Emergy Synthesis Method Research Articles

Industrial symbiosis: C, N and P scavenging from sewage and flue gas with algal bacterial flocs

Industrial park development has become a critical strategy to promote economic development in many countries since 1980s. Particularly, China is one key country to adopt such a method on enhancing its industrialization. However, rapid industrial park development has resulted in many issues, including resource depletion, environmental emissions and pressure on responding climate change. Industrial symbiosis has been proved that it has positive impacts on promoting resource utilization efficiency. Therefore, effective performance evaluation can help recognize the key barriers on industrial symbiosis of industrial parks so that more appropriate policies can be raised by considering the local realities. Emergy synthesis is one feasible method on addressing the contribution of local ecosystem to industrial park development due to its innovative perspectives and mature methodology, while impact, population, affluence, technology (IPAT) formula and index decomposition analysis (IDA) are suitable for identifying and quantitatively calculating the key impacts of various factors. This paper integrated emergy synthesis, IPAT formula and IDA methods together to investigate the impact factors of industrial symbiosis in an industrial park. A case study approach at Dalian Economic Development Area (DEDA) was carried out so that such an effort can be tested. The results show that waste reutilization by industrial symbiosis in DEDA increased by 3.0E+20 seJ from 2006 to 2010. Technological pressure for waste utilization by industrial symbiosis and energy structure of an industrial park had made negative effects on the waste reutilization from 2006 to 2010 in DEDA, while the efficiency of non-renewable energy consumption and emergy scale of an industrial park played positive effects on the waste reutilization. Among the four impact factors, technological pressure for waste utilization and the efficiency of non-renewable energy consumption took more significant impacts on the industrial symbiosis of DEDA than the other two factors, which contributed −1.92E+21 seJ and 2.18E+21 seJ for the waste reutilization by industrial symbiosis respectively.

Emergy analysis of an industrial park: The case of Dalian, China

With the rapid development of eco-industrial park projects in China, evaluating their overall eco-efficiency is becoming an important need and a big challenge academically. Developing ecologically conscious industrial park management requires analysis of both industrial and ecological systems. Traditional evaluation methods based on neoclassical economics and embodied energy and exergy analyses have certain limitations due to their focus with environmental issues considered secondary to the maximization of economic and technical objectives. Such methods focus primarily on the environmental impact of emissions and their economic consequences. These approaches ignore the contribution of ecological products and services as well as the load placed on environmental systems and related problems of carrying capacity of economic and industrial development. This paper presents a new method, based upon emergy analysis and synthesis. Such a method links economic and ecological systems together, highlighting the internal relations among the different subsystems and components. The emergy-based method provides insight into the environmental performance and sustainability of an industrial park. This paper depicts the methodology of emergy analysis at the industrial park level and provides a series of emergy-based indices. A case study is investigated and discussed in order to show the emergy method's practical potential. Results from DEDZ (Dalian Economic Development Zone) case show us the potential of emergy synthesis method at the industrial park level for environmental policy making. Its advantages and limitations are also discussed with avenues for future research identified.

Environmental driving forces of urban growth and development: An emergy-based assessment of the city of Rome, Italy

Large urban systems can be considered as the final point of convergence of resources, environmental services and human activities from rural settlements to villages to towns to small and big cities. The emergy synthesis method is applied in order to capture the complexity of urban systems from the point of view of the larger scale, the geobiosphere, where resources come from. Emergy is the total available energy of one kind (usually solar) directly or indirectly used up to drive a system or a process. It can be considered as a measure of a system's demand for environmental support. The population of Rome is 4.43% of total Italian population, with an emergy use of about 4% of total emergy supporting the Italian economy. Emergy use per capita is 5.50E+16 seJ/year, compared to an average value for Italy of 3.60E+16 seJ/year. An empower density of 1.09E+14 seJ/m 2/year was calculated for Rome, much higher than for average Italy, 6.86E+12 seJ/m 2/year. Finally, the emergy/GDP, an indirect measure of economic performance of the system, is 2.43E+12 seJ/€ for Rome compared to 1.64E+12 seJ/€ for Italy, suggesting that in an urban system (generally characterized by a larger fraction of tertiary activities) the required environmental support for the generation of economic results is much higher than for the whole economic system. Finally, comparison of above performance indicators with similar studies published by other authors (Taipei, San Juan and Macao) points out that Rome has the highest annual emergy per capita (suggesting higher potential standard of living).

