Tesi etd-10062023-132943
Link copiato negli appunti
Tipo di tesi
Dottorato
Autore
NOVI, ALESSIO
URN
etd-10062023-132943
Titolo
Circular Economy for Energy Transition: from Conceptualisation to Measurement
Settore scientifico disciplinare
SECS-P/08
Corso di studi
Istituto di Management - PHD IN MANAGEMENT - INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTHCARE
Commissione
relatore Prof. IRALDO, FABIO
Parole chiave
- Circular Economy
- Circular Economy Measurement
- Energy Generation
- Energy Transition
- Sustainable Development
Data inizio appello
30/11/2023;
Disponibilità
parziale
Riassunto analitico
The circular economy is assuming an increasingly relevant role in promoting environmental sustainability and shifting away from linear thinking and production. In general, the circular economy is associated with the energy transition, as renewable energy aligns with the circular principle of using renewable resources. However, even electricity generation systems, encompassing both renewable and non-renewable sources, show environmental impacts throughout all phases of their life cycles. In this context, the structural reconfiguration of the energy system from a circular perspective is one of the key strategies for mitigating environmental impacts, ensuring the supply of clean and safe energy at a national level, and optimising end-of-life scenarios for power plants. Furthermore, to plan concrete circular actions and achieve measurable goals, measurement frameworks can support the circular transition path by positioning any existing energy system in comparison to a circular economy paradigm.
Although the topic is of strategic interest for all industrial and public actors, the link between the circular economy and electricity production systems has never been investigated in a systemic manner, and no measurement frameworks to evaluate the circularity of energy systems have ever been designed and applied. To address this gap, the objective of this thesis is to provide the first conceptual study on the meaning of the circular economy in the context of electricity production and to develop nationwide measurement tools that can be used to monitor the circularity of energy systems.
Regarding the conceptualization of the topic, a systematic literature review was conducted, involving more than 3000 scientific articles and gray literature documents. The review covered all sectors of electricity production, including solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal, thermoelectric from non-renewable sources, and nuclear. The results demonstrated the lack of studies on the topic and a lack of circularity measurement tools at every level of analysis. To address these gaps in the literature, this dissertation proposes a research agenda for the entire field of study. Furthermore, a definition of the circular economy that can be applied to every level and sector of electricity production is developed, and from this definition, six principles of circularity are identified.
Regarding measurement, this dissertation, based on action research methodology, develops multidimensional and multi-criteria monitoring tools to measure the circular economy of energy production systems at a national level. The tools consist of different circularity indicators selected to investigate every aspect of the circularity of the systems, including life cycle indicators calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The first measurement framework was developed to measure the circularity of the entire energy generation system at the national level. The tool was applied to calculate the circularity of the entire Italian electric generation system in 2020. The second measurement framework developed aims to provide a common measurement framework to calculate the circularity of each specific generation sector at the national level, providing a greater level of detail than the first tool and allowing circularity results to be compared between different energy sectors. This monitoring system was applied to the Italian bioenergy and photovoltaic sectors in 2020.
This dissertation holds value and implications for the academic community, the energy industry, and policy makers. It systematically conceptualised the relationship between the circular economy and energy systems for the first time, providing a theoretical basis and a defined research agenda for future studies in this research field. It also contributed circular theoretical and measurement logics to the literature - developed through an action research approach - which can be used to create new measurement tools for the energy sector. From a practical perspective, circularity calculations revealed to industry and policy makers the lack of fundamental data at a national level and identified areas for improvement to increase the circularity of the entire Italian energy generation system, as well as the specific bioenergy and photovoltaic sectors. This dissertation contributes to the transition toward circular energy systems.
Although the topic is of strategic interest for all industrial and public actors, the link between the circular economy and electricity production systems has never been investigated in a systemic manner, and no measurement frameworks to evaluate the circularity of energy systems have ever been designed and applied. To address this gap, the objective of this thesis is to provide the first conceptual study on the meaning of the circular economy in the context of electricity production and to develop nationwide measurement tools that can be used to monitor the circularity of energy systems.
Regarding the conceptualization of the topic, a systematic literature review was conducted, involving more than 3000 scientific articles and gray literature documents. The review covered all sectors of electricity production, including solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal, thermoelectric from non-renewable sources, and nuclear. The results demonstrated the lack of studies on the topic and a lack of circularity measurement tools at every level of analysis. To address these gaps in the literature, this dissertation proposes a research agenda for the entire field of study. Furthermore, a definition of the circular economy that can be applied to every level and sector of electricity production is developed, and from this definition, six principles of circularity are identified.
Regarding measurement, this dissertation, based on action research methodology, develops multidimensional and multi-criteria monitoring tools to measure the circular economy of energy production systems at a national level. The tools consist of different circularity indicators selected to investigate every aspect of the circularity of the systems, including life cycle indicators calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The first measurement framework was developed to measure the circularity of the entire energy generation system at the national level. The tool was applied to calculate the circularity of the entire Italian electric generation system in 2020. The second measurement framework developed aims to provide a common measurement framework to calculate the circularity of each specific generation sector at the national level, providing a greater level of detail than the first tool and allowing circularity results to be compared between different energy sectors. This monitoring system was applied to the Italian bioenergy and photovoltaic sectors in 2020.
This dissertation holds value and implications for the academic community, the energy industry, and policy makers. It systematically conceptualised the relationship between the circular economy and energy systems for the first time, providing a theoretical basis and a defined research agenda for future studies in this research field. It also contributed circular theoretical and measurement logics to the literature - developed through an action research approach - which can be used to create new measurement tools for the energy sector. From a practical perspective, circularity calculations revealed to industry and policy makers the lack of fundamental data at a national level and identified areas for improvement to increase the circularity of the entire Italian energy generation system, as well as the specific bioenergy and photovoltaic sectors. This dissertation contributes to the transition toward circular energy systems.
File
| Nome file | Dimensione |
|---|---|
Ci sono 1 file riservati su richiesta dell'autore. |
|