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Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 April 2023) | Viewed by 30775

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Dr. Claudia Fabiani

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Guest Editor

Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Perugia (06125), Italy
Interests: development and testing of advanced; multifunctional; adaptive materials for the built environment with special focus on their role in energy saving applications; reduction of resource depletion; indoor-outdoor environmental comfort improvement; urban heat island mitigation

Dr. Anna Laura Pisello

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Chief Guest Editor

Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Interests: energy efficiency; smart materials; environmental sustainability; buildings; renewable energy; environmental comfort
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Dear Colleagues,

Our modern energy-intensive society has ever greater energy needs that must be satisfied, and, yet, the undeniable ecological footprint of all kinds of human activities has forced us to face the effects of our actions and define alternative energy sources to curb climate change and its detrimental consequences. In this context, the European energy policy and the Clean Energy Package announced an intended 40% cut in GHG emissions and a 32% increase in the use of renewable energies by 2030. Similarly, several other countries have developed comparable policies worldwide.

The establishment of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), among other policies, has recently been accepted and regulated in many energy and political contexts. RECs are groups of citizens, retail businesses, and other companies that join their forces and resources to produce and share any energy typology generated from renewable sources. They can be understood as a way to “organize” collective energy actions around open, democratic participation, and governance, as well as the provision of benefits for the members of the local community. In a broad sense, these communities represent contiguous processes of both energy transition and social innovation toward acceptance and engagement. As decentralized and renewable-based energy projects, they can promote sustainable energy production and consumption practices. As consumer-empowerment and community-driven initiatives, they can play a key role in social innovation as they reflect a fundamental shift from the traditionally passive consumer to a more active energy prosumer, co-owner of renewable energy facilities, and community energy participant.

Community energy projects and, in general, energy communities of buildings and people, are found in diverse forms across the globe and generally involve shared technologies for energy generation, but also shared personal attitudes, social contexts and norms, and human relationships. Examples include public buildings or private roofs equipped with solar panels, or windmills installed by residents in a village. Further, heat pumps, solar thermal, district heating networks, and advanced energy storage systems are popular technologies for community groups. While their overall proportion as investors in renewables may remain small, citizens have a huge potential to invest in renewables integrated into their buildings. An increasing number of projects are also becoming involved in energy efficiency and energy services that return profits to the community. Therefore, ECs could shape a new society where all citizens may have direct access to eco-compatible and fully sustainable and resilient energy sources, even in isolated areas. They could pave the way for a fairer distribution of energy and guarantee social equity.

This call aligns with the mission of Sustainability, a leading journal in the field of energy and sustainability matters, driving the research community, private investors, and policy and decision-makers to share critical thinking and propose novel ideas and technologies for a more sustainable environment. This Special Issue seeks to analyze the impact that these communities may have on sustainable energy use and production as well as on social equity and global acceptance of renewable energy sources in the advancement towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Anna Laura Pisello
Dr. Claudia Fabiani
Guest Editors

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Keywords

renewable energy systems
energy storage
policy-making
regulatory frameworks
social acceptance
social equity
energy access
buildings to vehicles
energy island
energy communities

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 2954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Energy Communities’ Awareness on Social Media with a Content and Sentiment Analysis

by Myriam Caratù, Valerio Brescia, Ilaria Pigliautile and Paolo Biancone

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6976; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086976 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2940

Abstract

The development of energy communities has the potential to support the energy transition owing to the direct engagement of people who have the chance to become “prosumers” of energy. In properly explaining the benefits that this phenomenon can give to the population, a key set of channels is represented by social media, which can hit the target of citizens who have the budget to join the energy communities and can also “nurture” younger generations. In this view, the present work analyzes the performance of the topic “energy communities” on the main social media in order to understand people’s awareness of its benefits and to assess the societal awareness of this topic in terms of engagement and positive sentiment. The analysis conducted first concerned the definitions and conceptualization of energy communities of academics and practitioners, completed through a content analysis; we then focused on the fallout of these themes on social media and on its engagement (to understand if it was capable of generating a positive attitude). The social media analysis took place through a platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyze communication channels. The results show that there is still poor engagement with the energy community theme in social media, and a more structured communication strategy should be implemented with the collaboration between social media and practitioners/academics. Despite previous studies not analyzing how social media recall the topics of academics and practitioners related to energy communities, this is an important aspect to consider in order to conceive integrated marketing communication for promoting energy communities to citizens, as here demonstrated and proposed for the very first time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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33 pages, 8090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of a Low-GWP Heat Pump Coupled to Electrical and Thermal Energy Storage to Increase the Share of Renewables across Europe

by Omais Abdur Rehman, Valeria Palomba, Andrea Frazzica, Antonios Charalampidis, Sotirios Karellas and Luisa F. Cabeza

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4973; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064973 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1923