Air versus terrestrial transport modalities: An energy and environmental comparison

Abstract In the last 15 years, worldwide air transportation has grown at an average yearly rate of 4.5%. Forecasts confirm that this could be the average increase rate for the next 20 years, although recent oscillation of oil price translated into a slowing down of such a trend, with several air companies forced out of business. Within this framework, low cost airlines keep increasing their market share, in so making airplane to compete with terrestrial transport modalities, not only for medium and long distance, but also for short trips. This is because air transport is obviously faster than transport by trains and cars, and most often it also is a cheaper option in money terms. In spite of its apparent success, air transportation is a source of concern for many analysts, because it is considered as the more energy intensive and polluting transport modality. In order to explore the correctness of such an issue, we compared air transportation to high speed trains and other modern terrestrial modalities, by using a “whole-system” approach. The present study applies an LCA-like approach, by taking into account all the energy and materials directly and indirectly required to make and operate infrastructures (i.e. tunnels, railways, highways) and vehicles. Efficiency and environmental loading are assessed by means of Material Flow Accounting, Embodied Energy Analysis and Emergy Synthesis methods. Results point out that the gap among the environmental performances of air, road and railway modalities is significantly narrower than expected. The thermodynamic and environmental costs of road and railway infrastructure cannot be disregarded as negligible. In a selected number of cases these transport modalities perform even worse than the air transportation mode, where infrastructures play a much smaller role.

Emergy evaluation of the sustainability of Chinese steel production during 1998–2004

This paper deals with the application of eMergy analysis to the sustainability of Chinese steel production in 1998–2004. Emissions' impacts were quantified using eMergy synthesis and other methods (dilution method, disability adjusted life years (DALY) method and ecological cumulative exergy consumption (ECEC) method). The results show that its sustainability is very low and declining in this period, emissions obviously reduce the sustainability although their impacts are generally decreasing, and the main reasons lie in its low nonrenewable resources and energies' efficiencies. Finally, the related suggestions were put forward for improving its comprehensive performance.

Sustainable biomass production: A comparison between Gross Energy Requirement and Emergy Synthesis methods

Abstract In this paper two methods for energy analysis and environmental accounting (Gross Energy Requirement and Emergy Synthesis) are critically discussed in order to explore their ability to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the performance and environmental sustainability of human-dominated production processes. In order to allow a quantitative comparison, two cropping systems, namely 1 ha of corn production in Italy, and 1 ha of willow production in Sweden, are investigated by means of the parallel application of both methods. The case studies are carried out by performing a quantitative inventory of both natural and economic input flows to the investigated cropping systems. Such input flows are then converted into embodied energy (MJ) as well as emergy (seJ) units. Finally, performance indicators representative for each method are calculated. Results provided by the two methods and their respective theoretical features are compared and discussed in order to point out limits and potentialities of both approaches. The study shows that the two methods account for different – although complementary – categories of input flows, use different conversion factors, and answer to different questions and concerns. Gross Energy Requirement focuses on fossil fuel use and is capable to support the development of more efficient use of commercial energy. Emergy Synthesis uses broader spatial and time frames and accounts for both natural and economic resources. In so doing, it takes into consideration different forms of energy, materials, human labor and economic services on a common basis, offering larger potentiality to explore the sustainable interplay of environment and economy.

