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Sustainable energy planning includes various requirements, conflicting or not. Thus, any decision making is directly related to analytical procedures and management of a wide range of information (technological, environmental, economic and social). Multi-criteria analysis is a valuable tool, which is suitable to assemble and to manage many variables (quantitative as well as qualitative ones), assessed in different ways, thus offering reliable support for decision making. This analysis scopes to facilitate the photovoltaic (PV) integration in buildings, which combines benefits from shading, power generation, and esthetics. This paper performs a multi-criteria analysis of monocrystalline PV panels mounted on typical south-facing shading devices of office buildings in the Mediterranean region. In total, thirteen different options of shading devices were assessed against a series of criteria which include PV panels’ energy production, buildings’ energy optimization criteria (heating–cooling–lighting loads) and users’ comfort criteria (outdoor view–glare–esthetic aspects). Six different rankings were obtained by the analysis, each one reflecting the priorities and interests of different economic and social groups involved in the design and promotion of integrated PV systems in buildings. The analysis revealed that “Brise soleil full façade” is the most proper shading device when the PV system is mounted on it; in contrary “Canopy inclined double” or “Louvers horizontal inwards inclined” or “Simple window” seem to be the least suitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this scientific paper, the quantitative and qualitative performances of three different de-stoner machines involved in an industrial olive oil plant were evaluated. The bioenergy production potential for olive stone in Italy was also estimated. The results confirmed that the best performance was obtained using the innovative partial de-stoner machine called “Moliden” because it does not lead to losses in oil extraction efficiency (as opposed to the total de-stoner machine) and it also extracts an amount of olive stone (approximately 65% of the total stone contained in the olives) that is greater than that obtained using the husk de-stoner machine (58%). In addition, the olive stone obtained by using a partial de-stoner machine contains lower oil, fine particle sizes and nitrogen compared to the olive stone obtained by using a husk de-stoner machine. This leads to advantages regarding combustion efficiency and the environment. Considering the olive production in Italy and in the Mediterranean basin, olive stone might be an attractive renewable source for energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over eight million hectares of olive trees are cultivated worldwide, especially in Mediterranean countries, where more than 97% of the world’s olive oil is produced. The three major olive oil producers worldwide are Spain, Italy, and Greece. Olive tree pruning residues are an autochthonous and important renewable source that, in most of cases, farmers burn through an uncontrolled manner. Besides, industrial uses have not yet been developed. The aim of this paper consists of a new calculation tool based on particles swarm (Binary Honey Bee Foraging, BHBF). Effectively, this approach will make possible to determine the optimal location, biomass supply area and power plant size that offer the best profitability for investor. Moreover, it prevents the accurate method (not feasible from computational viewpoint). In this work, Profitability Index (PI) is set as the fitness function for the BHBF approach. Results are compared with other evolutionary optimization algorithms such as Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO), and Genetic Algorithms (GA). All the experiments have shown that the optimal plant size is 2MW, PI =3.3122, the best location corresponds to coordinate: X =49, Y =97 and biomass supply area is 161.33km2. The simulation times have been reduced to the ninth of time than the greedy (accurate) solution. Matlab® is used to run all simulations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Trigeneration systems, also known as Combined Heat, Cooling and Power (CHCP) systems, are interesting alternatives to supply different energy services in urban districts and in large buildings, particularly in warm areas such as Mediterranean countries. These systems can provide substantial benefits from economic, energetic, and environmental viewpoints, since the cogenerated heat can be used for heating in winter as well as cooling in summer with an absorption refrigerator. This paper develops an optimization model using Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) to determine the type, number and capacity of equipment in CHCP systems installed in the tertiary sector as well as to establish the optimal operation mode for the different plant components on an hour-by-hour basis throughout the year. The objective function to be minimized is the annual total cost. The optimization model considers the legal constraints imposed to feed the surplus autogenerated electricity into the grid at a regulated feed-in tariff. The optimization model is applied to design a system providing energy services for a hospital located in the city of Zaragoza (Spain). The effects of the financial market conditions and energy prices in the optimal structure of the system are analyzed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The most recent European (Directive 2006/32/CE of April 5/2006 relating to the efficiency of the final uses of the energy and the energetic services) and national (Decree 311/06) normatives impose the use of energetic systems more efficient that minimize the use of fossil fuels in comparison to the use of renewable energy. In this research a comparison was developed between the traditional electric equipments (which use vapour compression) and the absorption equipments (powered by solar thermal energy). This comparison was implemented considering the energetic, economic and environmental aspects. This research explores the technical - economic potentialities of solar HVAC systems, with particular reference to those based on the absorption cycles, verifying the possible applications in regions of the Mediterranean area (in particular Madrid, Palermo and Athens). In particular we define an economic index and an environmental-energetic index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]