• Energy Research

Residential end-uses represent a significant share of final energy consumption and material stocks. However, approaching sustainability of the residential sector merely as an environmental technical problem is insufficient. Home is the center of daily life providing essential functions to people. Household metabolism is not a matter of the sum of individual behaviors, typologies of buildings, or energy uses stripped out of context, but the system that emerges from the historical combination of these elements and the functions it performs. The residential sector comprises both families (units of organized individuals) and dwellings (within municipalities/urban forms). To analyze these dynamics, we draw upon practice theory and Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) illustrating with data from Sweden and Spain in 2015. The objective is to establish an interdisciplinary framework for analyzing the sustainability of the residential sector. We also present a list of possible measures and their trade-offs in diverse dimensions: energy carrier consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, materials, floor area, human activity, social organization and institutions, finance and desirability. Even though the inclusion of all variables in a single model is not feasible, the holistic understanding of household metabolism can help build coherent anticipation scenarios by selecting plausible hypotheses. Ultimately, this allows making profound transformations to sustainability.

Achieving sustainability is a wicked problem requiring the consideration of many non-equivalent and non-comparable variables and fields simultaneously, not only climate change mitigation and adaptation, as it is framed in many cases. These include other issues, such as resource scarcity (peak oil, phosphorous scarcity, etc.), pollution, biodiversity loss, deforestation, eutrophication, hunger and poverty. To tackle this polycrisis, we must understand the metabolism of socio-ecological systems beyond a mere accounting of inputs and outputs, including the internal configuration of society and the role and entanglements of resources. This way, we can explore the option space for deep transformations. Functional and structural elements in social-ecological systems are organised hierarchically and in networks, just as cells constitute organs connected in bodies. In this thesis, I explore some overlooked and critical concepts transforming the economics paradigm: societal metabolism, networks, biophysical limits, and incommensurable trade-offs. The objective is to contribute to the holistic understanding and quantitative analysis of socio-ecological systems. More specifically, the inclusion of time use and its nexus to energy and power capacity are analysed at different scales. To do so, I connect a theoretical background derived from bioeconomics and practice theory and use methods from ecological economics (Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism – MuSIASEM and its tool, End-Use Matrix) and industrial ecology (Environmentally Extended Input-Output Tables - EEIO). The case studies explore various sectors at different scales, mainly from the perspective of European countries, including the residential sector, the automotive industry, and global production networks. Therefore, this thesis aims to break down the silos between disciplines and sectors. The first case study assesses household metabolism by reviewing key factors and possible strategies for its sustainability across many dimensions. We analyse the concept of home as an institution and its function in the economy, the form and materiality of dwellings, and how these elements shape, relate to, and limit each other. More specifically, I analyse the role of the funds: human activity (i.e., time use), power capacity (i.e., devices and appliances), and floor area (i.e., buildings). The study provides a list of strategies to improve its sustainability, considering the effects in different dimensions. This study is a first step towards better models and a holistic quantification of household metabolism. From the household to the global economy level, human time is a key and overlooked limit. Working time at the global level is a zero-sum game, where some countries have net imports and others have net exports of embodied labor due to trade. The second case study analyses the international exchanges of embodied working time for the EU, the US, and China in 2011 and how these affect national metabolisms. Global production networks are shaped by the international division of labour, functional specialisation, and unequal exchange. In this case, half of the EU and US’s consumption of embodied working time is foreign. This imported time has implications for the activities carried out in their national economies (towards tertiarization) and in fewer working hours per worker. These hierarchical relations and functional specialisation in the international division of labour can also be found within individual economic sectors The third case study exposes the different characteristics and roles of the automotive industry in a selection of eight European countries in 2018 through a multidimensional and multilevel quantitative assessment. This is an application of the End-use Matrix