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Green Energy and Technology
Riccardo Basosi · Maurizio Cellura

Sonia Longo · Maria Laura Parisi Editors
Life Cycle
Assessment of
Energy Systems and
Sustainable Energy
Technologies
The Italian Experience
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/8059
Riccardo Basosi Maurizio Cellura
•
Sonia Longo Maria Laura Parisi

•
Editors
Life Cycle Assessment

of Energy Systems
and Sustainable Energy
Technologies
The Italian Experience
123
Editors
Riccardo Basosi Sonia Longo
Department of Biotechnology, Department of Energy, Information
Chemistry and Pharmacy Engineering and Mathematical Models
University of Siena University of Palermo
Siena, Italy Palermo, Italy
Maurizio Cellura Maria Laura Parisi

Department of Energy, Information Department of Biotechnology,
Engineering and Mathematical Models Chemistry and Pharmacy
University of Palermo University of Siena
Palermo, Italy Siena, Italy
ISSN 1865-3529 ISSN 1865-3537 (electronic)

ISBN 978-3-319-93739-7 ISBN 978-3-319-93740-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93740-3
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Preface
Energy is one of the key elements included in the 17 Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Universal access to energy, a higher share of renewable energy and massive
improvements in energy efficiency are part of the top global priorities for sus-
tainable development in the years to come. In detail, ensuring the access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy is the main objective of SDG 7.
Strong interactions among energy and most of the topics of the other SDGs can be
found that will be briefly discussed below. Enabling poor communities to use local
clean and renewable energy resources relies on SDG 1 “No poverty” and SDG 10
“Reduced inequalities”. In addition, the reduction of energy-related resource and
water depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, air–water–soil pollution can contribute
to the achievement of SDG 3 “Good health and well-being”, SDG 6 “Clean water
and sanitation”, SDG 12 “Responsible production and consumption”, and SDG 13
“Climate action”. Furthermore, renewable energy and energy efficiency can support
the SDG 2 “Zero hunger” and SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities”.
Thus, energy is an enabling and strategic factor toward sustainable development
and for the transition toward a low-carbon economy.
However, taking sustainability-related decisions in the energy field would
require science-based approaches focusing on the whole energy system, including
energy generation, distribution, use, and end-of-life.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is pivotal for this purpose. It is
useful for assessing energy-related resource depletion and environmental impacts,
for avoiding burden transfer from one life-cycle step to another and from an impact
category to the others. Furthermore, it helps in supporting the identification of
priority actions in policy making, the selection of the best low-carbon solutions for
energy supply and use, the identification of the hot-spots for reducing the carbon
intensity of energy systems and the management of the end-of-life of energy
systems.
v
vi Preface
In this context, the aims of this book are to share some Italian experiences on
LCA applied to the energy systems and technologies and provide an overview
of the most recent outcomes of the research in the field of energy, with a specific
focus on renewables, bio-energy, and sustainable solutions. The book consists of
two parts: the first one describes case studies and review studies of LCA applied to
different energy sources and energy systems (geothermal, photovoltaic, biomass,
electricity production, energy-related systems as batteries and smart grids). The
second part of the book focuses on LCA applied to bio-energies and bio-energy
systems.
The book is the outcome of the activity of several members of the working group
“Sustainable energy and technologies” of the “Italian LCA Network” association.
We would like to acknowledge all Authors for submitting their valuable work
and the members of the “Italian LCA Network” association for supporting
this work. We highlight that the views expressed in this book are those of the
Authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Italian LCA network
association.
We hope that LCA practitioners, researchers, and students will consider this
book as an opportunity to learn more the applications of the LCA methodology and
to understand the environmental impact of energy systems and sustainable energy
technologies, through the analysis of their life cycles.
The Italian LCA Network and the Working Group

