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Zero Emission LIFE IP

EU Zero Emission LIFE IP - Zero Emissions Services for a Decarbonised Alpine Economy

This project is the first project in South Tyrol, which deals with electric mobility at 360 °.

It is based on the 2011 South Tyrol Climate Plan 2050 whose objective is the reduction of CO2 emissions in various sectors and the declared aim of the LIFEalps project is the transformation of South Tyrol into an Alpine model region for zero-emission mobility in the Alps. .

The various actions envisaged favor climate protection and combat climate change and look at three categories: the expansion of the infrastructural network, the creation of pilot fleets with electric vehicles of all kinds, the development of zero-emission services.

Project duration: January 2019 - December 2029
Project status:
Funding:
2014 - 2020 (Life+ /EU funding /Project)
Website: https://www.life-alps.eu/it/
Institute: Institute for Renewable Energy

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Scientific Publications

Journal article2024

High-Resolution Monitored Data Analysis of EV Public Charging Stations for Modelled Grid Impact Validation

Estrada Poggio A, Rotondo G, Prina MG, Zubaryeva A, Sparber W

Rubén Estrada Poggio, Alyona Zubaryeva, Wolfram Sparber, Matteo Prina, Giuseppe Rotondo

As electric vehicle adoption grows, understanding the impact of electric vehicle charging on electricity grids becomes increasingly important. Accurate grid impact modelling requires high-quality charging infrastructure data. This study examined the electric vehicle recharging infrastructure and usage patterns in a region of the Italian Alps over a three-year period from 2021 to 2023. The primary objectives were to analyze the growth and distribution of electric vehicle charging stations, assess energy consumption, and evaluate charging behaviours across various recharging points. The research involved collecting empirical data from 411,800 recharging sessions and simulated data using the emobpy tool to model energy consumption and charging behavior. Key findings reveal a substantial increase in the number of recharging points, from 673 in 2021 to 970 in 2023, with the total energy delivered increasing from 938 MWh in 2021 to 4133 MWh in 2023. The data showed distinct temporal trends: AC points were primarily used during the day, while DC points saw higher usage during morning and late afternoon peaks, aligning with travelling times. The study’s validation of simulation results against empirical data emphasized the importance of high-quality input for accurate grid impact assessments. These findings suggest the necessity for strategic placement of recharging infrastructure and provide practical insights for policymakers, urban planners, and utility companies to support sustainable electric vehicle integration.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.3390/app14188133

Journal article2023

Energy and greenhouse gases life cycle assessment of electric and hydrogen buses: A real-world case study in Bolzano Italy

Grazieschi G, Zubaryeva A, Sparber W

Alyona Zubaryeva, Wolfram Sparber, Gianluca Grazieschi

The transportation sector plays an important role in the current effort towards the control of global warming. Against this backdrop, electrification is currently attracting attention as the life cycle environmental performance of different powertrain technologies is critically assessed. In this study, a life cycle analysis of the public transportation buses was performed. The scope of the analysis is to compare the energy and global warming performances of the different powertrain technologies in the city fleet: diesel, full electric and hydrogen buses. Real world monitored data were used in the analysis for the energy consumptions of the buses and to produce hydrogen in Bolzano. Compared to the traditional diesel buses, the electric vehicles showed a 43% reduction of the non-renewable primary energy demand and a 33% of the global warming potential even in the worst consequential scenario considered. The switch to hydrogen buses leads to very different environmental figures: from very positive if it contributes to a further penetration of renewable electricity, to hardly any difference if hydrogen from steam-methane reforming is used, to clearly negative ones (approximately doubling the impacts) if a predominantly fossil electricity mix is used in the electrolysis.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2023.05.234

Journal article2023

Evaluation of Different Scenarios to Switch the Whole Regional Bus Fleet of an Italian Alpine Region to Zero-Emission Buses

Sparber W, Grotto A, Zambelli P, Vaccaro R, Zubaryeva A

Alyona Zubaryeva, Wolfram Sparber, Andrea Grotto

Public bus decarbonization is increasingly important to address the global issue of climate change. There are several challenges associated with large-scale introduction of zero-emission technologies in public fleets. This is especially the case in an extra-urban context, of mountain regions with challenging weather conditions. In this work the analysis of the state-of-the-art ZEBs, local bus lines, and timetables was performed to understand the best fit of technology—battery electric buses (BEBs) or fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs)—for each line in such a region. Further, a simulation tool was developed to calculate the compatibility of zero-emission technologies with the current needs of the public transportation considering distance, altitude difference, and climate conditions. The results show that a complete switch of the fleet is possible with a slight increase in the number of buses and that there is no clear difference in the distance covered in mountainous areas by BEBs versus FCEBs, but that both technologies can cover similar distances. The tool developed is not limited to bus fleets but can be applied to all kinds of fleets that cover clearly defined daily routes.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.3390/wevj14040091

Journal article2023

Monitored data and social perceptions analysis of battery electric and hydrogen fuelled buses in urban and suburban areas

Estrada Poggio A, Balest J, Zubaryeva A, Sparber W

Rubén Estrada Poggio, Jessica Balest, Alyona Zubaryeva, Wolfram Sparber

Electrification of the transportation sector is one of the main drivers in the decarbonization of energy and mobility systems and it is a way to ensure security of energy supply. Public bus fleets can assist in achieving fast reduction of CO₂ emissions. This article provides an analysis of a unique real-world dataset to support decision-makers in the decarbonization of public fleets and interlink it with the social acceptance of drivers. Data was collected from 21 fuel cell and electric buses. The tank-to-wheel efficiency results of fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) are much lower than that of battery electric buses (BEB), and there is a higher variation in consumption for BEBs compared to FCEBs. Both technologies permit a strong reduction in CO₂ emissions, compared to conventional buses. There is a high level of acceptance of drivers which are likely to support the transition towards zero-emission buses introduced by the management.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2023.108411

All Publications

High-Resolution Monitored Data Analysis of EV Public Charging Stations for Modelled Grid Impact Validation
Estrada Poggio A, Rotondo G, Prina MG, Zubaryeva A, Sparber W (2024)
MDPI AG
Journal article
Applied Sciences

More information: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app14188133

https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188133

Evaluation of Different Scenarios to Switch the Whole Regional Bus Fleet of an Italian Alpine Region to Zero-Emission Buses
Sparber W, Grotto A, Zambelli P, Vaccaro R, Zubaryeva A (2023)
MDPI AG
Journal article
World Electric Vehicle Journal

More information: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/wevj14040091

https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj14040091

Monitored data and social perceptions analysis of battery electric and hydrogen fuelled buses in urban and suburban areas
Estrada Poggio A, Balest J, Zubaryeva A, Sparber W (2023)
Elsevier BV
Journal article
Journal of Energy Storage

More information: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.108411

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.108411

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Journal article2024

High-Resolution Monitored Data Analysis of EV Public Charging Stations for Modelled Grid Impact Validation

Estrada Poggio A, Rotondo G, Prina MG, Zubaryeva A, Sparber W

Rubén Estrada Poggio, Alyona Zubaryeva, Wolfram Sparber, Matteo Prina, Giuseppe Rotondo

DOI Source

DOI: 10.3390/app14188133

Zero Emission LIFE IP