The main goals of the course is to widen the knowledge of the energy sector deepening energy systems analysis at different scales: from the power plant to the national and regional economy. The main challenges in the energy sector for future decades are also highlighted thus giving constrains and opportunities for energy technology development The first part of the course is devoted to a general overview of the energy sector at national and regional scale, analysing energy flows and their transformations from primary resources to final energy products. The primary energy conversion to final demand for electric energy and heat is then presented: statistics about thermoelectric generation, cogeneration and renewables are illustrated. Moreover, the primary and electric energy balances of countries are analysed. Methodologies for analyzing the cost of products in different countries and gather a more informed understanding of the link between- energy system and national economy are introduced and used as the bases of the project work by means of the computational structure of Life Cycle Analysis (Leontief Models). The second part of the course is focused back on the plant scale to deepen advanced exergy based methodologies for performance analysis including different externalities. After a brief review of thermodynamics fundamentals, the exergy balance is derived and all of its components analyzed including Chemical Exergy. Thermoeconomics is presented as a theoretical framework for economic and environmental cost accounting, system diagnosis and optimization. Starting from the traditional exergy analysis, this part explore the advanced application of exergy to economics and cost analysis (the so called Thermoeconomics), introducing advanced methods to assess economic and environmental impact of energy systems at national or regional scale.

The learning outcomes may be aggregated into four areas of knowledge

1. The students will learn the trends of the global energy challenge and the methodological approach to the national energy balance. They will learn the foundation of Exergy analysis, deepening chemical exergy and will extend their knowledge to enclose the combined approach of exergy and economic balances as fundamental equations adopted thermoeconomics. They will learn the basic of Input-Output analysis from the theoretical perspective of the single and multiple sector approach.

2.  The student will be able to apply their knowledge by assessing the energy balance at country level. They will be able to solve exergy analysis problems applied to complex energy systems and to evaluate the specific cost of products broken down into the irreversibility and monetary-related contribution with the purpose of optimizing the current configuration of the system under analysis

3. The students will learn how to judge the energy economy of countries by using a proper set of indicators. They will be then able to perform a shock analysis on input-output national matrix in order to evaluate the effect of a given policy aiming at reducing the overall consumption of primary energy or reducing emissions and pollutants.

4. The students will work in team and present their project work based on a given format, time and audience

1. Global Energy Scenarios and Energy Policies, Country balances and Product Energy Intensity. Current Challenges of the energy sector and worldwide level. Classification, Reservoirs and potential of energy resources: fossil fuels, nuclear power, hydropower, other renewables (solar, geothermal, wind, tidal, etc.). current Status and forecast. Country Energy Balances and analysis of primary energy consumption of good and services at country level. EU Energy policy to 2020: emission trading systems and incentives to promote renewable energy penetration.
2. Resources accounting and Industrial Ecology. Fundamental of Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle assessment. Accounting paradigm: Producer and Consumer-based Perspective. Leontief Production Model and Environmental Impact Model applied to Single sector and Multi sector economies. Monetary Regional Input-Output tables. Final Demand , Productive Sectors and Categories of Impacts.
3. Exergy analysis. Review of thermodynamics fundamentals. Derivation of the exergy balance for a generic open system. Analysis of the balance components: exergy of bulk flow, exergy transfer and exergy destructions. Physical and Chemical exergy including exergy of hydrocarbon and nuclear fuels. Applications of the exergy balance to components and energy conversion systems and derivation of the Second Law efficiency.
4. Definition, philosophy and history of Thermoeconomics. The Exergy Cost Theory (ECT) as a link between exergy and economics: Exergy cost and Economic cost of products. Definition and evaluation of exergy efficiency. Cost structure: cost as a function of inlet, destruction cost and investment cost. Allocation criteria in multi-product systems. Cost accounting and Design Evaluation. Generalization of the Exergy Cost Theory. Application of other cost functions to Thermoeconomics: Exergy Based Risk Assessment, Exergoenvironmental Analysis.

No prerequisites

The lectures are given ex cathedra, nevertheless a participatory approach is always envisaged. Part of the course is devoted to methodological exercises about the use of indicators at country level and application of Thermoeconomics.

A project work will be carried out in team and it will be about “Shock analysis on national Economy: the impact of policy”. The project work evaluation will allow the assessment of:

• They will apply their knowledge by working on a Muti-Sectorial and Multi-Regional Input–Output Approach to a given country. They will use. indicators to understand the energy situation and they will draft a policy whose impact will be evaluated in economic and environmental terms.
• The will be able to make judgement since the students will select a specific policy after understanding the energy situation of the country.
• The students will have to work in team and communicate each other to finally prepare a talk for the oral presentation of the project work.

The project work is highly recommended and it can provide a rating (0-6) to be added to the evaluation of the written text.  The project work will be complement with a written test will assess individually

• The knowledge of the students since they will have to respond to a set of theoretical questions.
• Their capacity to apply knowledge and understanding since the students will have to solve some exercises.