Gianluca Rospi

Model-Based LCA for Sustainable Energy-Production from Olive-Oil Production: An Italian Agricultural-District Case

Renewable energy sources will play in the years to come a central role in moving the world onto a more secure, reliable and sustainable energy path. In this paper the case of an Italian power plant fed from biomass de-oiled pomace and waste wood is discussed for an agricultural district. The optimal operating conditions are addressed by setting up an information model for the improvement of accuracy of estimation of the potential of biomass from the sustainability perspective. Criticalities of data consistency and coherence are highlighted too as a function of the systemic problem introduced by the several sources within the agricultural district.

Economic-Environmental Performance of Micro-wind Turbine in Mediterranean Area

Through the study of wind resources for the site of the “Murgia Materana” Park, located in the Murgia plateau between Basilicata and Puglia, we deduced the potential of wind energy in this area of southern Italy, a typical Mediterranean area. The measurements, carried out over a period of 365 days, allowed to characterize and assess the windiness of the site from an energetic, economic, and environmental point of view for four different types of micro-wind turbines: two horizontal axis turbines with power of 6 and 20 kW and two vertical axis turbines of equal power. This technology, characterized by a low environmental impact, can be used to supply loads, even in areas subject to environmental constraints, with very low costs of installation and maintenance. The analysis on energy productivity, the equivalent hours of operation, the return on investment, and environmental benefits in terms of emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx, and TEP, compared to conventional sources (power plant), allowed to determine which of the turbines is the one that best suited to site studied. The last issue was to assess the cost per kWh produced and compare it with other energy sources. The value obtained was competitive equaling the cost of the kWh produced by a power plant or a third-generation nuclear power plant with significant environmental benefits such as zero emissions of CO2 and storage of nuclear waste.