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After nearly a decade of only small development in capacity in deep geothermal sector in Europe, in recent years a resurgence of interest in geothermal power and the use of innovative technologies to increase and better exploit geo-thermoelectric generation has stolen the limelight from the scientific community. Differently from other types of energy sources, the environmental impacts determined by geothermal exploitation are extremely dependent on the geographical location. Life Cycle Assessment offers a powerful methodological approach for the investigation of the environmental footprint of power generation systems. Focusing on an unprecedented system-modelling approach for the investigation of an environmental impacts analysis of geo-thermoelectric activity in the Tuscany Region, Italy, in this work we perform a comprehensive environmental impact assessment for the calculation of atmospheric emissions profiles connected with the operational phase of the power plants. A clustering of all the geothermal installations in operation nowadays is performed by considering geographical representativeness This allows the identification of regional geothermal subareas. Moreover, an extensive data processing analysis is implemented with the aim of reconciling the great variability found among data collected. Results demonstrate that the efforts undertaken by the operator of the geothermal power plants to limit the impact of emissions, through abatement systems like AMIS, are quite effective. Indeed, in areas where mercury and ammonia concentration in fluids constitute a problem to deal with, nowadays the emissive patterns result comparable to the other ones. Notwithstanding, mercury and ammonia emissions, mainly emitted through the cooling towers, still represent a critical problem for all the geothermal fields. On the basis of our findings we conclude that potential chemical interactions and environmental impacts related to the variety of the compounds emitted should be object of future research and a further effort to minimize them.
Maria Laura Parisi; Nicola Ferrara; Loredana Torsello; Riccardo Basosi. Life cycle assessment of atmospheric emission profiles of the Italian geothermal power plants. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 234, 881 -894.
AMA StyleMaria Laura Parisi, Nicola Ferrara, Loredana Torsello, Riccardo Basosi. Life cycle assessment of atmospheric emission profiles of the Italian geothermal power plants. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 234 ():881-894.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Laura Parisi; Nicola Ferrara; Loredana Torsello; Riccardo Basosi. 2019. "Life cycle assessment of atmospheric emission profiles of the Italian geothermal power plants." Journal of Cleaner Production 234, no. : 881-894.
Environmental economics suggests a number of techniques to assess public goods. Such methods, surrogating traditional market mechanism, allow estimations of willingness to pay for improving environmental quality. In the case study proposed in this paper an hedonic price method is implemented to assess the benefits deriving by an improvement of environmental quality due to a reduction in odor emissions. In fact, odor impacts are usually the main pressure perceived by inhabitants living near sugar production plants (localized in Tuscany, in the current case study). The implementation of the hedonic price method allows to exhibit that this kind of externalities affect the real estate market in the nearby the area
Vinicio Vannucci; Loredana Torsello. Economic assessment of odour emissions: an application of Hedonic Price Method. 2006, 1 .
AMA StyleVinicio Vannucci, Loredana Torsello. Economic assessment of odour emissions: an application of Hedonic Price Method. . 2006; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVinicio Vannucci; Loredana Torsello. 2006. "Economic assessment of odour emissions: an application of Hedonic Price Method." , no. : 1.
This paper aims to clarify the meaning, or meanings, and the applicability of the environmental bond (from now on e-bond), an interesting instrument of environmental risk control recently advocated by Perrings and Costanza.1 The e-bond is a compulsory deposit which must be paid by anyone who wants to utilize certain natural resources the disposal of which is potentially polluting or, more in general, who wants to undertake an activity which may damage the environment. The amount of the deposit is conceived as a function of the possible environmental consequences of the relevant activity: according to the prevailing opinion it should cover the maximum potential damage to the environment so that society is insured against any possible damage produced by the activity. The deposit is refundable, in whole or in part, to the extent that the holder of the bond is able to prove to the environmental agency managing the e-bond scheme that she was able to avoid the anticipated environmental damage. The deposits paid are kept in an interest-earning escrow account which may be partially utilized, provided the social insurance role of the fund is not jeopardized, by the agency in order to pay the management costs of the e-bond schemes and to encourage research and innovations meant to reduce environmental risks.
Loredana Torsello; Alessandro Vercelli. Environmental Bonds: A Critical Assessment. Sustainability: Dynamics and Uncertainty 1998, 243 -255.
AMA StyleLoredana Torsello, Alessandro Vercelli. Environmental Bonds: A Critical Assessment. Sustainability: Dynamics and Uncertainty. 1998; ():243-255.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLoredana Torsello; Alessandro Vercelli. 1998. "Environmental Bonds: A Critical Assessment." Sustainability: Dynamics and Uncertainty , no. : 243-255.