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Sustainability Assessment of a Self-Consumption Wood-Energy Chain on Small Scale for Heat Generation in Central Italy

Author

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  • Stefano Verani

    (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CRA), Unità di ricerca per le produzioni legnose fuori foresta, Via valle della quistione, 27, 00166 Rome, Italy)

  • Giulio Sperandio

    (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CRA), Unità di ricerca per l'ingegneria agraria, Via della Pascolare, 16, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Rodolfo Picchio

    (Department of Science and Technology for Agriculture, Forest, Nature and Energy (DAFNE), Tuscia University, Via S. Camillo De Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Enrico Marchi

    (Department of Agriculture, Food and Forest Systems, Florence University, Via San Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence, Italy)

  • Corrado Costa

    (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CRA), Unità di ricerca per l'ingegneria agraria, Via della Pascolare, 16, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy)

Abstract

The sustainability of a small-scale self-consumption wood-energy chain for heat generation in central Italy was analyzed from a technical, economic and energetic point of view. A micro-chain was developed within the CRA-ING farm at Monterotondo (Rome, Italy): The purpose of this system was to produce biomass for supplying a heating plant within the CRA-ING property as a substitute for diesel fuel. A poplar short rotation coppice, established with clones AF2, AF6 and Monviso, fed the micro-chain. The rotation was biennial. The average plantation production (Mg d.m .·ha −1 ·year −1 ) was 10.2, with a maximum of 13.53 for the twin-rows AF2 and a minimum of 8.00 for the single-row Monviso. The economic assessment was based on the Net Present Value (NPV) method and the equivalent annuity cost, and found an average saving of 15.60 €·GJ −1 of heat generated by the wood chips heating system in comparison with the diesel heating system over a 10 year lifetime of the thermal power plant. The energy assessment of the poplar plantation, carried out using the Gross Energy Requirements method, reported an energy output/input ratio of 12.3. The energy output/input ratio of the whole micro-chain was 4.5.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Verani & Giulio Sperandio & Rodolfo Picchio & Enrico Marchi & Corrado Costa, 2015. "Sustainability Assessment of a Self-Consumption Wood-Energy Chain on Small Scale for Heat Generation in Central Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:8:y:2015:i:6:p:5182-5197:d:50602
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sgroi, Filippo & Di Trapani, Anna Maria & Foderà, Mario & Testa, Riccardo & Tudisca, Salvatore, 2015. "Economic assessment of Eucalyptus (spp.) for biomass production as alternative crop in Southern Italy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 614-619.
    2. Rodolfo Picchio & Raffaello Spina & Alessandro Sirna & Angela Lo Monaco & Vincenzo Civitarese & Angelo Del Giudice & Alessandro Suardi & Luigi Pari, 2012. "Characterization of Woodchips for Energy from Forestry and Agroforestry Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 5(10), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Testa, Riccardo & Di Trapani, Anna Maria & Foderà, Mario & Sgroi, Filippo & Tudisca, Salvatore, 2014. "Economic evaluation of introduction of poplar as biomass crop in Italy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 775-780.
    4. John Whalley & Sean Walsh, 2008. "Bringing the Copenhagen Global Climate Change Negotiations to Conclusion," CESifo Working Paper Series 2458, CESifo.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Carlo Bisaglia & Massimo Brambilla & Maurizio Cutini & Antonio Bortolotti & Guido Rota & Giorgio Minuti & Roberto Sargiani, 2018. "Reusing Pruning Residues for Thermal Energy Production: A Mobile App to Match Biomass Availability with the Heating Energy Balance of Agro-Industrial Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Julia Szulecka, 2019. "Towards Sustainable Wood-Based Energy: Evaluation and Strategies for Mainstreaming Sustainability in the Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
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    6. Esperanza Monedero & Juan José Hernández & Rocío Collado, 2017. "Combustion-Related Properties of Poplar, Willow and Black Locust to be used as Fuels in Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-11, July.

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