Abstract

In order to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels in the residential sector, low-carbon-footprint technologies such as heat pumps should be used. To fully exploit solar-assisted heat pumps, an effective control strategy is required. This study employs a low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant for a water-to-water reversible heat pump, which is assisted by a thermal energy storage tank, photovoltaic (PV) installation, and battery storage system using a dedicated control strategy. The heat pump’s operation is validated against the experimental data. Simulations are carried out for three different climates to analyze the performance of reversible heat pumps across Europe. The reversible heat pump fully meets the summer cooling demand in all three climates, while the heating demand is covered with the help of a backup source. An economic analysis is carried out for three different PV sizes and the results are compared with the reference energy systems. The inclusion of a battery storage system results in high payback times but increases overall flexibility and self-sufficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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18 pages, 5265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Stage Validation of a Solar Irradiance Model Chain: An Application at High Latitudes

by Mattia Manni, Alessandro Nocente, Martin Bellmann and Gabriele Lobaccaro

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 2938; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15042938 - 6 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1901

Abstract

Evaluating how the sources of uncertainty in solar modelling (e.g., input parameters, developed model chain) can influence the results’ accuracy is one of the main challenges when applied at high latitudes. In this study, a multi-stage validation workflow is implemented around five main stages: data acquisition, data quality check, solar radiation modelling, photovoltaic energy modelling, and experimental validation. Different data sources such as satellite observations, numerical reanalysis, and on-site ground measurements are considered as inputs, while the outcomes from each step of the model chain (e.g., decomposition modelling, transposition modelling, photovoltaic energy modelling) are compared against observations recorded from the solar radiation network at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU-Solarnet) in Trondheim (Norway). In the first and second validation stages, the decomposition and transposition models with measured input parameters show the best accuracy indicators, but they do not fulfill the validation criteria. Conversely, in the third validation stage, the photovoltaic energy models with on-site ground measurements as inputs are experimentally validated. In conclusion, at high latitudes, the most accurate results are obtained when monitored solar irradiation data are used instead of satellite observations and numerical reanalysis. Furthermore, the shortest model chain is preferred, with equal data sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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22 pages, 13713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Decision Support Methodology to Foster Renewable Energy Communities in the Municipal Urban Plan

by Roberto Gerundo and Alessandra Marra

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16268; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316268 - 6 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2606

Abstract

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) represent a possible solution to facilitate the transition to carbon neutrality and reduce energy poverty in urban areas. Although the topic has received little attention from urban planning scholars and practitioners, they can make a significant contribution in the enhancement of RECs. To this end, this article proposes a methodology that allows identifying priority urban areas where the Municipal Urban Plan can incentivize RECs’ establishment. These areas are spatially identified where a minimization of the constraints on RECs’ formation and a maximization of their energy and social benefits are expected. The application of the proposed methodology to an Italian municipal area where the Plan is being drawn up is presented. The obtained results show how priority areas can be found both in the urban center and in rural areas, suggesting that urban planning can encourage different REC configurations, depending on the settlement fabric and land use, as well as the number of buildings to be clustered and potential leaders who can lead the community development process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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17 pages, 1133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Communities Implementation in the European Union: Case Studies from Pioneer and Laggard Countries

by Elena Tarpani, Cristina Piselli, Claudia Fabiani, Ilaria Pigliautile, Eelke J. Kingma, Benedetta Pioppi and Anna Laura Pisello

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912528 - 1 Oct 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3341

Abstract

Energy communities are a promising strategy for a global energy transition. European Union (EU) regulatory frameworks are already established and clearly explained, aiming to develop as many projects as possible in the different European countries. Accordingly, it is necessary to present two different types of countries: the laggards and the pioneers, two categories that highlight the discrepancies in policy, bureaucracy, culture, and usage of alternative sources and technologies, such as renewable energy, towards the implementation of energy communities. This work compares two representative case studies to qualitatively understand the differences between laggard and pioneer countries: Italy and the Netherlands, respectively. The regulatory framework and the solid points/shortcomings of each country are explained first. Thereafter, an accurate description of the two selected case study communities and their different peculiarities is provided. Finally, the main similarities and differences are stressed to discuss the lessons to be learned in laggard and pioneer countries. Five pillars for the development and uptake of energy communities are identified related to regulations, economic benefits, technical limitations, sustainability, and social awareness. These outcomes suggest the importance of policy management, and stress the limitations of governance in helping policymakers and experts to support the energy transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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18 pages, 9271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Assessment of an Innovative High-Performance Experimental Agriculture Field

by Fabiana Frota de Albuquerque Landi, Claudia Fabiani, Anna Laura Pisello, Alessandro Petrozzi, Daniele Milone and Franco Cotana

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10462; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710462 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1894

Abstract

To increase food availability, optimizing production systems and reducing burdens related to human activities is essential in a scenario of population growth and limited natural resources. In this context, the life cycle methodology can represent a valuable asset for assessing the environmental performance of agricultural products and services. This study sought to investigate and characterize potential impacts of an experimental tomato field at the University of Perugia and evaluate if the production increment obtained using high-reflective mulching compensated for the emissions caused by this extra component. The first-year crop campaign was the baseline reference to measure the system’s efficiency. A CML baseline method applied demonstrated that the covered field (F1) was associated with more than 23 kg CO

_{2}

eq emissions (25% attributed to the mulch) in comparison to about 18 kg CO

_{2}

eq of the non-covered sector (F2). In addition, electronic components and drainage systems were linked with most toxicity indicators. However, the F1 field’s higher productivity compensated for the mulch impact, resulting in 9% lower CO

