Water Framework Directive Requirements Research Articles

The role of competitor, stress-tolerant and opportunist species in the development of indexes based on rocky shore assemblages for the assessment of ecological status

Abstract The existence of three different ecological strategies (competitor, stress-tolerant, opportunist) has been widely recognized in the scientific literature and in the development of several biotic indexes using marine macroinvertebrates. However, its use has been totally neglected in the creation of indexes dealing with macroalgal assemblages and developed to fulfill the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive. In this study we apply a new method considering these different ecological strategies to assess the Ecological Status (ES) in rocky shores, which are mostly macroalgal-dominated. We use a large data set consisting of 653 samples collected between 1999 and 2017 in Catalonia (northwestern Mediterranean). In this approach we distinguish four basic strategies (competitor, indifferent, stress-tolerant and opportunist). Our results emphasize the importance in the distinction between competitor and stress-tolerant species when calculating the ES and highlight the importance of good natural history knowledge prior to appropriately assign every species to the proper ecological strategy. On the other hand, the comparison of ES obtained with the application of the new method based on the four strategies and the Ecological Evaluation Index (EEI-c) and R/P ratio Index (R/P rt. I) shows that the combination of eco-physiological traits, morphology and life-history strategies involved in EEI-c and R/P rt. I indices does not work in detecting differences in ES. Finally, if we take into account not only the algae but also the invertebrates that sometimes are dominant organisms in rocky shore assemblages (e.g. mussels), results become more accurate.

Decoupling Abundance and Biomass of Phytoplankton Communities Under Different Environmental Controls: A New Multi-Metric Index

Increased nutrient delivery to estuarine systems results in elevated growth of primary producers. This is evidenced by high chlorophyll concentrations and increased frequency of phytoplankton blooms. However, shifts in nutrient loads to estuarine ecosystems can also cause modifications in the structure of phytoplankton communities which can have adverse impacts right through the food web. Acknowledging these modifications is imperative if response mechanisms are to be fully understood. In this study Ireland’s current Water Framework Directive (WFD) tool for determining the status of phytoplankton communities was built upon to encompass not only biomass and bloom frequency but also community structure (diversity and evenness) and abundance. This method allows for comparison with site- and date- specific environmental data which could give an indication of cause and effect relationships. The newly developed Phytoplankton Index performed well against current methods to determine ecological status. Furthermore, it had a better agreement with other physico-chemical and biological WFD parameters. Statistical analysis captured the relationship between the Phytoplankton Index and physico-chemical parameters allowing for a more detailed look at the impact of disturbance on the system. The inclusion of community structure acknowledged the imbalances in the phytoplankton communities of some systems even when frequent blooms are not evident. In bloom conditions, the disparity between the chlorophyll and abundance metrics within the Phytoplankton Index can be linked to winter dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration and forms, temperature and light conditions. Development of the Phytoplankton Index will allow not only for compliance with WFD requirements, but is a method for understanding and assessing ecosystem health of estuarine phytoplankton communities over spatial and temporal timelines in line with changes in physiochemical parameters.

Using a systemic approach to address the requirement for Integrated Water Resource Management within the Water Framework Directive

Sustainable management of water resources calls for integration of ideas and approaches and revolves around assessment of causal-effect relationships as tools towards defining informed mitigation options and planning. The current paper presents a new holistic approach developed within the Globaqua Coordination Project that combines indicator-based well-established and tested concepts towards developing informed Programmes of Measures and River basin management plans: a. The DPSIR framework that has been engaged as central instrument to address the Water Framework Directive requirements and the concepts embedded in the Integrated Water Resource Management; b. The Ecosystem Services Approach emphasizing on the links between ecosystem services, changes in ecosystems and human well-being, c. Scenario assessment for valuation of future conditions to ensure the sustainability in the use of water resources. The implementation of the new combined framework in two river basins, Ebro in Spain and Evrotas in Greece, stressed the need for revised options targeting elimination of water pollution, measures to ensure water supply that covers the demand even under conditions of climate change and increased water stress and the need for improved valuation of environmental and resource use costs.