“Energy and Sustainable Technologies”
The Italian LCA Network was created in 2006 with the aim to have a network for
exchanging information, methodologies, and good practices on LCA in Italy. In
2012, the Italian LCA Network became an association, founded by the Italian
National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic
Development (ENEA); the Politecnico of Milano; the Universities of Bari,
Chieti-Pescara, Padova and Palermo; and the National Interuniversity Consortium
for Chemical Reactivity and Catalysis (CIRCC).
The main objectives of the “Italian LCA Network” association are the following:
promoting the adoption of the life cycle thinking approach for achieving a sus-
tainable development; promoting the dissemination of the LCA methodology at
national level and the exchange of information and best practices on the LCA in
Italy; encouraging networking processes among different stakeholders for the
realization of national and international projects.
The working group “Energy and sustainable technologies” of the “Italian LCA
Network” aims at assessing the energy and environmental performances of energy
generation, transformation and use systems; at promoting the eco-efficiency on any
Preface vii
level in the energy sector, at following the approach from resource to waste; at
analyzing the state of the art of LCA studies on energy and sustainable technolo-
gies; at exchanging experiences regarding LCA applied to energy and sustainable
technologies.
Siena, Italy Riccardo Basosi

Palermo, Italy Maurizio Cellura
Palermo, Italy Sonia Longo
Siena, Italy Maria Laura Parisi
Contents
Part I LCA Applied to the Energy Sector: State of the Art

and Case Studies
1 Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity Generation Scenarios
in Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Maurizio Cellura, Maria Anna Cusenza, Francesco Guarino,
Sonia Longo and Marina Mistretta
2 LCA of Photovoltaic Solutions in the Italian Context . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Pierpaolo Girardi and Alessia Gargiulo
3 Geothermal Energy Production in Italy: An LCA Approach
for Environmental Performance Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Maria Laura Parisi and Riccardo Basosi
4 Application of LCA for the Short-Term Management
of Electricity Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Carlo Brondi, Simone Cornago, Dario Piloni, Alessandro Brusaferri
and Andrea Ballarino
5 Small-Size Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries: An Environmental
Sustainability Analysis via LCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Pasqua L’Abbate, Michele Dassisti and Abdul G. Olabi
Part II LCA Applied to Bio-energy: State of the Art

and Case Studies
6 Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Energy Production
from Biomass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Lucia Lijó, Sara González-García, Daniela Lovarelli,
Maria Teresa Moreira, Gumersindo Feijoo and Jacopo Bacenetti
ix
x Contents
7 Energy and Environmental Assessments of Agro-biogas Supply

Chains for Energy Generation: A Comprehensive Review . . . . . . . 99
Carlo Ingrao, Jacopo Bacenetti, Giuseppe Ioppolo
and Antonio Messineo
8 A Review on Potential Candidate Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
for Bio-energy Supply Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Amalia Zucaro, Angelo Fierro and Annachiara Forte
9 Life Cycle Assessments of Waste-Based Biorefineries—A Critical
Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Serena Righi
10 Life Cycle Analysis of the Production of Biodiesel
from Microalgae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Massimo Collotta, Pascale Champagne, Warren Mabee,
Giuseppe Tomasoni and Marco Alberti
11 Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Study on Environmental
Impact of Oil Production from Micro-Algae and Terrestrial
Oilseed Crops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Sabina Jez, Daniele Spinelli, Angelo Fierro, Elena Busi
and Riccardo Basosi
Part I
LCA Applied to the Energy Sector:
State of the Art and Case Studies
Chapter 1
Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity
Generation Scenarios in Italy
Maurizio Cellura, Maria Anna Cusenza, Francesco Guarino, Sonia Longo

