• Energy Research
• 11. Sustainability close
• University of Bergamo close

Abstract The main purpose of this study is to evaluate, based on experimental data, the potential of pre-cooling the ventilation air based on ground-to-water heat exchanger, coupled with an intermediate water-to-air exchanger, during the summer period. The case study for this investigation is an existing nearly zero energy building located in Benevento, a middle-size city of South Italy with typical Mediterranean climate. Measurements of several performance parameters with four different HVAC possible configurations are shown as well as monitoring of energy uses and indoor microclimatic conditions in order to verify if comfort conditions inside the building are guaranteed together with the achievement of ‘nearly zero energy target’. Indeed, the study intends to assess the interaction between building and power grid and evaluate the temporal correspondence between building load and PV generation with hourly time step. The discussion about the hourly energy balance serves as reference to export or improve management and design strategies in regions with comparable climate conditions.

Abstract It is often argued that policies designed to protect the environment may harm economic growth. Moreover, if introduced unilaterally by a given country, they may reduce the competitiveness of domestic firms. These arguments are generally based on the assumption that environmental protection has to be achieved through the introduction of emission charges (e.g. a carbon tax). However, three issues need to be raised: first, the tax is not the only policy instrument-and is not the most efficient one-that can be used to reduce polluting emissions; secondly, even when a tax policy is implemented, it is important to assess the feedback effects induced by recycling the tax revenue; thirdly, and most importantly, the role of technical progress cannot be neglected. Therefore, there may exist a policy mix that provides firms with the correct incentives to adopt energy-saving technologies and to invest in environment-friendly R & D. The first two issues have partly been explored both in the theoretical and empirical literature. The third issue, i.e. the role of incentives to technical progress, still lacks adequate quantitative assessment. This is why a new model has been developed which endogenizes technical progress and its effects and feedbacks on economic, energy and environmental variables. Using WARM, an econometric general equilibrium model for the European Union and for each member country, this paper presents simulation results up to 2015 of the effects of some industrial-environmental policies which are aimed at protecting the environment without necessarily damaging competitiveness and economic growth. The results show that policies that stimulate environmental R & D, technological innovation and diffusion may provide firms with the correct incentives to avoid damaging the environment, while preserving their competitiveness in the market. Moreover, such a policy, based both on R & D subsidies and on innovation incentives, may not worsen the public-sector budget balance, as a result of the positive effects on economic growth.

In recent years, the number of new organizations aiming to accomplish principles of sustainability has rapidly grown, leading analysts and scholars to announce almost a new industrial revolution. An example of this is the proliferation of the so-called fabrication laboratories (FabLabs) that nowadays are perceived as being forerunners in innovative and sustainable high-tech production through peer-to-peer collaborative practices and sharing. However, the challenges managers face in translating these promotional aims into organizational action is vastly understudied. To address this research gap, we have studied the management of two FabLabs, in Italy and Finland. In this study, we draw from a psycho-sociological framework applying cultural-historical activity theory, and especially from the concepts of activity system and contradiction. According to this perspective, a sustainable organization is based on promotion, enrichment, regeneration, and flexible change efforts, and it is related to the managerial and ability to bring internal and external stakeholders together to recognize and solve tensions and contradictions collectively. Through our case studies, we have provided new research knowledge on how managers make an effort to translate sustainability into action in the complex context of FabLabs, involving multiple, often competing stakeholders and activity systems. Our analysis reveals multiple tensions in the collective activity, stemming from system level contradictions, which represent a challenge for the daily work of the FabLab managers. In the paper we also suggest how an engaged management orientation towards sustainably can be promoted, and we discuss future research topics.

AbstractThe goal of pursuing the circular economy (CE) is spreading more and more in industry, also driven by the introduction of new regulations, considerably affecting product design. However, a quantitative and rigorous evaluation of the environmental impacts of the results obtained by different design strategies used to implementing CE is missing in the literature. Those available only evaluate certain aspects of the life cycle of few products, belonging to specific application fields, in a qualitative way or they refer only to the global warming potential. This study provides a quantitative assessment of the environmental impacts reductions arising from the application of some common design strategies for implementing different CE options (e.g. reuse, waste to energy, remanufacturing), by using some standard indicators. The results were obtained by manually analysing 156 selected case studies of comparative life cycle assessment (LCA), extracted from 136 scientific articles. In them, the environmental impacts of design solutions for CE are compared with those of other solutions were wastes are not exploited. The obtained results have been used to evaluate the different design strategies for CE and to hierarchize them based on environmental sustainability of the solutions associated with them. In addition, an economic evaluation of the strategies, based on the life cycle costing methodology and exploiting the data available in the same articles, was also provided. Among the main achievements, it was found that the hierarchy of the CE options, pursued by the design strategies, to improve environmental sustainability is different from that provided by other studies. In addition, the environmental benefits associated with the different CE options strictly depend by the applied design strategies and the considered products. Graphical abstract

