The valorization of residual biomass plays today a decisive role in the concept of “circular economy”, according to which each waste material must be reused to its maximum extent. The collection and energy valorization at the local level of biomass from forest management practices and wildfire prevention cutting can be settled in protected areas to contribute to local decarbonization, by removing power generation from fossil fuels. Despite the evident advantages of bioenergy systems, several problems still hinder their diffusion, such as the need to assure their reliability by extending the operating range with materials of different origin. The Italian project “INNOVARE—Innovative plants for distributed poly-generation by residual biomass”, funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), has the main scope of improving micro-cogeneration technologies fueled by biomass. A micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) unit was chosen as a case study to discuss pros and cons of biomass-powered cogeneration within a national park, especially due to its flexibility of use. The availability of local biomasses (woodchips, olive milling residuals) was established by studying the agro-industrial production and by identifying forest areas to be properly managed through an approach using a satellite location system based on the microwave technology. A detailed synergic numerical and experimental characterization of the selected cogeneration system was performed in order to identify its main inefficiencies. Improvements of its operation were optimized by acting on the engine control strategy and by also adding a post-treatment system on the engine exhaust gas line. Overall, the electrical output was increased by up to 6% using the correct spark timing, and pollutant emissions were reduced well below the limits allowed by legislation by working with a lean mixture and by adopting an oxidizing catalyst. Finally, the global efficiency of the system increased from 45.8% to 63.2%. The right blending of different biomasses led to an important improvement of the reliability of the entire plant despite using an agrifood residual, such as olive pomace. It was demonstrated that the use of this biomass is feasible if its maximum mass percentage in a wood matrix mixture does not exceed 25%. The project was concluded with a real operation demonstration within a national park in Southern Italy by replacing a diesel genset with the analyzed and improved biomass-powered plant and by proving a decisive improvement of air quality in the real environment during exercise.

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Territorial energetic and environmental planning provides operational solidity to the concept of sustainable development, in particular in energy-related issues, where recent attention to and social awareness of climate change are driving actions and policies at local and international levels. The goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030 can be reached through the strategy of glocalization, giving more responsibility to local administrations like municipalities. In this work, a scientific methodology is developed and validated to revise Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP) and the monitoring phase of municipalities. The methodology starts from measured data in the territory considered and makes use of specific statistical models in order to estimate the needed data. The methodology considers the energy consumption of the main sectors: residential, transportation, tertiary, and commercial, with a particular focus on municipal competences (public lighting, urban transport, municipal fleet, etc.). Renewable energy is also considered due to its importance in local energy production. In order to go deeper into SEAPs, in this paper, the authors describe the quantitative analysis of the Baseline Emission Inventory, the quantification of the SEAP planning actions, and the definition of the Monitoring Emission Inventory, which is the final step of the planning process. This step was done for nine municipalities of the Abruzzo region with different characteristics (size, population, climate, geographical position, economy, etc.) in order to widen the results of the analysis and test the robustness of the methodology. Indeed, it gave a quantitative dimension to the primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions for 2018, compared with the 2005 baseline values, and the final results are related to the reduction commitments planned for 2020. All the municipalities were considered to have achieved this goal, surpassing the 20% emissions reduction. This validated methodology is also the basis for the development of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), which integrate adaptation actions and mitigation ones.

The increasing attention and sensitivity to issues related to Global Warming and Climate Change are strengthening the actions and policies related to Sustainable Development trying to give to this concept a clearer engineering dimension. Not only policymakers are involved in this aim and experts of interdisciplinary aspects but also the irreplaceable involvement of citizens which with their behavior can make the difference and get much closer to the seventeen goals of the sustainable development by 2030. In this framework, the Territorial Energetic and Environmental Planning provides operational solidity to the concept of Sustainable Development, giving more responsibility to local administrations (as it is due according to subsidiarity), with the Central Government that guarantees the respect of the principles of Subsidiarity and Glocalization. Province of L’Aquila (in the Abruzzo Region, Italy) has been a leading player of this program and, in 2012, has realized the ambitious goal of having favored a Covenant, joining all the 108 Municipalities of the Province. Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics (DIIIE) of the University of L’Aquila designed the Sustainable Energy Action Plants (SEAP) and the monitoring phase of all the Municipalities through a scientific methodology which matched the goal of SEAPs with the dimension of the Municipality. In order to go deep into SEAP’s analysis, in this paper Authors describes the second uploading and necessary steps: a quantitative analysis of the Baseline Emission Inventory, the quantification of the SEAPs planning actions and the definition of the Monitoring Emission Inventory. This second step was done for the Municipality of Avezzano, one of the main Municipality of the L’Aquila Province, and gave the quantitative dimension of the CO2 emissions referred to the year 2017, compared with 2005 baseline emissions. The reduction commitments to be reached in 2020 defines the present distance to the target.

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