Search results for "communitie"

Energy self-consumers and renewable energy communities in Italy: New actors of the electric power systems

2021

Abstract The new European Directive RED-II on the promotion of the use of renewable energy sources has introduced the concept of the Renewable Energy Community. This new entity has the potential to change the relations among end-users and the latter and the other actors of the energy sector. In particular, the electrical sector appears the most influenced by the implementation of this paradigm. Indeed, the need for self-consumption and for exploiting the full potential of renewable energy in a Renewable Energy Community influences how the end-users exchange energy with the power grid, the rules for their connection to the grid, the implementation of Demand Response and other energy manageme…

Assessing mental health therapeutic communities functioning

2019

Empirical and clinical evidence shows that therapeutic communities produce changes in people’s mental health and well-being. Treatment in communities has effects on improving interpersonal relationships, acceptance among members, ability to recognize other people’s feelings, symptomatology, life satisfaction and self-esteem. This paper aims to investigate which factors can explain the treatment effectiveness, measured by an index which incorporates the point of view of the communities staff members, by means of a beta regression model with random intercept. The results show the influence of some organizational dimension as well as staff roles, providing a meaningful insights into the functi…

Ethnobotanical knowledge in some rural communities of northern Sicily (Palermo, Italy)

2018

An ethnobotanical study was carried out to document the uses of wild plants among some local communities of Sicily (southern Italy). We recorded 48 taxa belonging to 45 genera included in 32 families. 30 taxa are used as medicinal plants, 22 taxa as food and 9 for handicraft use. In comparison with other ethnobotanical studies carried out in Sicily and other Italian territories, some uses of the plants reported by the local population in the study area are peculiarities. The analysis of data shows that the level of traditional knowledge on use of plants in province of Palermo is poor, highlighting a considerably advanced state of cultural erosion. The results of our investigation confirm th…

Hydrophytic vegetation aspects in the Nebrodi Mountains (Sicily).

2011

A study of the hydrophyte communities of some small ponds in the beech-wood belt of the higher Nebrodi Mts is presented. A new association of shallow stagnant water bodies, the Utriculario-Potametum natantis, is described. Its biological structure, biogeographical characteristics, syntaxonomic position, phytosociological relationships and dynamic links are discussed.

Effects of Ocean Acidification on physiology, behaviour and ecology of fish

CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is increasing at unprecedented rate since the last 800,000 years due to rising fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes and land use by humans. By absorbing part of this gas from the atmosphere, Oceans contribute to the mitigation of climatic changes, but at the cost of greater modifications of their physical and chemical characteristics. CO2 dissolved in the seawater leads to increased bicarbonate (HCO3 -) and hydrogen ions (H+) concentrations with a consequent pH drop, a phenomenon known as Ocean Acidification (OA). If global policy will not put in force mitigation measures to reduce CO2 emissions, it is projected that partial pressure of dissolved …

Building community spaces: Processes and actions In the City of Mercato Ballarò in Palermo

2022

The rediscovery of the cultural value of a project, the creation of new imagery in marginal places and the new aesthetics of temporality are some of the emerging issues in the city of crisis which are measured through processes of active involvement in community relations. There are many cities that have recognised urban markets as an integral part of local economies, with great benefits also at cultural and social levels. The hypothesis of triggering regenerative processes in the urban and social fabric in the unstable urban market context is the foundation of this research-action contribution developed through active relationships with public entities, associations and citizens. The syste…

(Ri)costruire spazi di comunità. Progetto-azione nella città del mercato Ballarò a Palermo

2022

The rediscovery of the cultural value of the project, the creation of new imaginaries in marginal places and the new aesthetics of temporality are some of the emerging issues in the city of crisis in Italy that are measured through processes of active involvement of inhabitants, associations and institutions. The contribution first proposes an analysis of the potential of public space through a research-action with a high social content in the urban fabric of the Ballarò market in Palermo. Subsequently, the research returns a multidisciplinary perspective on the interpretative models of public space to propose new imaginaries. Themes related to social inclusion, community participation proc…

Co-creative Communities and Resilience Accelerators. Sicani Hills in Sicily

2022

The contribution asks for a change of perspective, addressing inner areas as motors of innovation and test-fields for new dynamics of development and more adaptive processes, looking at co-creative communities and the potentials and resources specifically connected to space, settlements, and landscapes. The reactivation of small towns can catalyze tourism and community’s resilience through targeted transformations of built heritage and unused building stock, social innovation initiatives, and new forms of production. In order to return to inhabit inner areas, new infrastructures and basic services are needed, but also new perspectives and projects able to radically change production, consum…

Towards achieving net-zero energy communities: Investigation of design strategies and seasonal solar collection and storage net-zero

2019

Abstract This paper explores a solar mixed-use community and its potential towards achieving net-zero energy status. This mixed-use community combines residential and commercial/institutional buildings. Energy performance of this neighbourhood is estimated in terms of energy consumption and generation potential by means of building integrated PV systems. A solar thermal collector system combined with a borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) is designed to investigate the impact on the overall performance of the neighbourhood. The design of solar thermal collectors and the sizing of short-term thermal energy storage is based on the analysis of the thermal loads for heating and domestic hot w…

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF SOLAR COMMUNITIES: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS

The study proposes the comparisonof the life cycle performances of two different energy systems aimed at covering the needs of a large mixed-mode community, in Calgary (Canada). The two systems investigated are a“conventional” one, using heat pumps for heating, cooling and domestic hot water, and another one widely deploying solar thermal panels as well as a district heating infrastructure and a borehole seasonal thermal storage. The analysis is based on the LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and includes the stages of raw materials and energy supply, system manufacturing, use stage of the systems, generation and use of energy on-site, maintenance and components’ substitution, and explo…