Long-term changes of the trophic status in transitional ecosystems of the northern Adriatic Sea, key parameters and future expectations: The lagoon of Venice as a study case

The determination of the trophic status of transitional ecosystems from the physico-chemical and biological point of view is one of the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60/EC). In Italy, its determination is implemented by the Regional Agencies for Environmental Protection (ARPAs) that have activated multi-annual monitoring programs. However, as the availability of funds is increasingly scarce, the number of environmental parameters to detect environmental changes should be conveniently managed. The high number of environmental parameters, nutrient and macrophyte datasets available for the LTER-Italia site “Venice lagoon” can be an useful tool to analyze the trophic changes over recent years and to foresee environmental evolutions. Nutrient data on a spatial basis have been available since 1948, whereas macroalgal maps date back to 1980. The aim of this paper is to highlight the changes of the trophic status of the lagoon since the middle of the 20th century by considering the concentrations of nutrients in the surface sediments and in the water column, the variation of some physico-chemical parameters and the biomass of macroalgae and also to foresee the way it will possibly evolve. In fact, after many anthropogenic impacts that in the second half of the 20th century affected the lagoon, starting from the year 2010, the ecological status is progressively improving. Nutrients show a significant reduction both in the water column and in surface sediments, and the macrophytes are represented by species of higher ecological value while the opportunistic species such as the Ulvaceae are in strong regression.

Large scale prediction of groundwater nitrate concentrations from spatial data using machine learning

Reducing nitrogen inputs, in particular nitrate, to groundwater is becoming increasingly important to fulfil requirements of the European Water Framework Directive. When developing management plans for mitigation measures at larger scales, complex hydro-biogeochemical models reach their limits due to data availability and spatial discretization. To circumvent this problem, the spatial distribution of nitrate concentration in groundwater is estimated using a parsimonious GIS-based statistical approach. Point nitrate concentrations and spatial environmental data as predictors are used to train statistical models. In order to compile the spatial predictors with the respective monitoring sites, different designs of contributing areas (buffer zones) and their effects on the performance of different statistical models are investigated. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Random Forest (RF) and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) are compared in terms of the predictive performance of each model according to various objective functions. We determine the most influential spatial predictors used in the respective models. After training the models with a subset of the data, we then predict the spatial nitrate distribution in groundwater for the entire federal state of Hesse, Germany on a 1 × 1 km grid by only the spatial environmental data. The Random Forest model outperforms the other models (R2 = 0.54), relying on hydrogeological units, the percentage of arable land and the nitrogen balance as the three most influencing predictors based on a 1000 m circular contributing area. The use of exclusively spatial available predictors is a big step forward in the prediction of nitrate in groundwater on regional scale.

Limno-ecological assessment of Aras River surface waters in Turkey: application of diatom indices.

This study is the first attempt to evaluate the limno-ecological status of freshwater ecosystems in Aras River system (Turkey) using diatom metrics and multivariate analyses according to the European Union Water Framework Directive requirements. Samples were collected using the standard protocols from 17 sampling stations in August and October of 2014, and June of 2015. Deterioration of water quality in the Aras River catchment was remarked from the downstream of Karakoyunlu, Sarısu, and Bozkuş creeks, which showed higher values of trophic index Turkey (TIT), trophic index (TI), and eutrophication and/or pollution index-diatom (EPI-D). These sites were also characterized by pollution tolerant taxa e.g., Cocconeis placentula, Gomphonema parvulum, Navicula cryptocephala, Navicula trivialis, and Tryblionella angustata. Sites S14-S17 had high ecological status according to TIT, supported by the score of EPI-D which indicated a good ecological condition for S14. The occurrence of pollution-sensitive species (e.g., Hannaea arcus, Cymbella affinis, Didymosphenia geminata, Meridion circulare, and Encyonema silesiacum) and the low nutrients like total phosphorus, orthophosphate and nitrate, conductivity, and BOD5 supported the high ecological status of S14-S17. The relationships between diatom assemblages and environmental variables were also illustrated by multivariate analyses. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that TIT had positive important correlations with total phosphorus (p < 0.01, r = 0.768). Trophic index and EPI-D had also significant correlations with environmental variables, but they had lower correlation coefficient than that of TIT. It seems that TIT could be a suitable diatom metric for assessing the ecological status of sampling stations in Aras River system and Mediterranean region. Our findings showed also that ecological statuses of surface waters should be evaluated due to the indices developed in their ecoregions.

