IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v97y2012icp101-114.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A case study for energy issues of public buildings and utilities in a small municipality: Investigation of possible improvements and integration with renewables

Author

Listed:
  • Fiaschi, Daniele
  • Bandinelli, Romeo
  • Conti, Silvia

Abstract

This manuscript summarises the results of a project concerning the energy consumption of public buildings and utilities and the evaluation of the most effective and feasible ways to save energy in Certaldo, a small township in Tuscany with approximately 16,000 inhabitants. The energy analysis highlighted a specific partitioning of electric and thermal energy for final use. For example, more than 60% of the electricity consumption of the town is for street lighting, which is still uses obsolete and environmentally problematic lighting technologies, and more than 13% for lighting public schools. With respect to heat utilities, more than 60% of natural gas consumption is for heating public schools and 18% is for heating sport/athletic facilities. The partitioning of energy consumption introduced a list of requalification measures focused on specific areas: each area has an energy saving potential and specific feasible energy requalification technologies in addition to the possible introduction of suitable renewables. The selection of the proposed interventions was based on the results of model simulations, municipal urban regulations and prevailing trends resulting from a survey of municipalities that are the same size as Tuscany. The type and impact of these interventions were also in agreement with the trends found in different international contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Fiaschi, Daniele & Bandinelli, Romeo & Conti, Silvia, 2012. "A case study for energy issues of public buildings and utilities in a small municipality: Investigation of possible improvements and integration with renewables," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 101-114.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:97:y:2012:i:c:p:101-114
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.03.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261912002012
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.03.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dimoudi, A. & Kostarela, P., 2009. "Energy monitoring and conservation potential in school buildings in the C′ climatic zone of Greece," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 289-296.
    2. Economou, Agisilaos, 2011. "Photovoltaic systems in school units of Greece and their consequences," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 881-885, January.
    3. Steve Mandel, 2010. "Towards a green economics approach to cost-benefit analysis," International Journal of Green Economics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(4), pages 380-392.
    4. Sperling, Karl & Möller, Bernd, 2012. "End-use energy savings and district heating expansion in a local renewable energy system – A short-term perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 831-842.
    5. Radulovic, Dusko & Skok, Srdjan & Kirincic, Vedran, 2011. "Energy efficiency public lighting management in the cities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 1908-1915.
    6. Rezessy, Silvia & Dimitrov, Konstantin & Urge-Vorsatz, Diana & Baruch, Seth, 2006. "Municipalities and energy efficiency in countries in transition: Review of factors that determine municipal involvement in the markets for energy services and energy efficient equipment, or how to aug," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 223-237, January.
    7. Chwieduk, Dorota, 2003. "Towards sustainable-energy buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(1-3), pages 211-217, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gaiser, Kyle & Stroeve, Pieter, 2014. "The impact of scheduling appliances and rate structure on bill savings for net-zero energy communities: Application to West Village," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1586-1595.
    2. Michele Zinzi & Francesca Pagliaro & Stefano Agnoli & Fabio Bisegna & Domenico Iatauro, 2021. "On the Built-Environment Quality in Nearly Zero-Energy Renovated Schools: Assessment and Impact of Passive Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Joanna Rakowska & Irena Ozimek, 2021. "Renewable Energy Attitudes and Behaviour of Local Governments in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    4. Nikola Matak & Marko Mimica & Goran Krajačić, 2022. "Optimising the Cost of Reducing the CO 2 Emissions in Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
    5. Annika K. Jägerbrand, 2020. "Synergies and Trade-Offs Between Sustainable Development and Energy Performance of Exterior Lighting," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-27, May.
    6. Laura Martiniello & Donato Morea & Francesco Paolone & Riccardo Tiscini, 2020. "Energy Performance Contracting and Public-Private Partnership: How to Share Risks and Balance Benefits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-19, July.
    7. Annika K. Jägerbrand, 2015. "New Framework of Sustainable Indicators for Outdoor LED (Light Emitting Diodes) Lighting and SSL (Solid State Lighting)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-36, January.
    8. Matteo Fresia & Stefano Bracco, 2023. "Electric Vehicle Fleet Management for a Prosumer Building with Renewable Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Yang, Liu & Yan, Haiyan & Lam, Joseph C., 2014. "Thermal comfort and building energy consumption implications – A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 164-173.
    10. Ivo Araújo & Leonel J. R. Nunes & António Curado, 2023. "Photovoltaic Production Management under Constrained Regulatory Requirements: A Step towards a Local Energy Community Creation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-19, November.
    11. Mavromatidis, Lazaros Elias & Bykalyuk, Anna & Lequay, Hervé, 2013. "Development of polynomial regression models for composite dynamic envelopes’ thermal performance forecasting," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 379-391.
    12. Carolina dos Santos Castilho & João Paulo N. Torres & Carlos A. Ferreira Fernandes & Ricardo A. Marques Lameirinhas, 2021. "Study on the Implementation of a Solar Photovoltaic System with Self-Consumption in an Educational Building," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Matteo Fresia & Tommaso Robbiano & Martina Caliano & Federico Delfino & Stefano Bracco, 2024. "Optimal Operation of an Industrial Microgrid within a Renewable Energy Community: A Case Study of a Greentech Company," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-29, July.
