Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems and Sustainable Energy Technologies: The Italian Experience (Green Energy and Technology)

This book deals with the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to sustainable energy systems and technologies. It reviews the state-of-the-art of the Italian experiences on the LCA applied to energy, and the most recent results from research in this field, with a particular focus on renewables, bio-energy and sustainable solutions. 

The contributors describe in detail the applications of LCA to various energy system topics, including: 

•             electricity production, smart energy grids and energy storage systems;

•             renewable energy production from biomass;

•             production of biodiesel from microalgae;

•             environmental impacts of biomass power plants; and

•             geothermal energy production. 

These topics are supported by critical reviews and case studies, with discussions of Italian examples, demonstrating LCA’s application to various energy systems. A particular focus is placed on bio-energies and bio-energy systems, demonstrating how LCA can be used for optimal bio-energy production. 

This book offers an opportunity for researchers and advanced practitioners in the field of LCA to learn more about the application of LCA methodology to energy systems and technologies. It will also be of interest to students, as it enables them to understand the environmental impacts of energy systems and sustainable energy technologies, through the analysis of their life cycles.

RICCARDO BASOSI 

Senior Full Professor of Physical Chemistry & Lecturer of Sustainable & Efficient Energy at Dept. of Excellence Biotechnology, Chemistry & Pharmacy, Univ. of Siena, Italy; ViceRector for Energy, Director of PhD Course in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Since 2013 Italian Representative in Energy Committee of HORIZON 2020. MIUR Delegate for the SET Plan and in the Mission Innovation Inter-Ministry Task Force. Scientific Advisor of Italian  Presidency of Minister Council (2007-08). Advisor for Energy of  MIUR Ministry at G7 Berlin (October 2015) , Kyoto, (April 2016) and Torino, (Sept.2017). Member of Technical Table of Presidency of Minister Council on "De-carbonization of Italian Economy". Appointed by MISE as National Expert for IEA/EGRD. Since October 2017 Member of ENEA National CTS.

In the 80s Visiting Prof of Molecular Biophysics at the Nat. Biom. ESR Center Milwaukee,WIS, USA. National coordinator of PRIN Projects and EU Projects. Author of more than 300 papers in international journals of physical chemistry, biophysics and energy. In the last  15 years active in research on LCA of Energy Processes & Renewable Sources and Complex Systems. 

Member of Editorial Board of  QUALE ENERGIA (SINCE 2000), MASTERHEAD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF  ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY  (SINCE 2009)- EDITORIAL BOARD BIOCATALYSIS (SINCE 2014)-EDITORIAL BOARD INTERNATIONAL   JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH (JSER) SINCE 2016-GUEST EDITOR  FOR EES (  ENERGY POLICY , ENERGY)

Fellow of RSC (UK) and of International EPR Soc, of ACS and AAAS. Recipient of 2014 SCI Gold Medal for excellent achievements in the field of energy and environment. Co-recipient of the World Energy Globe Award 2014. Chairman of the VIII SET Plan Conference in the frame of Italian EU Presidency, Dec 2014.

PROF. MAURIZIO CELLURA 

Full professor of Building physics and energy systems since 2011 at the University of Palermo, his scientific activity is mainly oriented towards energy and environmental topics, with focus on energy efficiency in buildings, technologies powered by renewable energy and decarbonization strategies of systems and processes. His experience on international level on building science and LCA is clarified by the coordination of  several national and International research projects on energy-environmental topics, his teaching experiences in international courses and seminars and by the participation to many International Energy Agency work groups:task 27 (Performance of Solar Facade Components), 38 (Solar air-conditioning and refrigeration), 48 (Quality Assurance & Support Measures for Solar Cooling Systems) and 40 (Towards Solar net zero energy buildings), Annex 57 (Evaluation of embodied energy and CO_2eq for building construction) and 62 (Ventilative cooling). He is also author of more than 260 in the fields of LCA, multicriteria decision making, industrial ecology, energy efficiency in buildings and building simulation. 

He has worked in the field of LCA applied to buildings in the last three decades and has recently become President of the Italian Life Cycle Assessment network.

SONIA LONGO

Sonia Longo is graduated summa cum laude in Environmental Engineering at University of Palermo. She has completed her PhD in Applied Physics in 2010. Actually, she is researcher at the University of Palermo. She was third place at the Young Researchers Award LCA 2011 with a research titled “The input-output model applied to sustainable production and consumption strategies of: an Italian case study”. Teacher of the course “LCA of energy systems” at the University of Palermo. Her main research interests are the following: eco-design and life cycle assessment, energy and environmentally extended input-output models; renewable energy technologies; energy planning; sustainable building and Net Zero Energy Buildings. She participated to several national and international research projects. She is author of more than 109 papers for conferences, national and international journals. She is coordinator of the working group Energy and sustainable technologies - Association Italian LCA Network, member of the editorial board of AIMS Energy journal and of the Buildings journal, co-subtask leader of the dell’Annex 72 IEA EBC “Assessing life cycle related environmental impacts caused by buildings” and referee of several international journals.

Maria Laura Parisi 

Maria Laura Parisi is an Assistant Professor in Physical Chemistry at the Department of Excellence Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy of the University of Siena, where she graduated in Chemistry in 2005 and completed her PhD in Chemical Sciences in 2008. During her Ph.D. she spent a semester as a visiting scholar at the Laboratory for Computational Photochemistry and Photobiology, Center for Photochemical Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. She holds the Master Program "Energy Management: energy conservation and rational use" title for expert consultant in rational use of energy (European qualification level 85/368/CEE). In 2010 she was awarded with a three years ESF postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Siena aimed at the development of new organic sensitizers for innovative solar cells production. Her research activity span from the sustainability life cycle assessment of product and process systems, the environmental analysis for the study of renewable energy conversion systems to the development and applications of indicators for sustainable use and monitoring of natural resources and energy use. She participated to several national and international research projects and she is author of more than 60 papers for conferences, national and international journals. From 2006 she carries out teaching activity and collaboration for Bachelor and Sustainable Development Chemistry Specialist degree courses and Doctorate School in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science with the course “LCA: Methodology and Application for Energy and Chemical Processes” at the University of Siena. From 2010 she is a teacher for the Master "RIDEF - Energy for Kyoto".