Paolo Gabrielli

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Gabrielli

First Name

Paolo

ORCID

0000-0003-3061-4735

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Publications 1 - 10 of 72

Optimal design of hydrogen supply chains to decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial sectors
Ganter, Alissa; Gabrielli, Paolo; Sansavini, Giovanni (2022)
Multi-level Informed Optimization for Design under Uncertainties
Ampellio, Enrico; Gabrielli, Paolo; Gjorgiev, Blazhe; et al. (2024)
Combined water desalination and electricity generation through a humidification-dehumidification process integrated with photovoltaic-thermal modules: Design, performance analysis and techno-economic assessment
Gabrielli, Paolo; Gazzani, Matteo; Novati, Nicolò; et al. (2019)
Energy Conversion and Management: X
Humidification-dehumidification (HDH) processes have proved to be a promising solution for small-scale desalination, appropriate for water production in off-grid locations where the water demand does not justify the installation of conventional large-scale systems. With this contribution, we investigate the design and operation of an HDH process coupled with photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar modules for the simultaneous generation of clean water and electricity. The HDH system consists of established technologies, namely a humidification column and a heat exchanger, and is simulated through a commercial software accounting for heat and mass transfer limitations. On the other hand, PVT modules are a relatively new technology and their performance is determined experimentally to characterize the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat under realistic operating conditions. Based on the maximum-efficiency ratio of water to air mass flow rates, the optimal design of the system is determined for a wide range of ambient conditions by evaluating the impact of saline water flow rate, PVT configuration and HDH size on the amount of clean water produced. Then, the optimal operation of the system is characterized as function of the ambient conditions for a fixed system design. The state of the system is represented by the maximum process temperature, at the outlet of the PVT modules, whereas the performance is evaluated in terms of clean water and electricity generation. Finally, a techno-economic assessment is carried out to compare the proposed technology against conventional solar-driven HDH units, which use thermal and photovoltaic panels, for a wide range of electricity price, ambient conditions, amount of yearly water produced and size of the HDH process.
Understanding the vicious cycle of myopic foresight and constrained technology deployment in transforming the European energy system
Mannhardt, Jacob; Gabrielli, Paolo; Sansavini, Giovanni (2024)
iScience
Short-term planning of myopic decision-makers jeopardizes the long-term energy transition, especially since constraints in deploying clean energy technologies further inhibit their rapid scale-up. Here, we show that the European energy transition followed myopic decision-making in the past and investigate how policy-based tools can secure the energy transition against myopic planning. Short-term decision-making in the European energy transition may fail to comply with climate goals and lead to substantial over-capacities. Carbon prices can only effectively internalize long-term climate goals if they account for constrained technology deployment, increasing to around 400 EUR/tCO2 in 2050. Idealized carbon prices, conversely, fail to incentivize the decarbonization of those sectors that stand at the beginning of their transition, such as renewable heating or carbon sequestration. Our exploration of myopic decision-making contributes to the understanding of the inhibiting barriers and bridges the gap between short-term decision-making and the long-term energy transition.
Cost-competitive decentralized ammonia fertilizer production can increase food security
Tonelli, Davide; Rosa, Lorenzo; Gabrielli, Paolo; et al. (2024)
Nature Food
The current centralized configuration of the ammonia industry makes the production of nitrogen fertilizers susceptible to the volatility of fossil fuel prices and involves complex supply chains with long-distance transport costs. An alternative consists of on-site decentralized ammonia production using small modular technologies, such as electric Haber-Bosch or electrocatalytic reduction. Here we evaluate the cost-competitiveness of producing low-carbon ammonia at the farm scale, from a solar agrivoltaic system, or using electricity from the grid, within a novel global fertilizer industry. Projected costs for decentralized ammonia production are compared with historical market prices from centralized production. We find that the cost-competitiveness of decentralized production relies on transport costs and supply chain disruptions. Taking both factors into account, decentralized production could achieve cost-competitiveness for up to 96% of the global ammonia demand by 2030. These results show the potential of decentralized ammonia technologies in revolutionizing the fertilizer industry, particularly in regions facing food insecurity.