Portuguese shallow eutrophic lakes: evaluation under the Water Framework Directive and possible physicochemical restoration measures

Eutrophication has become the primary water quality issue for most of the freshwater ecosystems in the world. It is one of the most remarkable examples of the biosphere’s alterations due to agricultural and industrial activities affecting aquatic ecosystems. As eutrophication becomes frequent and many eutrophic ecosystems have difficulties in meeting the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) criteria, the removal of phosphate gains great importance in water treatment. The objective of this study is to highlight the remediation methods that have been implemented in Portuguese eutrophic shallow lakes to accomplish the WFD requirements, particularly for the control of external loading of nutrients. However, the reduction of external nutrient loads per se often does not result in a change back to the original state, and additional internal lake restoration measures may therefore be needed to decrease the concentration of total phosphorus and increase water quality. In this context, this review paper also describes the chemical approaches available to mitigate the eutrophication of shallow freshwater ecosystems based on phosphate inactivation agents, their capacity and application methods, as well as the results that generically have been obtained. The P-inactivation agents can also be complemented with physical approaches in order to improve the treatment effectiveness. Although these remediation techniques can have significant benefits in reducing the proliferation of cyanobacterial blooms, other potential adverse ecological effects may occur. For this reason, the costs, the application strategy, the potential stressor(s) effect(s), both for human and key species, are factors that should be taken into account before its effective application.

Littoral mayfly assemblages in South-East European man-made lakes

Man-made freshwater habitats have been widely used to successfully modify the environment for human benefit, including purposes of irrigation, flood control or electricity generation. Over the past decade, our knowledge about the mayfly fauna and its ecology in South-East Europe has been growing, yet the data related to lentic assemblages remain very scarce. In this study, littoral mayfly assemblages were investigated at artificial and heavily modified lentic habitats in the Dinaric Western Balkan (n=21) and Pannonian Lowland (n=15) ecoregions. Mayfly nymphs were sampled during the summer months of 2016 or 2017. At each sampling site, ten samples were collected using a benthos hand net. A total of 21 mayfly species were recorded, though species richness per site was rather low (i.e., between zero and seven species). Cloeon dipterum (Linnaeus, 1761) was the most frequent species recorded, while Caenis horaria Linnaeus, 1758 was the most abundant. This study showed that the Croatian mayfly fauna is still growing, with the first record of Siphlonurus aestivalis Eaton, 1903 for the country. The assemblage structure was mainly dominated by lower reaches and lentic (potamal and littoral) elements and detritivores (gatherers/collectors and active filter feeders). Orthophosphates and chemical oxygen demand had the highest influence on mayfly assemblages, reflecting a higher level of pollution at sites in the Pannonian Lowland ecoregion, and consequently markedly lower mayfly abundances. As mayflies are widely used as bioindicators of freshwater ecosystems, detailed information about their assemblages in heavily modified and artificial habitats could contribute to future conservation activities of freshwater habitats and their communities. Additionally, these results could be applied in creating a monitoring system for artificial lakes according to the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive.

«РЕГІОНАЛЬНА ГІДРОХІМІЯ УКРАЇНИ» (2019) – СУЧАСНИЙ ПІДРУЧНИК З ВИВЧЕННЯ ХІМІЧНОГО СКЛАДУ ПОВЕРХНЕВИХ, ПІДЗЕМНИХ І МОРСЬКИХ ВОД НА ТЕРИТОРІЇ КРАЇНИ