    14. Dusan Gordic & Vladimir Vukasinovic & Zoran Kovacevic & Mladen Josijevic & Dubravka Zivkovic, 2021. "Assessing the Techno-Economic Effects of Replacing Energy-Inefficient Street Lighting with LED Corn Bulbs," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-16, June.
    15. Raatikainen, Mika & Skön, Jukka-Pekka & Leiviskä, Kauko & Kolehmainen, Mikko, 2016. "Intelligent analysis of energy consumption in school buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 416-429.
    16. José Adolfo Lozano-Miralles & Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez & Alfonso Gago-Calderón & Paulo Brito, 2019. "LCA Case Study to LED Outdoor Luminaries as a Circular Economy Solution to Local Scale," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    17. Aarón Ortiz-Peña & Andrés Honrubia-Escribano & Emilio Gómez-Lázaro, 2025. "Electricity Consumption and Efficiency Measures in Public Buildings: A Comprehensive Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-25, January.
    18. Ebru Hancioglu Kuzgunkaya, 2019. "Energy performance assessment in terms of primary energy and exergy analyses of the nursing home and rehabilitation center," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(8), pages 1506-1520, December.
    19. Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez & José Adolfo Lozano-Miralles & Rafael Lopez-Garcia & Paulo Brito, 2019. "Environmental Criteria for Assessing the Competitiveness of Public Tenders with the Replacement of Large-Scale LEDs in the Outdoor Lighting of Cities as a Key Element for Sustainable Development: Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-26, October.
    20. Annika K. Jägerbrand, 2016. "LED (Light-Emitting Diode) Road Lighting in Practice: An Evaluation of Compliance with Regulations and Improvements for Further Energy Savings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-15, May.
    21. Cosme Segador-Vegas & Justo García-Sanz-Calcedo & Daniel Encinas-Martín, 2018. "Determination of the Energy Behaviour in Municipalities with Fewer than 6000 Inhabitants in Badajoz (Spain)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dias Pereira, Luísa & Raimondo, Daniela & Corgnati, Stefano Paolo & Gameiro da Silva, Manuel, 2014. "Energy consumption in schools – A review paper," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 911-922.
    2. Annunziata, Eleonora & Rizzi, Francesco & Frey, Marco, 2014. "Enhancing energy efficiency in public buildings: The role of local energy audit programmes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 364-373.
    3. Comodi, Gabriele & Cioccolanti, Luca & Polonara, Fabio & Brandoni, Caterina, 2012. "Local authorities in the context of energy and climate policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 737-748.
    4. Nielsen, Steffen, 2014. "A geographic method for high resolution spatial heat planning," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 351-362.
    5. Østergaard, P.A. & Lund, H. & Thellufsen, J.Z. & Sorknæs, P. & Mathiesen, B.V., 2022. "Review and validation of EnergyPLAN," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    6. Mr. Alex Segura-Ubiergo & Miss Taline Koranchelian & Mr. Carlos Mulas-Granados, 2008. "Reforming Government Subsidies in the New Member States of the European Union," IMF Working Papers 2008/165, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Wang, Jiangjiang & Zhai, Zhiqiang (John) & Jing, Youyin & Zhang, Chunfa, 2010. "Optimization design of BCHP system to maximize to save energy and reduce environmental impact," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 3388-3398.
    8. Karlsson, Kenneth B. & Petrović, Stefan N. & Næraa, Rikke, 2016. "Heat supply planning for the ecological housing community Munksøgård," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(P3), pages 1733-1747.
    9. Sanjeeta N. Ghimire & Garrett Dave Hunter, 2020. "Energy Consumption, Window Size, and Environment-Friendly Building Design: Analysis Using Scale Model Houses," Journal of Development Innovations, KarmaQuest International, vol. 4(1), pages 64-79, July.
    10. Georgiadou, Maria Christina & Hacking, Theophilus & Guthrie, Peter, 2012. "A conceptual framework for future-proofing the energy performance of buildings," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 145-155.
    11. Leccese, Francesco & Salvadori, Giacomo & Rocca, Michele, 2017. "Critical analysis of the energy performance indicators for road lighting systems in historical towns of central Italy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 616-628.
    12. Lucia Cellucci & Chiara Burattini & Dionysia Drakou & Franco Gugliermetti & Fabio Bisegna & Andrea De Lieto Vollaro & Ferdinando Salata & Iacopo Golasi, 2015. "Urban Lighting Project for a Small Town: Comparing Citizens and Authority Benefits," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-15, October.
    13. Song, Kwonsik & Kim, Sooyoung & Park, Moonseo & Lee, Hyun-Soo, 2017. "Energy efficiency-based course timetabling for university buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 394-405.
    14. Rashidi, Hamidreza & GhaffarianHoseini, Ali & GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein & Nik Sulaiman, Nik Meriam & Tookey, John & Hashim, Nur Awanis, 2015. "Application of wastewater treatment in sustainable design of green built environments: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 845-856.
    15. Beccali, M. & Bonomolo, M. & Leccese, F. & Lista, D. & Salvadori, G., 2018. "On the impact of safety requirements, energy prices and investment costs in street lighting refurbishment design," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(PB), pages 739-759.
    16. Bhowmik, Chiranjib & Bhowmik, Sumit & Ray, Amitava & Pandey, Krishna Murari, 2017. "Optimal green energy planning for sustainable development: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 796-813.
    17. Vincenzo Bianco & Annalisa Marchitto & Federico Scarpa & Luca A. Tagliafico, 2020. "Forecasting Energy Consumption in the EU Residential Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-15, March.
    18. Septimiu-Rare? SZABO, 2013. "Decentralisation In The Context Of Multi-Level Governance: Study Case - Romania," Proceedings of Administration and Public Management International Conference, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 9(1), pages 92-103, June.
    19. Piotr Kosiński & Aldona Skotnicka-Siepsiak, 2022. "Possibilities of Adapting the University Lecture Room to the Green University Standard in Terms of Thermal Comfort and Ventilation Accuracy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-23, May.
    20. Jungwon Yoon & Sanghyun Bae, 2020. "Performance Evaluation and Design of Thermo-Responsive SMP Shading Prototypes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-35, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:97:y:2012:i:c:p:101-114. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.