Driving the Residential Heating Transition - Policy Assessment Considering Parametric Uncertainty and Near-Optimal Solutions
Brodnicke, Linda; Gabrielli, Paolo; Sérès, Albane; et al. (2023)
The role of hydrogen storage in an electricity system with large hydropower resources
Gabrielli, Paolo; Garrison, Jared; Hässig, Simon; et al. (2024)
Energy Conversion and Management
Hydrogen is considered one of the key pillars of an effective decarbonization strategy of the energy sector; however, the potential of hydrogen as an electricity storage medium is debated. This paper investigates the role of hydrogen as an electricity storage medium in an electricity system with large hydropower resources, focusing on the Swiss electricity sector. Several techno-economic and climate scenarios are considered. Findings suggest that hydrogen storage plays no major role under most conditions, because of the large hydropower resources. More specifically, no hydrogen storage is installed in Switzerland if today's values of net-transfer capacities and low load-shedding costs are assumed. This applies even to hydrogen-favorable climate scenarios (dry years with low precipitation and dam inflows) and economic assumptions (high learning rates for hydrogen technologies). In contrast, hydrogen storage is installed when net-transfer capacities between countries are reduced below 30% of current values and load-shedding costs are above 1,000 EUR/MWh. When installed, hydrogen is deployed in a few large-scale installations near the national borders.
Optimal design of multi-energy systems: From technology modeling to system optimization
Gabrielli, Paolo (2019)
Energy and food security implications of transitioning synthetic nitrogen fertilizers to net-zero emissions
Rosa, Lorenzo; Gabrielli, Paolo (2023)
Environmental Research Letters
By synthetically producing nitrogen fertilizers from ammonia (NH3), the Haber-Bosch process has been feeding humanity for more than one hundred years. However, current NH3 production relies on fossil fuels, and is energy and carbon intensive. This commits humanity to emissions levels not compatible with climate goals and commits agricultural production to fossil fuels dependency. Here, we quantify food and energy implications of transitioning nitrogen fertilizers to net-zero CO2 emissions. We find that 1.07 billion people are fed from food produced from imported nitrogen fertilizers. An additional 710 million people are fed from imported natural gas feedstocks used for fertilizers production, meaning that 1.78 billion people per year are fed from imports of either fertilizers or natural gas. These findings highlight the reliance of global food production on trading and fossil fuels, hence its vulnerability to supply and energy shocks. However, alternative routes to achieve net-zero emissions in NH3 production exist, which are based on carbon capture and storage, electrification, and biomass. These routes comply with climate targets while mitigating the risks associated with food security. Yet, they require more land, energy, and water than business-as-usual production, exacerbating land and water scarcity and the use of limited natural resources. Transitioning fertilizers to net-zero emissions can contribute to climate and food security goals, although water, land, and energy trade-offs should be considered.
Collaborative and selfish mitigation strategies to tackle energy scarcity: The case of the European gas crisis
Mannhardt, Jacob; Gabrielli, Paolo; Sansavini, Giovanni (2023)
iScience
Following the disruption of Russian natural gas flows to Europe, we investigate the impact of collaborative and selfish behavior of European countries to tackle energy scarcity and supply electricity, heat, and industrial gas to end users. We study how the operation of the European energy system will need to adapt to the disruption and identify optimal strategies to overcome the unavailability of Russian gas. Those strategies include diversifying gas imports, shifting energy generation to non-gas-based technologies, and reducing energy demands. Findings suggest that: (1) selfish behavior of Central European countries exacerbates the energy scarcity for many Southeastern European countries; (2) proactive collaborative energy savings, together with a mild winter, can fully relieve the stress of the gas shortage; (3) diversification of gas imports leads to bottlenecks in the gas network, especially in Southeastern Europe; and (4) electricity generation is mostly shifted to coal-based power plants, causing higher carbon emissions.

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Paolo Gabrielli

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