to a specific industrial activity that shows how the variety of functions within the same sector are linked to different levels of direct energy use and economic and environmental Assolir la sostenibilitat és un problema pervers que requereix la consideració de moltes variables i camps no equivalents i no comparables simultàniament, no només la mitigació i l’adaptació al canvi climàtic, com s’emmarca en molts casos. Aquests inclouen altres qüestions, com l’escassetat de recursos (pic del petroli, escassetat de fòsfor, etc.), la contaminació, la pèrdua de biodiversitat, la desforestació, l’eutrofització, la fam i la pobresa. Per fer front a aquesta policrisi, hem d’entendre el metabolisme dels sistemes socioecològics més enllà d’una mera explicació dels inputs i outputs, incloses la configuració interna de la societat i el paper i el nexe dels recursos. D’aquesta manera, podem explorar l’espai d’opcions per a transformacions profundes. Els elements funcionals i estructurals dels sistemes socioecològics s’organitzen jeràrquicament i en xarxes, de la mateixa manera que les cèl·lules constitueixen òrgans connectats en cossos. En aquesta tesi, exploro alguns conceptes crítics i passats per alt que transformen el paradigma econòmic: metabolisme societal, xarxes, límits biofísics i solucions de compromís. L’objectiu és contribuir a la comprensió holística i l’anàlisi quantitativa dels sistemes socioecològics. Més concretament, la inclusió de l’ús del temps i el seu nexe amb l’energia i la capacitat de potència s’analitzen a diferents escales. Per fer-ho, connecto una base teòrica de bioeconomia i teoria de les pràctiques socials i faig servir mètodes de l’economia ecològica (Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism - MuSIASEM i la seva eina, End-Use Matrix) i l’ecologia industrial (Taules Input-Output amb extensions ambientals - EEIO). Els estudis de cas exploren diversos sectors a diferents escales, principalment des de la perspectiva dels països europeus, que inclouen el sector residencial, la indústria de l’automoció i les xarxes de producció mundials. Per tant, aquesta tesi pretén construir ponts entre disciplines i sectors. El primer cas d’estudi avalua el metabolisme de les llars revisant factors clau i possibles estratègies per a la seva sostenibilitat en moltes dimensions. Analitzem el concepte de nucli familiar o de convivència com a institució i la seva funció a l’economia, la forma i la materialitat dels habitatges, i com aquests elements es configuren, es relacionen i es limiten entre si. Més específicament, analitzo el paper dels fons: activitat humana (l’ús del temps), la capacitat d’energia (dispositius i aparells) i l’àrea (edificis). L’estudi ofereix una llista d’estratègies per millorar la seva sostenibilitat, considerant els efectes en diferents dimensions. Aquest estudi és un primer pas cap a millors models i una quantificació holística del metabolisme domèstic. Des de la llar fins a l’economia global, el temps humà és un límit clau i passat per alt. El temps de treball a nivell mundial és un joc de suma zero, on alguns països tenen importacions netes i altres tenen exportacions netes. El segon cas d’estudi analitza els intercanvis de temps de treball en el comerç internacional a la UE, els EUA i la Xina el 2011 i com aquests afecten els metabolismes nacionals. Les xarxes globals de producció estan conformades per la divisió internacional del treball, l’especialització funcional i l’intercanvi desigual. En aquest cas, la meitat del consum de temps de treball incorporat de la UE i els EUA és estranger. Aquest temps importat té implicacions a les activitats que es duen a terme a les seves economies nacionals (cap a serveis) i en menys hores de treball per treballador. Aquestes relacions jeràrquiques i l’especialització funcional en la divisió internacional del treball també es poden trobar dins d’un sector econòmic determinat. El tercer cas d’estudi exposa les diferents característiques i rols de la indústria de l’automoció en una selecció de vuit països europeus el 2018 mitjançant una avaluació quantitativa multidimensional i multinivell. Lograr la sostenibilidad es un problema perverso que requiere la consideración de muchas variables y campos no equivalentes y no comparables simultáneamente, no solo la mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático, como se enmarca en muchos casos. Estos incluyen otros problemas, como la escasez de recursos (pico del petróleo, escasez de fósforo, etc.), la contaminación, la pérdida de biodiversidad, la deforestación, la eutrofización, el hambre y la pobreza. Para abordar esta policrisis, debemos comprender el metabolismo de los sistemas socioecológicos más allá de un mero recuento de flujos de entrada y salida, incluida la configuración interna de la sociedad y el papel y el nexo de los recursos. De esta manera, podemos explorar el espacio de opciones para transformaciones profundas. En esta tesis, exploro algunos conceptos críticos y pasados por alto que transforman el paradigma económico: metabolismo social, redes, límites biofísicos y soluciones de compromiso. El objetivo es contribuir a la comprensión holística y al análisis cuantitativo de los sistemas socioecológicos. Más específicamente, la inclusión del uso del tiempo y su nexo con la energía y la capacidad