Search results for "Environmental performance"

Renewable energy growth and the financial performance of electric utilities: A panel data study

2017

Electric utilities are under pressure to increase clean energy production. Although the adoption of renewable energy can improve the utilities' environmental performance, a fundamental question is if it also pays in economic terms. Building on the natural-resource-based view of the firm, we answer this question using two data analysis methods. First, we carry out a regression analysis of panel data from 66 large electric utilities covering the period 2005–2014, applying both a fixed and random effects estimator. Subsequently, we use the Granger causality test to explore possible causality links. Our results show a negative correlation at the firm level between renewable energy increase and …

SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS FOR IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE AND RESILIENCE OF SINGLE AND CLUSTERED GROUPS OF BUILD…

2021

Energy consumption in the building sector is responsible for 36% of the energy use worldwide (corresponding to 39% of the total energy-related CO2 emissions), while at the European level the building sector accounts for a share of the total energy consumption comprised between 25% and 40% (corresponding to about 35% of the overall CO2 emissions throughout Europe). Concerning the Italian context, instead, such figures stand at about 40% and 17.5% for the energy consumption and for the CO2 emissions, respectively. In light of this, much attention has been paid, at global, European and single countries (national) levels on the important aspects regarding the reduction of energy consumption and…

Environmental performance: an index number approach

2004

Abstract Tyteca [J. Environ. Manage. 46 (1996) 281] reviews the literature on environmental performance indicators. In that paper he calls for an index that simultaneously accounts for resources used, good outputs produced and pollutants or undesirable outputs emitted. Here, we provide a formal index number of environmental performance which can be computed using data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques. The implicit benchmark is that of finding the highest ratio of good to bad outputs. Our environmental performance index is constructed from distance functions which implies that it satisfies a number of desirable properties. Since the component distance functions require only information …

Is the environmental performance of industrialized countries converging? A ‘SURE’ approach to testing for convergence

2008

In this paper, we test for convergence in the environmental performance of a sample of OECD countries, with data ranging from 1971 to 2002. First, we use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to compute two environmental performance indicators (EPIs) in the production theory framework. Second, we propose the use of a sequential multivariate approach to test for convergence in environmental performance. These tests allow us to reconcile the time series literature with the cross-sectional dimension, which is basic when testing for convergence in regional blocs. The SURE technique is used, which allows for the existence of correlations across the series without imposing a common speed of mean revers…

Economic and environmental performance of wastewater treatment plants: Potential reductions in greenhouse gases emissions

2014

Abstract Sanitation and wastewater treatment are essential for protecting human health and environmental sustainability. Treatment processes are not free of environmental impacts; consequently assessment of the environmental performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has gained interest in recent years. Unlike other methods, a direct approach is followed to estimate environmental performance indicators (EPIs) using data envelopment analysis (DEA), i.e. an index of overall performance is directly obtained. The present study represents pioneering work to integrate environmental impacts in the assessment of the efficiency of WWTP estimating pure (PEPI) and mixed (MEPI) environmental pe…

Towards the Environmental Sustainability of the Construction Sector: Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Buildings Retrofit

2022

In the context of the need for carbon emissions reduction, the buildingsector, as one of the most energy intensive one, needs tools and approaches towards carbon neutrality and the increase of the buildings overall energy performances. The paper proposes an integrated approach towards the environmental performances analysis of a small neighborhood having as goal the achievement of the Positive Energy District target and the assessment of its environmental impacts. The methodology proposed includes building modeling and dynamic energy simulation using the Energy Plus engine and a simplified Life Cycle Assessment approach. Two scenarios are investigated: i) the existing neighborhood, ii) the …

On the dynamics of eco-efficiency performance in the European Union

2016

This paper evaluates the evolution of environmental performance in the context of the European Union (EU), over the period 1993–2010. The context is particularly relevant, due to the traditionally high concerns of the EU about these issues, which has triggered off several initiatives and regulations on environmental protection. In this setting, we conduct a two-stage analysis which develops environmental performance indicators in the first stage for each pair country-year, and evaluates its evolution in the second. More specifically, in the first stage we estimate specific efficiencies for three air-pollutants (CO2e, SO2, NOx), along with an eco-efficiency indicator, for which we use the sl…

Toward a European Eco-label brand for residential buildings: Holistic or by-components approaches?

2011

The Eco-label scheme is becoming ever more important in the environmental certification of products and services, especially in light of the recent ambitious aim of containing greenhouse emissions and improving the efficiency of utilizing energy sources. A recently-introduced hypothesis concerns the European Eco-label scheme relating to buildings, in the awareness that the construction industry is of primary importance to the whole economic and social life of states. This scheme should adopt an integrated approach to environmental problems and include construction, day-to-day management, and the possible disposal of building materials, throughout the life cycle of the building. In addition,…

Sustainable development in urban transport: Feasibility study for a plant to produce and store hydrogen from wind energy in the urban transport in We…

2005

Environmental and energy performances of a newly installed Dish-Stirling Concentrating Solar Power plant based in Palermo

2018

n the last decade there has been a significant increase globally in solar based electricity production, like those produced from Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants. One of the most efficient CSP technologies today is the Dish-Stirling characterized by an efficiency greater than 30%, which may become highly competitive by 2030 according to the International Energy Agency. On one hand, the Dish-Stirling is responsible for high environmental impacts, caused during its production and installation due to their energy consumption and use of energy intensive raw material. On the other hand, no direct emissions are released during its use phase. However, only a careful analysis of the entire li…