and Marina Mistretta
Abstract Hindering global warming and achieving a more competitive, secure and
sustainable energy sector are some of the most relevant goals of the 2030 Framework
for climate and energy of the European Union. European countries have to identify
and implement strategies for contributing to these ambitious goals. In this context,
the authors carried out a scenario analysis on the Sicilian electricity mix in order
to estimate the life cycle energy and environmental benefits of the increase of the
use of renewable energy technologies for electricity production, and the potential
contribution of Sicily in the achievement of the European energy and environmental
targets. In detail, the authors identified two electricity generation scenarios for 2030
starting from the Sicilian electricity mix in 2014, performed assumptions on the
forecasted electricity demand and assessed the potential of renewable energy sources
exploitation and the technical, political, social, and environmental constraints. Then,
they applied the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to assess the eco-profiles of
the identified electricity generation mixes and compared them with the eco-profile
of electricity produced in 2014. The results of the comparison showed a reduction of
most of the 16 examined environmental impact categories, except for those related
to human toxicity, particulate matter, ionizing radiation and resource depletion.
M. Cellura · M. A. Cusenza (B) · F. Guarino · S. Longo

Dipartimento di Energia, Ingegneria dell’Informazione e Modelli Matematici,
Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 9, 90128 Palermo, Italy
e-mail: mariaanna.cusenza@unipa.it
M. Cellura
e-mail: maurizio.cellura@unipa.it
F. Guarino
e-mail: francesco.guarino@unipa.it
S. Longo
e-mail: sonia.longo@unipa.it
M. Mistretta
Dipartimento Patrimonio Architettonico e Urbanistico, Università Mediterranea
di Reggio Calabria, via Melissari, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
e-mail: marina.mistretta@unirc.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 3

R. Basosi et al. (eds.), Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems
and Sustainable Energy Technologies, Green Energy and Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93740-3_1
4 M. Cellura et al.
Keywords Scenario analysis · Renewable energy sources · Life cycle assessment

Marginal technologies
1.1 Introduction
Greenhouse gases (GHG) from human activities are the most significant drivers
of observed climate change since the mid-twentieth century (US—EPA 2017).
From 1970 to 2012, the GHG emissions increased steadily from 24.3 to 46.4 Gton
CO2eq /year (Janssens-Maenhout et al. 2017).
In the past years, the awareness of the impacts of human activities on climate
has led to the definition of various environmental policies aimed at reducing GHG
emissions (e.g. Kyoto Protocol, Paris climate conference—COP21, etc.).
Among the human activities responsible for GHG, the energy sector (including
power generation and energy consuming sectors, i.e. buildings, industry, transport
and agriculture) represents by far the largest source of emissions. In detail, it accounts
for two-thirds of global GHG and 80% of CO2 emissions (IEA 2014a, 2016, 2017).
Therefore, effective actions in the energy sector are essential to tackling the climate
change problem (Beccali et al. 2007). Mitigation scenario studies carried out by IPCC
indicate that, within the energy system, the electricity sector can play an important
role in deep GHG emissions cut, as the decarbonization of electricity generation can
be achieved at a much higher pace than in the rest of the energy system (IPCC 2014).
A variety of mitigation options exists in the electricity sector, including renewable,
nuclear power plants or fossil fuel power stations equipped with carbon capture and
storage (CCS) technologies (Bruckner et al. 2014). Many climate change mitigation
policies are focused on replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy sources (RES)
(Dandres et al. 2012).
In this framework, the European Union (EU) has set ambitious targets for 2030
in the field of GHG emissions and renewable energy generation (European Commis-
sion 2011). In detail, the 2030 EU energy and climate objectives aim at cutting GHG
emissions by 40% if compared to 1990 levels, and at increasing the share of renew-
ables to at least 27% of EU energy consumption (European Commission 2014). In
order to match such objectives, all Member States should contribute to the attainment
of these common objectives and targets to different extents (European Commission
2016). In this context, the authors focused their attention on the electricity sector, and
carried out a scenario analysis for its generation in Sicily in 2030, considering a high
exploitation of RES. The authors followed a life cycle approach in order to assess the
potential contribution of Sicily in the achievement of European energy and climate
targets. Moreover, as replacing fossil fuels with RES could cause negative impacts,
e.g., in terms of resources depletion, they carried out an environmental evaluation of
the scenarios, including the assessments of a wide range of environmental impacts.
1 Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity Generation … 5
1.2 Scenario Analysis
In the following steps, the methodology employed in the definition of the electricity
generation scenarios in 2030 is briefly described:
• Step 1—Electricity production in Sicily: analysis of electricity production in Sicily
from 2009 to 2014 in order to characterize the electricity mix and the RES pene-
tration in the system.
• Step 2—Identification of the renewable energy technologies that can change their
capacity production (increase or decrease) in response to a change in the demand
for electricity (renewable energy marginal technologies).
• Step 3—Electricity generation scenarios: definition of two electricity scenarios
considering a decrease (−0.2%/year) of the electricity demand by 2030 in the first
one and an increase (+0.6%/year) in the second one. Both forecasted scenarios are
characterized by an increase in electricity produced by RES.
1.2.1 Electricity Production in Sicily
In Sicily, electricity is generated by thermal power plants, hydroelectric plants, wind