de potencia se analizan a diferentes escalas. Para hacerlo, conecto un trasfondo teórico derivado de la bioeconomía y la teoría de la práctica y uso métodos de la economía ecológica (Evaluación integrada multiescala del metabolismo social y del ecosistema - MuSIASEM y su herramienta, Matriz de usos finales) y la ecología industrial (Tablas input-output con extensiones ambienteles - EEIO). Los casos de estudio exploran varios sectores a diferentes escalas, principalmente desde la perspectiva de los países europeos, incluido el sector residencial, la industria automotriz y las redes de producción global. Por lo tanto, esta tesis pretende romper los silos entre disciplinas y sectores. El primer caso de estudio evalúa el metabolismo del hogar mediante la revisión de factores clave y posibles estrategias para su sostenibilidad en muchas dimensiones. Analizamos el concepto de hogar como institución y su función en la economía, la forma y materialidad de las viviendas, y cómo estos elementos se configuran, relacionan y limitan entre sí. Más específicamente, analizo el papel de la actividad humana de los fondos (el uso del tiempo), la capacidad de energía (dispositivos y electrodomésticos) y la superficie (edificios). El estudio proporciona una lista de estrategias para mejorar su sostenibilidad, considerando los efectos en diferentes dimensiones. Desde el hogar hasta el nivel de la economía global, el tiempo humano es un límite clave y generalmente pasado por alto. El tiempo de trabajo a nivel global es un juego de suma cero, donde algunos países tienen importaciones netas y otros tienen exportaciones netas. El segundo caso de estudio analiza los intercambios internacionales de horas de trabajo incorporadas para la UE, los EE.UU. y China en 2011 y cómo estos afectan los metabolismos nacionales. Las redes globales de producción están formadas por la división internacional del trabajo, la especialización funcional y el intercambio desigual. En este caso, la mitad del consumo de tiempo de trabajo incorporado de la UE y los EE.UU. es extranjero. Este tiempo importado tiene implicaciones en las actividades que realizan en sus economías nacionales (hacia los servicios) y en menos horas de trabajo por trabajador. Estas relaciones jerárquicas y de especialización funcional en la división internacional del trabajo también se pueden encontrar dentro de un mismo sector económico. El tercer caso de estudio expone las diferentes características y roles de la industria automotriz en una selección de ocho países europeos en 2018 a través de una evaluación cuantitativa multidimensional y multinivel. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals

This repository contains the data needed to reproduce the results in: Velasco-Fernández, R., Pérez-Sánchez, L., Chen, L., Giampietro, M., 2020. A becoming China and the assisted maturity of the EU: Assessing the factors determining their energy metabolic patterns. Energy Strategy Reviews. 32, 100562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2020.100562

This paper presents a multiscale integrated analysis comparing changes in the energy metabolic pattern of China and the European Union between 2000 and 2016. The MuSIASEM method is used to explore and illustrate the entanglement over different factors, across dimensions and levels of analysis. Demographic factors observed at the level of the whole are linked to changes in the economic structure, the pattern of energy uses and the level of outsourcing (imports). When analyzing these issues for the selected case studies we found that: (i) due to their lower dependency ratio and higher workloads China presents now about 1260 h in paid work per capita, while the EU presents just 720; (ii) economic structure in China evolved rapidly moving almost 300 h per capita per year from agriculture to service, construction and industrial sectors, while it remained quite stable in the EU; (iii) the metabolic pattern of China changed dramatically by expanding its capital goods in all sectors (almost 4 times in agriculture and more than doubling in industry and services) while the EU just increased them around 10%. The quick industrialization of China (going from 20 to 60 MJ/h in paid work sector) required an extraordinary investment in the construction sector, which arrived to allocate almost 3 times more workforce and 5 times more cement per capita than the EU (already industrialized). The simultaneous reading of all these changes confirms known trends and identifies a few challenges. The apparent decoupling of economic growth from resource consumption in the EU economy is due to the outsourcing of industrial production (identified and quantified at the level of subsectors). The trajectory of economic development of China, still in the phase of industrialization, spells troubles in terms of future consumption of natural resources and pollution. The metabolic perspective used in the comparison enables to identify policy-relevant factors determining both temporary comparative advantages and dangerous locks-in. On the methodological side, the paper illustrates a few innovative features introduced in the MuSIASEM accounting framework improving the characterization of demographic and other societal aspects affecting the overall energy metabolic patterns of societies.