The article reviewed and analyzed the textbook “Regional Hydrochemistry of Ukraine” (authors V.K. Khilchevskyi, V.I. Osadchyi, S.M. Kurylo), published in 2019. The textbook comprehensively summarizes and covers materials on the hydrochemistry of precipitation, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds, underground and sea waters in Ukraine. The authors used the latest results of studies of the chemical composition of water of various water bodies in the country, applied the hydrochemical characteristics of the river basin districts according to the modern hydrographic zoning of Ukraine (2016), which takes into account the requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60/EC). A feature of the textbook is that the authors were largely based on the materials of their own studies of the chemical composition of surface waters. They also systematized and generalized the monographic works of leading Ukrainian scientists, in different years (from the 1950s to the present day) they studied fundamental and applied issues of hydrochemistry of surface, underground and sea waters. The structure of the textbook consists of a preface, 11 sections, applications and a list of references. The textbook is intended for students of the specialty “Earth Sciences”, studying in educational programs of hydrological, hydroecological and hydrogeological profile. It may be useful for students of the specialty “Geography”, students in educational programs of a physical-geographical and geo-ecological profile.

A proposed methodology for assessing the economic needs of safeguard zones protecting groundwater intended for human consumption within the context of the European Water Framework Directive

This paper describes the gross domestic product and hydrological environment service method for assessing the socio-economic consequences of implementing necessary measures for safeguarding the quality of groundwater for human consumption and eliminating the risk of pollution. This method assesses the positive and negative impacts of designations of protected areas. Economic assets and social goods are the two integrated variables used in analysing the method. The first includes economic impacts on the local gross domestic product of defining protected areas, and the second considers the benefits of this designation in the conservation of water resources, assigning a monetary value to the preserved resources. In addition, tools have been incorporated, such as payment for hydrological services and generation of permissible activities, which reduce negative social impacts through positive economic impacts. These tools can only be used when compliance with conservation requirements for protected areas is demonstrated. The conclusions of this study include an application of the proposed methodology and provide essential and specific assessments that show that this methodology fulfils the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive requirements and that it is an effective tool in the implementation and development of strategies for hydrological planning processes.

Freshwater macroinvertebrate samples from a water quality monitoring network in the Iberian Peninsula

This dataset gathers information about the macroinvertatebrate samples and environmental variables collected on rivers of the Ebro River Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), the second largest catchment in the Iberian Peninsula. The collection is composed of 1,776 sampling events carried out between 2005 and 2015 at more than 400 sampling sites. This dataset is part of a monitoring network set up by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, the official body entrusted with the care of the basin, to fulfill the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive. Biological indices based on the freshwater macroinvertebrate communities were used to evaluate the ecological status of the water bodies within the basin. Samples were qualitatively screened for all occurring taxa. Then, all individuals from all taxa in a quantitative subsample of each sample were counted. Biological indices were calculated to estimate water quality at each sampling site. All samples are kept at the Museum of Zoology of the University of Navarra.

From information to participation and self-organization: Visions for European river basin management

The European Union Water Framework Directive (EU WFD, 2000) calls for active inclusion of the public in the governance of waterbodies to enhance the effectiveness and legitimacy of water management schemes across the EU. As complex socio-ecological systems, river basins in western Europe could benefit from further support for inclusive management schemes. This paper makes use of case studies from Germany, England and Spain to explore the potential opportunities and challenges of different participatory management approaches. Grounded in theoretical considerations around participation within ecological management schemes, including Arnstein's Ladder of Participation and commons theories, this work provides an evaluation of each case study based on key indicators, such as inclusivity, representativeness, self-organization, decision-making power, spatial fit and temporal continuity. As investors and the public develop a heightened awareness for long-term sustainability of industrial projects, this analysis supports the suggestion that increased participatory river basin management is both desirable and economically feasible, and should thus be considered a viable option for future projects aiming to move beyond current requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive.

Briefing: River weirs – updated guide will help meet CDM and water framework directive requirements

Ciria has published River Weirs: Design, Maintenance, Modification and Removal to replace the Environment Agency's River Weirs Good Practice Guide of 2003. Although the previous guide was comprehensive, many lessons have been learned on the safety and operation of weirs since its publication. The water framework directive has also increased the emphasis on weir removal, lowering or modification to restore fish passage and natural geomorphological processes. In addition, interest in green energy has increased the use of weirs for hydropower generation. The new guide is aimed at all those with an interest in weirs and is freely available online. This briefing describes the functions of weirs and typical construction, potential impacts on safety and the environment, and what can be done to address shortfalls in performance. Finally, it highlights the need to raise awareness of the potential impacts of weirs among professionals and those responsible for weirs.

