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RESEARCH PRODUCT

An Integrated Assessment Model on Local Aptitudes for Green-Energy Self-sustainability

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The Encyclical Letter Laudato Si of the Holy Father Francis on “Care for our Common Home” holds human society responsible for the achievement of a fairer world, through research into solutions to environmental problems and a moderate and efficient use of nonrenewable resources. It recalls that energy usage is one of the major factors of environmental pressure and shares the crucial questions of current European and international energy policies. In Italy, for the electric sector, energy policy requires the increase of energy production by renewable sources and the development of a transmission grid able to support a diffused and non-programmed production of electrical energy (a smart grid), as it is the case for energy production through photovoltaic power stations near the consumption centers. In this line, the present paper proposes an evaluation model for verification of local aptitudes for green-energy self-sustainability based on the use of photovoltaic technology built on surrounding, abandoned agricultural land. The model combines the analysis of geo-referenced data, elaborated by the GIS tool, providing knowledge of the territory and the verification of technical feasibility of the diffused power stations, and financial analysis of the project. The application of the model to a case study confirms that it could be useful for local governments in planning energy self-sustainability interventions and in the negotiation phase of project financing.