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M The European Green Deal aims to decarbonise the EU by 2050. In alignment with that goal, the REPowerEU plan took Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to address the security and sustainability of the EU's energy sector, by increasing energy efficiency and local energy production. While policy targets are often a political choice, models informing policies shape what dimensions are included in (or excluded from) sustainability discourses. The relations between the EU's energy system and other nexus elements of the social-ecological system, within the EU (local) and outside (embodied in imports) are underrepresented in models and policies. Nexus thinking highlights these relations. We present a framework to represent the energy system through a collection of local and embodied components across different scales, accounting for the nexus elements embodied in energy imports. The framework is explained through the examples of Spain, Sweden and the EU, for 2018. By focusing on the interactions between energy and local and embodied nexus elements, we show how synergies between security and sustainability are less linear than what REPowerEU would suggest. Our results point to the need of including embodied elements in policy agendas, to better account for the global nature of sustainability policies.

In this Deliverable 1.2 of the JUSTWIND4ALL project, we describe the work undertaken in Work Package 1 (Holistic Assessment) to define a library of metrics for wind energy that informs decision-making, making the implementation of wind power smoother. The library presented here is the result of a coproduction process that has taken into account not only the amount of information we wanted to cover in our holistic assessment but also this intended use of the library. We conducted literature reviews, participatory workshops, and case studies to identify the information gaps that a holistic metrics library needs to address. In defining the metrics, we prioritized their usefulness in addressing those gaps. The objective of this work is to provide a framework for the development of metrics that is useful for decision-making and that can show a broader perspective to wind power development Barriers to the implementation and information gaps The main barriers found are summarized as: · General issues include insufficient understanding of integrated impacts on wildlife and local activities, inadequate strategic planning, administrative delays, and low awareness and participation. Addressing these barriers requires the development of new metrics to raise awareness, integrate environmental considerations, and enhance participation. · A vast amount of data is generated on wind power, but these studies are often clustered and disconnected from one another. The lack of integrated assessments is particularly pronounced in the case of emerging technologies, such as floating wind or airborne wind energy. · Despite the need to assess social and environmental parameters to reduce barriers, most research funding is still focusing on techno-economic parameters. · A life cycle approach is desirable to understand the cumulative flows of materials and energy, as well as their related impacts. However, Life cycle analyses (LCA) do not provide information about how important those flows are to maintain the normal functioning of society and are too general to be informative about actual local environmental impacts. The WindSES framework In this section, we present a framework for developing holistic assessments that inform decision-making regarding the implementation of wind power in the energy transition. To avoid creating disjointed metrics and to prevent redundancy with existing work, we base the framework on the conceptualization of the socio-ecosystem (SES) as a holarchy. Holarchies consist of a network of nodes structured as nested functions, which are highly interconnected through flows of energy, materials, money, and information. This framework is based on a description of the socio-ecosystem, where changes in one relationship (energy use) affect the overall dynamics of both the ecosystem and the organization. We utilized an adaptation of the ENBIOS framework, which links LCA and MuSIASEM; it inherits the sustainability assessment, which encompasses four checks for: i) techno-economic viability (including ii) openness), iii) environmental feasibility, and iv) social desirability, connecting metrics from social and ecological analytical levels. We defined five analytical levels in our SES model. Level n-4 is structural and encompasses actual parks and their respective sites. At this level, metrics must be specific to the site, and LCA is not useful for understanding the impact. Level n-3 pertains to the energy technology level, where decisions are made about whether to prioritize certain technologies, for example. At level n-2, we differentiate between decarbonized renewables and non-renewables. This level