Responses of fishes and lampreys to the re‐creation of meanders in a small English chalk stream

AbstractRiver rehabilitation initiatives have become commonplace in European water courses as a result of European Union Water Framework Directive requirements. However, the short‐term responses of fishes to such work have thus far been varied, with some river rehabilitation efforts resulting in demonstrable improvements in diversity and size structure, whereas others have resulted in little or no change. Electrofishing and channel character surveys were conducted annually between 2009 and 2014 on a reach of the River Glaven (North Norfolk, UK) before and after rehabilitation work (embankment removal in 2009 and re‐meandering in 2010) as well as on a control reach immediately upstream. To assess the effects of rehabilitation work, before‐after‐control‐impact analysis tested for changes in channel character (geomorphology, substratum composition, and mesohabitat structure) and in fish species richness, relative abundance, population density, and size structure (calculated after fish data entry into the UK Environment Agency's National Fisheries Population Database). Following re‐meandering work (i.e., treatment), habitat heterogeneity and depth variation increased in the treatment reach, but fish responses were not significant except for biomass and density increases of brown trout Salmo trutta and abundance decreases of European eel Anguilla anguilla, in the treatment but not the control reach. These results are consistent with comparable river rehabilitation initiatives elsewhere, and they suggest that larger‐scale rehabilitations are probably needed to produce greater increases in fish density and diversity. It is recommended that future rehabilitation initiatives address catchment‐scale factors that can enhance ecosystem recovery, for example, removal of barriers to colonization, and increases in connectivity and water quality issues linked to eutrophication, elevated fine sediment inputs, and various pollutants.

Modeling of the river ecological status with macrophytes using artificial neural networks

Biomonitoring methods based on macrophytes have been used mandatorily in the assessment of freshwaters since the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR) was developed in Poland for the monitoring of running waters under the WFD requirements. This index shows the degree of river degradation under the influence of water pollutants, especially nutrients. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the MIR and various hydrochemical parameters using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Physico-chemical parameters of water (monthly results for the whole year), which were derived from 147 lowland river survey sites, all located in Poland, were applied to model the MIR values. Water quality variables were determined over three timeframes: the annual average; the average for the vegetation period; and the average for the summer period. Quality of the networks was assessed using coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and root mean square error (RMSE). The best modeling quality was obtained for yearly average values of water quality parameters. The quality statistics were: R2 = 0.722, NSE = 0.721 and RMSE = 0.056 (training dataset); R2 = 0.555, NSE = 0.533 and RMSE = 0.101 (validation dataset); R2 = 0.650. NSE = 0.600 and RMSE = 0.089 (testing dataset). This indicates that macrophytes reflect the whole year impact of pollution, whereas summer.

Metal Water-Sediment Interactions and Impacts on an Urban Ecosystem.

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requirement that all surface water bodies achieve good ecological status is still a goal for many regulatory authorities in England and Wales. This paper describes field and laboratory studies designed to identify metal contaminant loadings and their distributions within water bodies located in the Lower Lee catchment (London, UK). Water and sediment samples have been collected from increasingly urbanised sites on the River Lee and its main tributaries over a two-year period with samples analysed for total concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, tin, and zinc. Complimentary batch tests indicate a positive relationship between aqueous metal concentrations and the batch test-derived sediment metal release data, particularly during wet weather events. Field data indicate a dynamic relationship between water and sediment concentrations with both being capable of exceeding relevant environmental quality standards/sediment quality guidelines at all sites. Mean sediment metal concentrations across all sites were found to be highest for Cu (141.1 ± 111.0 µg g−1), Pb (175.7 ± 83.0 µg g−1), and Zn (499.9 ± 264.7 µg g−1) with Zn demonstrating elevated mean water concentrations (17.2 ± 13.8 µg L−1) followed by Ni (15.6 ± 11.4 µg L−1) and Cu (11.1 ± 17.8 µg L−1).