_{2}

equivalent emissions per kg yield in the first year and 18% lower each year for 30 years. The results encourage application of this approach in urban contexts with several benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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22 pages, 9294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Transition in Marginalized Urban Areas: The Case of Romania

by Florian Gaman, Cristina Iacoboaea, Mihaela Aldea, Oana Luca, Adrian Andrei Stănescu and Carmen Mihaela Boteanu

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6855; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116855 - 3 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2681

Abstract

To achieve a succesful energy transition, the collaboration of all stakeholders and policies for decarbonization at all levels are required. In this context, we aim to assess the perspective of energy transition in marginalized urban areas in Romania. The research is based on findings from a consistent analysis of 37 local development strategies in Romania in terms of energy (electricity and heating service provision). Despite the issues identified, we detected that communities across the country showed limited interest in renewable energy, which may be linked to low levels of awareness and education of residents in marginalized communities. In parallel with the analysis of the strategies, we developed Romania’s maps for renewable solar resources. Then, we developed maps of energy potential by linking the map of marginalized communities with the map of renewable energy resource potential in Romania. In addition, we used the PVGIS solar radiation tool to generate results related to median solar radiation estimates. Finally, we concluded by proposing an awareness raising and education program for the local communities on the solar energy solutions and a roadmap for potential energy projects in marginalized urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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17 pages, 2876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Two Pneumatic Urban Waste Collection Systems Compared to Traditional Truck Collection in an Airport

by Josep Anton Farré, Noelia Llantoy, Marta Chàfer, Germán Gómez and Luisa F. Cabeza

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1109; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031109 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5909

Abstract

Due to the increasing need for a more sustainable environment, the study of waste management strategies is increasing worldwide. Pneumatic urban waste collection is an alternative to the conventional truck collection, especially in urban areas, where there is a need of reducing traffic and its pollution. LCA is a methodology that can help in the evaluation of the environmental impact of any process or product; therefore, this study, based on the methodologies ISO 14040 and from the cradle to the grave, compares different waste collection systems in an airport. The results show that the pneumatic collection system with the innovative AutoWaste compact central unit can reduce the annual flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent for 30 years and per ton) up to 25% compared to a pneumatic collection system with a conventional central. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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24 pages, 635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Efficiency Combined Heat and Power through a High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell and Gas Turbine Hybrid System

by Gabriele Loreti, Andrea Luigi Facci and Stefano Ubertini

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12515; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212515 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2839

Abstract

High-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells are a promising technology for distributed power generation thanks to their high-power density, high efficiency, low emissions, fast start-up, and excellent dynamic characteristics, together with their high tolerance to CO poisoning (i.e., CO in the feed up to 3%). In this paper, we present an innovative, simple, and efficient hybrid high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cell gas turbine combined heat and power system whose fuel processor relies on partial oxidation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the state-of-the-art fuel processors based on steam reformation may not be the optimal choice for high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells’ power plants. Through steady-state modeling, we determine the optimal operating conditions and the performance of the proposed innovative power plant. The results show that the proposed hybrid combined heat and power system achieves an electrical efficiency close to

50 %

and total efficiency of over

85 %

, while a state-of-the-art system based on steam reformation has an electrical efficiency lower than

45 %

. The proposed innovative plant consists of a regenerative scheme with a limited power ratio between the turbine and fuel cell and limited optimal compression ratio. Therefore, micro-gas turbines are the most fitting type of turbomachinery for the hybrid system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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Review

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18 pages, 346 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Emerging Trends of Renewable Energy Communities’ Development in Italy

by Anita Tatti, Sibilla Ferroni, Martina Ferrando, Mario Motta and Francesco Causone

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086792 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3285

Abstract

Increasing concerns over climate change and energy poverty have triggered the transition toward a decentralized energy system through the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. Although this transition was led, over past decades, mainly by major investors and large industrial players, citizens and local authorities are increasingly playing an active role in delivering clean energy investments. In particular, the current European Renewable Energy Directive introduced Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), which allow citizens to collectively organize their participation in the energy market, leading to a more distributed renewable energy system and new forms of sustainable, collaborative, and democratic economies. RECs currently under implementation show differences among European countries due to the different national contexts. A literature review exploring the peculiar Italian regulatory framework on RECs and its recent evolution has been carried out to identify available national and regional financial support mechanisms, barriers, and emerging trends in the diffusion of RECs across the country. The paper reviews and describes three main approaches that emerged in the development of RECs in Italy, discussing their strengths, and limitations. In addition, it provides a brief comparison of the regulatory framework in different European countries, highlighting the distinctive features of the Italian experience. Although the development of RECs in Italy involved a combination of both public and private initiatives, the leading role of local authorities as promoters and aggregators of RECs is evident. This role helps preserve the social impact of RECs but might slow down their implementation due to bureaucratic issues often linked to public procedures and procurement processes, as well as the lack of sufficient expertise within local authorities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sustainability, Planning and Energy Efficiency in Energy Communities)

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