This study aims to examine the feasibility of using environmental product declarations (EPDs) as a data source for life-cycle assessment (LCA) in two sustainable building assessment schemes–the pilot version of the European framework Level(s) and the German system DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen). An EPD is a standardized and third-party certified label to communicate product-specific environmental data based on LCA. Some green building rating systems consider it a robust LCA data source and encourage its use over generic data. This work evaluates the environmental profile of the envelope of an office building in the context of level(s) and DGNB adopting EPD as a data source. The results indicate that the EPDs did not cover the mandatory scope of the schemes. Furthermore, there was a lack of EPDs appropriate to the geographical context of the case study, leading to the adoption of EPDs of products from places other than the building site and an overestimation of the environmental impacts of transportation. Moreover, the need for EPDs considering suitable and comprehensive scenarios as well as life-cycle stages beyond the product stage is highlighted. This gap, in fact, hinders the performance of a complete LCA within the analyzed building assessment schemes when relying solely on EPDs as a data source. With this paper, we wish to encourage the further development of EPDs related to the integration of more life-cycle modules and more comprehensive scenarios, considering the direction of the latest amendment of the ISO 15804 for EPDs of construction products.

Abstract A comprehensive multi-objective optimization framework is proposed to address the energy retrofit of typical villas on Mediterranean coastlines. Primary energy consumption and global cost are minimized using a Pareto approach. Two different construction technologies (i.e., a lightweight house in reinforced concrete and a massive tuff-made villa), in two different climates (i.e., Greek and Italian coasts), are investigated to provide robust optimal retrofit strategies according to two different criteria, i.e., the achievement of the nearly zero energy standard and the cost-optimality, respectively. The optimal energy retrofit strategies are achieved by coupling transient energy simulations and a genetic algorithm. They address all main factors affecting energy performance, i.e., building envelope (thermal insulation, reflectance of coatings, windows and solar shading), active energy systems (space conditioning devices) and renewable energy sources (solar photovoltaics). The investigation findings can provide useful generic guidelines for the retrofit of houses on the Mediterranean coastlines with a view to energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The implementation of the suggested retrofit strategies to the case studies can yield substantial primary energy savings, up to 125 kWh/m2a, and global cost savings, up to 140 €/m2. The most energy-efficient and cost-effective retrofit solutions are the improvement of energy systems’ efficiency, the installation of full-roof photovoltaic systems, the replacement of windows and the roof thermal insulation.

This paper measures the ecological performance and reference carbon taxes of 12 Commonwealth of Independent States between 1993 and 2008. I adapted an ecologist’s model into widely used non-parametric directional distance functions approach. On average, countries perform fairly well: eco-efficiency is around 87 %. Enhancing energy consumption would lead to further reductions in CO2 emissions. I find that there was a relative decoupling of GDP from emissions growth. The estimated shadow price of carbon (mean of US$74.37/tCO2) is reasonable and falls into a range proposed by climate scientists. The richer countries had lower shadow prices with smaller range compared to less affluent ones. Overall, given decoupling, the introduction of revenue-neutral carbon tax could have certain merits.

The aim of study is to analyze the existing railway infrastructure and to develop the trains scheduling in the north-west of Italy for an efficient and sustainable urban development. The Genoa rail corridor, in north-west of Italy, has a very complex track configuration and complex junction intersections, with a constrained capacity network shared by a large number passenger and freight trains. In the present study a new methodology to create a modular, periodical and symmetrical train scheduling for Genoa, Italy rail corridor is proposed. The objective is to answer the necessities for a modern and irregular mobility, typical for large metropolitan areas. The understanding of preferred methods of transportation, amounts of commodities shipped and types of commodities shipped can provide vision into the resiliency of the transportation system and project future sustainable infrastructure improvements necessary to create more reliable and efficient methods of transportation.