatial segregation phenomenon affecting the immigrant population in Campania Region; then we analyze data of the municipality of Castel Volturno, which has one of the greater migratory pressure throughout the whole region. We provide statistical regressions correlating housing prices and socio-economic features from 2006 to 2016. The results confirm the findings of the current literature on the subject: there is a specific phenomenon associated with the presence of an immigrant population residing in conjunction with a reduction of housing prices.

The building industry is essential for a national transition towards a circular economy (CE) in Denmark. The Danish state subsidises the Danish affordable housing sector, which is the largest single sector within the Danish building industry, making the sector an essential driver for the transition. The social components of sustainability are considered crucial to ensuring the quality of the environmental and economic components of the CE. However, social value creation (SVC) has been neglected in building processes, and public investments are being used without the policymakers thoroughly assessing the CE’s socioeconomic efficiency and effectiveness. The sector therefore needs integrated methodologies to support comprehensive decision making on the CE during construction and renovation. SVC is an apparent field for architectural firms. Two surveys were conducted among business and sustainability managers of Danish architectural firms to identify the challenges and potentials regarding assessing sustainability and SVC in architects’ practices. The results of the surveys are described and analysed in this study. Several impact categories, indicators and tools are identified, discussed and summarised in a methodological framework that can support architects in decision making about SVC in constructing and renovating affordable housing. Further refinement of the framework to support dynamic and iterative decision-making is anticipated as future work.

Although a certain degree of consensus seems to pervade the ideas of “distributed energy systems” and “energy communities”, in truth, diverse views are involved. This article aims to shed light on the variety of interpretations of these two concepts. In particular, the article critically considers the answers to the following four questions: What exactly is meant by “distributed” in the expression “distributed energy generation”? Why is distributed generation (ethically) desirable? Why should people consider it a positive idea that “communities”—and not individuals or families—are invited to manage distributed generation systems? Lastly, can energy communities be considered different from standard state intervention and from market systems? Clearly defining these questions helps in emphasising crucial differences, and it is an important step toward achieving a critical understanding. The conclusion is that there is no single interpretation for either the idea of distributed energy or that of energy communities. Shifting emphasis from one feature to another can drastically affect what policies are required to foster the creation of such communities and of a distributed energy production scenario.

In calls for transition to a society in which energy production is based on renewable sources, a fundamental role is increasingly assigned to so-called 'energy communities'. The term 'energy communities' is, however, used to denote a range of different circumstances thus risking overly simplifying the phenomenon. The intention of this article is to discuss what these communities really are or could be. The article is structured into five sections. The first section introduces the main topic. The second section clarifies the use of the term community, and propose an energy community taxonomy (we consider two pairs of options which generate a four-cell matrix: a first distinction can be made between "place-based" and "non-place-based" communities on the basis of a potential correspondence between the community and a specific area; a further difference is that between communities which take shape solely for energy purposes and those with a range of objectives including goals encompassing shared management of energy systems - in this sense, we can distinguish between "single-purpose" and "multi-purpose" communities). The third section considers certain examples which test and exemplify this taxonomy. The fourth section discusses the most significant features which have emerged and considers the main implications (e.g. policy implications). The fifth section concludes by encouraging further critical debate.

Abstract Decarbonizing the building sector by means of the smart interconnection of increasingly efficient buildings is one of the European Union's goals in order to meet its climate and energy targets and a milestone in delivering future positive-energy cities. Energy performance certificates today, and smart readiness indicators tomorrow should positively influence consumers’ choices and orient them towards an appreciation of sustainable buildings. Although energy performance certificates are now required by law in the EU Member States, it remains to be seen whether and how local real estate markets react to them. To fill this gap, we analyzed a cross-sectional housing dataset in the Italian city of Bolzano, which serves as a noteworthy case study due to its compact urban form and the environmental awareness of its local society. We first tested a hedonic price model, and then its spatial specification. Considering the certified energy efficiency performance and the characteristics of the location among the explanatory variables, we found a price premium in excess of 6% on moving from the worst (“G”) to the best (“A”) energy efficiency class, all other characteristics being equal. The presence of a spillover effect to nearby properties can also be framed as an additional co-benefit of retrofitting.

Distributed-energy generation enables a closer link to be established between energy production and energy consumption, but it does not, in itself, necessarily entail any (new) particular role or organization for groups of people. Nevertheless, because of the distributed-energy spread, the phenomenon of so-called energy communities is growing: all over the world, different kinds of groups organized to produce and consume energy are flourishing. In this regard, the term “energy community” is used in a generic sense to refer to heterogeneous phenomena. This work contributes to the study of energy communities by identifying key features that enhance understanding of what energy communities are. Since the literature seems to offer only partial points of view, this chapter intends to contribute to building a new taxonomy of energy communities with which to understand the nature and possible effects of the phenomenon. A first distinction can be drawn between place-based communities and non-place-based ones: in the first case, there is coherence between the community and a specific territory; this does not occur in the second case. Another difference is apparent between communities which form (and operate) only for energy purposes and those which instead add other purposes; in this regard, we can further distinguish between “energy-only communities” and “multi-issue communities”. These two pairs of possibilities give rise to a four-cell matrix: that is, to four main cases of energy communities.

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources is highly desirable to reduce air pollution, and improve energy efficiency and security. Many observers are concerned, however, that the diffusion of systems based on renewable resources may give rise to energy sprawl, i.e. an increasing occupation of available land to build new energy facilities of this kind. These critics foresee a transition from the traditional fossil-fuel systems, towards a renewable resource system likewise based on large power stations and extensive energy grids. A different approach can be taken to reduce the risk of energy sprawl, and this will happen if the focus is as much on renewable sources as on the introduction of distributed renewable energy systems based on micro plants (photovoltaic panels on the roofs of buildings, micro wind turbines, etc.) and on multiple micro-grids. Policy makers could foster local energy enterprises by: introducing new enabling rules; making more room for contractual communities; simplifying the compliance process; proposing monetary incentives and tax cuts. We conclude that the diffusion of innovation in this field will lead not to an energy sprawl but to a new energy system characterized by a multi-layered density: a combination of technology, organization, and physical development.