A novel concept in ground water quality management: Towards function specific screening values

This paper is meant to initiate and feed the discussion on a more sophisticated procedure for the derivation and use of groundwater screening values (GSVs). To this purpose, the possibilities and tools for the derivation of function specific GSVs, i.e., GSVs that depend on the actual contact of humans and ecosystems with groundwater and groundwater-related mediums, are elaborated in this study. Application of GSVs geared to the specific use and function of specific groundwater volumes could result in a more effective and cost-efficient groundwater quality management, without compromising the protection of human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, a procedure to derive function specific GSVs was developed. For illustrative purposes, risk limits have been derived for human health and ecological protection targets, for arsenic, benzene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and vinylchloride. Agriculture and Nature reserves (combined), Residential and Industrial land uses have been considered and two different groundwater management purposes, i.e., curative and sustainable groundwater management. For each of the four contaminants, this results in a series of risks limits for each function and land use combination. It is shown that for all four contaminants higher groundwater screening values are considered appropriate for less sensitive combinations of function and land use. In the process towards (policy) implementation of these function specific GSV, it is recommended to evaluate the selection of protection targets, the scientific basis of the risk assessment procedures applied and the methodology to assess the time factor for groundwater quality assessment, given the fact that groundwater is a dynamic medium. Moreover, protection levels must be harmonized with national or regional groundwater quality standards and correspond with the requirements of the Groundwater Daughter Directive of the European Union Water Framework Directive. Groundwater plumes that are judged as ‘no need for remediation’ are not compatible with the Water Framework Directive requirement to take actions to prevent or limit inputs of contaminants, even when no receptor is present. However, the European Commission formulated a series of exemptions, to avoid that the “prevent” requirement would imply an onerous and sometimes unfeasible task. The function specific GSVs derived in this study could be used to identify the groundwater volumes that do not result in an unacceptable risk.

Metadata of European Lake Fishes Dataset

Here we provide the metadata for an overview on fish species presence/absence in 1943 Palearctic (Europe + Turkey) lakes and reservoirs. The data have been obtained by standardized multi-mesh gillnet fishing, primarily to fulfill the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). The species list encompasses about 100 species, a few of them split into subspecies. The database has been accumulated for the purpose of intercalibration of the evaluation systems for the WFD, and has systematically been used for research in the EU project WISER.

Policy, legislative and institutional assessments for integrated river basin management in Turkey

The rapidly growing population, increased urbanization, and intensive industrial and agricultural activities cause degradation and pollution of natural resources, soil erosion, and changes in hydrologic regimes in all over the world. To overcome these situations, it is necessary to develop an effective and holistic management methodology, called Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM). It is an internationally accepted administrative tool.IRBM is also one of the implementation requirements of the European Commission Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) for European Union (EU) member states and candidate countries. Turkey, as an EU candidate country, already has started and continues to work toward adaptation of the WFD. Since the early 2000s, river basin studies have been undertaken to help integrate the WFD into Turkish legislation. Although Turkey has a strong legislative background, there are many challenges in this transition period because of several big river basins, the lack of environmental infrastructure, and the cost of carrying out the WFD.This paper analyses the political, legislative, and institutional advances of the implementation of IRBM in Turkey. Before the assessments of the new Turkish legislation developments and new basin institutions, the general principles of IRBM are explained. Finally, some recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the new basin organizations and water legislation are presented.

Assessment of small hydropower potential for the Olanesti River using advanced software techniques

The assessment of small hydropower potential for rivers is essential for the Renewable Energy Sources Directive implementation, in order to identify and analyze opportunities for new small hydropower developments. As the Water Framework Directive requirement is the non-deterioration of the status of the river water bodies, the aspects regarding the consistency of a flow regime downstream hydropower plant and the environmental objectives are important. The paper presents a case study, the Olanesti River (Romania), using software techniques dedicated to the assessment of small hydropower potential. The hydropower potential of the river was assessed considering the heads based on the Digital Terrain Model and the mean flow. In addition, the environmental flow was considered for the installed capacity assessment, in order to cope with the Water Framework Directive requirements. The harnessed hydropower potential, the optimal distance between the water intake and power plant location, their optimum positions along the river sector, installed capacity and electricity production, calculated at an average lifetime, are the outcomes of the software. The applicability of the tool might be extended on a regional scale in order to support the decision making authorities, taking into account the increasing demand for energy as well as the environmental issues.