Emergy evaluation and economic performance of banana cropping systems in Guadeloupe (French West Indies)

Banana is the second most important agricultural commodity in Guadeloupe (French West Indies—FWI) and, to compensate the decline in international prices during the last 15 years, banana growers have intensified their production systems by increasing the use of technological inputs. Such intensification strategies, that require both material and investment increases, may impose economic as well as environmental risks, given the fragile island ecosystems. In order to assess the environmental performance of banana production in Guadeloupe, emergy synthesis methods were applied to six different types of banana cropping systems previously identified in the island. Additionally, aiming at improving managerial capacity and investment decision making, environmental performance results were contrasted with economic analysis for the six cropping systems. As a general outcome, these analyses showed that the better the environmental performance of the cropping system, the worse its economic performance. This result was corroborated by an increased contrast among cropping systems as related to their dependence on purchased inputs, although all cropping systems followed the same intensive and arguably wasteful agricultural model. Therefore, the analyses point out that sustainable banana production in Guadeloupe depends on a shift from the high fossil input model to a natural resources intensive one. In this sense, emergy flow analysis shows that innovation towards environmentally sound practices that would enhance nutrient cycling; integrate weeds, pests and diseases control; and improve the banana packing process might result in most positive impacts on overall sustainability. Economic analysis showed that the high labour costs contribute largely to the dependency of banana production on agricultural subsidies. However, reorienting the current European agricultural income policy to an environmental performance-based subvention might be a policy opportunity to achieve the present social goals while promoting sustainability in banana production. Furthermore, the EC regulation on quality standards for commercial bananas, by imposing strict aesthetic benchmarks, has a negative effect on the sustainability of banana production because substantial non-renewable and purchased emergy inflows into banana production systems aim to improve aesthetic standards over sound ecological management.

Modelling the interplay of environment, economy and resources in Marine Protected Areas. A case study in Southern Italy

In order to improve environmental management and policy making based on the principles of sustainable development it is necessary to explore both ecological and economic dynamics interacting in human-dominated ecosystems. A way to perform such an integrated assessment is provided by the Emergy Synthesis method that allows to account for mass, energy and money flows supporting a given ecosystem. In this paper Geographical Information System and Emergy Synthesis methods were combined to model the interplay of environment, economy, and resources in the Site of Community Interest named Parco Marino di S. Maria di Castellabate and located in Southern Italy. The GIS allowed to organize and explore data dealing with several environmental features while the emergy modelling and accounting provided a characterization of the energy metabolism of the study area. The solar transformity of the net primary production of the marine system resulted in 4.86·10 4 seJ Joule -1 . The emergy cost for fish and mollusk (two of the main products of the fishing sector) resulted in 1.05·10 7 seJ Joule -1 and 2.43·10 7 seJ Joule -1 , respectively. These emergy-based indicators provided information about the environmental performance of the marine ecosystem and its fishing economic sector by relating the input emergy invested into the processes with the generated outputs. The solar transformities calculated in this case study (one of the first ever performed in Italy by adopting this methodological approach) will provide a benchmark for future comparison with similar marine systems in Italy and abroad. In conclusion, the combined use of GIS and Emergy Synthesis methods resulted a promising approach able to provide a deeper understanding of human-managed ecosystems and their dynamics.

Modelling the interplay of environment, economy and resources in Marine Protected Areas. A case study in Southern Italy

In order to improve environmental management and policy making based on the principles of sustainable development it is necessary to explore both ecological and economic dynamics interacting in human-dominated ecosystems. A way to perform such an integrated assessment is provided by the Emergy Synthesis method that allows to account for mass, energy and money flows supporting a given ecosystem. In this paper Geographical Information System and Emergy Synthesis methods were combined to model the interplay of environment, economy, and resources in the Site of Community Interest named Parco Marino di S. Maria di Castellabate and located in Southern Italy. The GIS allowed to organize and explore data dealing with several environmental features while the emergy modelling and accounting provided a characterization of the energy metabolism of the study area.The solar transformity of the net primary production of the marine system resulted in 4.86·104 seJ Joule-1. The emergy cost for fish and mollusk (two of the main products of the fishing sector) resulted in 1.05·107 seJ Joule-1 and 2.43·107 seJ Joule-1, respectively. These emergy-based indicators provided information about the environmental performance of the marine ecosystem and its fishing economic sector by relating the input emergy invested into the processes with the generated outputs.The solar transformities calculated in this case study (one of the first ever performed in Italy by adopting this methodological approach) will provide a benchmark for future comparison with similar marine systems in Italy and abroad.In conclusion, the combined use of GIS and Emergy Synthesis methods resulted a promising approach able to provide a deeper understanding of human-managed ecosystems and their dynamics.