Search results for "LIFE-CYCLE"
showing 10 items of 166 documents
Ecological and economic indicators for the evaluation of almond (Prunus dulcis l.) orchard renewal in sicily
2020
Globally, almond production is experiencing a growing trend thanks to a strong interest in the health, gastronomic, and industrial properties that are linked to the fruits and their derivatives. After a constant and marked decline in the second half of the last century, the Mediterranean Basin is thoroughly reassessing this crop, which provides significant results with a modern orchard management. The opportunity determined by the transition from traditional to modern systems have increased the interest in evaluating the different environmental impacts of the two cultivation models that still coexist today. In this work, through the application of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and an econ…
A Simplified LCA Tool for Solar Heating and Cooling Systems
2016
Abstract This paper presents a user-friendly Life Cycle Assessment tool, which aims to support researchers, designers and decision-makers in evaluating the life cycle energy and environmental advantages related to the use of solar heating and cooling (SHC) systems in substitution of conventional ones, considering specific climatic conditions and building loads. The tool was developed within the Task 48 “Quality Assurance & Support Measures for Solar Cooling Systems”, promoted by the International Energy Agency in the framework of the SHC Programme.
Review on Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
2020
The photovoltaic (PV) sector has undergone both major expansion and evolution over the last decades, and currently, the technologies already marketed or still in the laboratory/research phase are numerous and very different. Likewise, in order to assess the energy and environmental impacts of these devices, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies related to these systems are always increasing. The objective of this paper is to summarize and update the current literature of LCA applied to different types of grid-connected PV, as well as to critically analyze the results related to energy and environmental impacts generated during the life cycle of PV technologies, from 1st generation (traditiona…
Energy and environmental assessment of retrofit actions on a residential building
2014
Energy and environmental performances of buildings strictly depend on many factors related to the choice of construction materials, technical equipment, installation and use. In the following chapter a set of retrofit actions to improve the thermal performance of an existing conventional building is presented. The energy and environmental assessment of these actions is carried out following a life cycle approach. The embodied energy and the environmental impacts arisen from the production, transportation and installation phases of the required materials and components are calculated. Further, energy saving and environmental benefits and drawbacks concerning the assessed retrofit actions are…
Theoretical space-time modelling of the diffusion of raw materials and manufactured objects
2013
International audience; Workgroup 3 of ArchaeDyn II programme focuses its study on the diffusion systems of ancient products. In order to be able to structure data in GIS in an appropriate way, we propose a general theoretical modelling integrating the different components of the diffusion systems, and identifying their interactions and the factors affecting the location of products and their transfers. Three dimensions are considered: the Time, the Space and the Function of places. A product's pathway can be apprehended efficiently by distinguishing spatial entities as well as functional entities. This modelling highlights the fact that the approach through the simple notion of "site" is n…
The groundwater pollution of Korneuburg, Austria : its issue life-cycle in the public discourse and collaboration and confrontation strategies of act…
2015
This thesis is a case study about the groundwater contamination of Korneuburg, Austria. The company Kwizda was responsible for pesticides leaking into the groundwater. The contamination was kept quiet with the help of local authorities and would have never come to light if not for the diligent efforts of affected residents. Their collaboration with environmental activists and a journalist led to the uncovering of the incident, eventually leading to remediation measures and lawsuits. While public attention to the issue was high, the authorities approved a controversial remediation measure that would lead to further pollution. With a particular reference to environmental and social issues, th…
Flash infrared annealing as a cost-effective and low environmental impact processing method for planar perovskite solar cells
2019
Abstract For successful commercialization of perovskite solar cells, straightforward solutions in terms of environmental impact and economic feasibility are still required. Flash Infrared Annealing (FIRA) is a rapid method to fabricate perovskite solar cells with efficiencies >18% on simple, planar architecture, which allows a film synthesis in only 1.2 s, faster than the previous report based in a meso architecture and all of them without the usage of antisolvent. In this work, through a comparative study with the common lab-scale method, the so-called antisolvent (AS), the main photovoltaic parameters and working mechanisms obtained from impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements show simil…
Environmental Assessment of an Innovative High-Performance Experimental Agriculture Field
2022
To increase food availability, optimizing production systems and reducing burdens related to human activities is essential in a scenario of population growth and limited natural resources. In this context, the life cycle methodology can represent a valuable asset for assessing the environmental performance of agricultural products and services. This study sought to investigate and characterize potential impacts of an experimental tomato field at the University of Perugia and evaluate if the production increment obtained using high-reflective mulching compensated for the emissions caused by this extra component. The first-year crop campaign was the baseline reference to measure the system’s …
Life-cycle effects in small business finance
2017
This paper studies the life-cycle profiles of small firms’ cost and use of credit using a panel of Finnish firms. The choice of method matters for the conclusions drawn about the relationship between firm age and financing costs; the cross-sectional age profiles of financing costs are hump-shaped and consistent with hold-up theories, whereas methods that control for cohort fixed effects demonstrate that the financing costs decrease monotonically as the firms mature. The life-cycle profiles of the use of credit also indicate that firms are more dependent on financial intermediaries in the early periods of their lives. Furthermore, the cohorts born during recessions pay higher financing costs…
Thinking about industry decline : A qualitative meta-analysis and future research directions
2018
We analyze historical and longitudinal research focusing on industry decline. Our analysis suggests that the literature’s general reliance on a few meta-theoretical arguments has important consequences for how decline is framed and explained. We identify four meta-theoretical clusters in the literature: politics and market dynamics are seen as exogenous factors with deterministic features, whereas technology and management capabilities are framed as firm-internal failures with causally questionable explanations of how firm-level characteristics explain industry-level decline. We propose that it is important to understand the limitations of distinct meta-theoretical arguments for an enhanced…