enables decisions to be informed by climate models, allowing us to understand the consequences of climate change, among other factors. Level n-1 relates to the total energy supply, which connects with demand to explore the viability of the energy system. Finally, level n represents the entire energy sector and its connections with other sectors, enabling us to illustrate the linkages that wind energy has with other activities. These five levels are associated with three ecological levels. Level E refers to the site where the park is located. Level e+1 represents the surrounding socio-ecosystem, where onsite impacts are observed. Level e+2 encompasses the global Earth system, which includes changes in the atmosphere and global cycles of materials, as well as other impacts. The metrics In WindSES, the metrics are designed for a holistic assessment of wind energy sustainability, distinguishing between structural (at the wind park level) and functional (at the societal sector level) perspectives. They are structured around feasibility and viability checks. The library integrates LCA metrics for cumulative impacts. However, LCA metrics are contextualized at the level where the information can be better understood or be more useful for decision-making. The viability metrics assess the extent to which the wind-related energy configurations being evaluated meet two constraints: i) they must be achievable, given their demand for technology and manufactured products (such as steel) in relation to the economy's capacity to produce them; and ii) they must be capable of providing energy in the type and amount needed to satisfy the demand. However, when the energy scenarios to be analyzed are calculated from an optimization model that compels a supply to meet demand, the second requirement is already fulfilled. The feasibility metrics evaluate the extent to which wind-related energy configurations meet the following constraints: i) the total demand for resources throughout the life cycle can be fulfilled with Earth’s reserves, ii) the impact on ecosystems remains within established limits, and iii) the contribution to global change is kept within acceptable limits. This global change is typically represented in energy modeling solely in terms of CO2 emissions, thereby allowing the models to “fit” the emissions cap that has been set. We include additional metrics to explore further the pros and cons of sites, technologies, and technological mixes. Pilot Study We present a pilot study for the Catalunya region in Spain, where we showed the potential of the library by assessing the distribution of two impacts with different social perceptions: contributions to global warming and land occupation from all parks installed in Catalunya. We demonstrated that on-site contributions to some impacts are minimal, whereas, for other impacts, they are substantial. Additionally, the regional distribution of burdens and demands is also important and distinct from one another. In this context, a new park can be viewed as a hindrance rather than a beneficial energy transition strategy. In the pilot study of the Tramuntana project, we demonstrate the potential interconnections of the framework at the n-4 level (park) and its connection with other analytical levels. Conducting all modeling within a single, holistic framework is challenging due to the detailed resolution required and the need for alternative methods for specific aspects, such as food web dynamics. However, the holistic method facilitates preliminary screening and expedites the tendering process. This analysis also reveals overlooked feedback loops, such as the impact of the wake effect on CO2 sequestration.

Abstract We show that shortage of human activity may represent an internal constraint to economic growth as relevant as external resource and sink constraints. Human time is required, both inside and outside the market, to produce and consume the goods and services needed to sustain societal metabolism. The time allocation profile is therefore an emergent property of the societal metabolic pattern. When most time is invested in services and final consumption rather than supplying the inputs required by the metabolic process, further growth is constrained. This problem may be temporarily overcome by three strategies: (i) increasing capital investment to boost labor productivity in the productive sectors; (ii) externalizing the requirement of working hours through imports of goods and services; (iii) importing economically active population through immigration. Each strategy is illustrated with an empirical example: (i) a comparison of the evolution of the profile of time and capital allocation between China and the EU; (ii) an assessment of the labor hours embodied in EU imports; (iii) an analysis of demographic changes in response to immigration in Spain. While these strategies can temporarily overcome constraints to economic growth at the national level, they do not represent a long-term solution at the global level.