turbines, and photovoltaic (PV) systems (Region of Sicily 2015). Figure 1.1 shows
the evolutions of the Sicilian electricity mix per type of plant and energy source from
2009 to 2014 (TERNA 2017; GSE 2017).
2014 was assumed as reference scenario (RS14) due to the highest availability of
data: the annual total electricity production was equal to 22,536 GWh: 75.3% was
generated by fossil fuel thermal power plants and 24.7% by RES (TERNA 2017).
Concerning RES only 2.1% was generated by hydroelectric plants (1.4% hydropower
at reservoir; 0.6% hydropower run of river), 8.4% by PV systems, 13.0% by wind
turbines, and 1.2% by bioenergy.
The amount of electricity generated by RES in 2014 was assumed as a reference for
the estimation of RES exploitation in the 2030—scenarios, as described in Sect. 1.2.3.
1.2.2 Identification of the Renewable Energy Marginal

Technologies
In order to contribute to the EU energy and climate goals, the future electricity
production sector should be characterized by an increase of the RES. Then, the
potential capacity production of each renewable energy technology should be iden-
tified. A technology that can change its capacity production in response to a change
in demand in an energy system (increase or decrease) is defined as a marginal tech-
nology (Weidema et al. 1999). It is an unconstrained technology, i.e. its capacity can
be adjusted in response to a change in demand without being subjected to natural
6 M. Cellura et al.
100%
Bioenergy*** (CHP* +
Power plants)
Power plants - oil

80% products
Power plants - natural

gas
Electricity generation
60%
CHP* - other fuels
(solid)**
CHP* - oil products
40%
CHP* - natural gas
Wind
20%
Photovoltaic
Hydropower - run of
0% river
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Fig. 1.1 Share of electricity production per type of plant and of energy source in Sicily from 2009
to 2014 (* CHP: combined heat and power plant; ** other fuel (solid): coke, brown coal briquettes,
etc.; *** bioenergy: biogas, bioliquid and biomass) (own elaboration from TERNA and GSE data)
[the production of electricity in pumped storage units from water previously pumped uphill is not
included, as indicated in (European Commission 2009)]
capacity constraints (e.g. the amount of water available in a specific region), political
constraints (e.g. emission limits), etc. (Weidema et al. 1999).
The authors identified the renewable energy marginal technologies for the Sicilian
electricity sector considering the following factors:
1. RES penetration in the Sicilian electricity mix in 2014;
2. the technical potential1 for the exploitation of RES in Sicily;
3. the European energy policies and the Sicilian energy strategies (Region of Sicily
2008, 2014, 2015).
As forecasts for 2030 were not available, the technical potential for RES exploita-
tion in 2030 was assessed starting from the estimations of RES development in 2020,
reported in national and regional studies (Benini et al. 2010; Alterach et al. 2011;
Region of Sicily 2008, 2014, 2015).
In detail, considering that the RES exploitation in Sicily in 2016 (TERNA 2017)
was still far from the forecasted potentials to be installed within 2020, the authors
hypothesized that these potentials for 2020 will be installed in the medium—long
period (from now to 2030).
1 Theachievable energy generation of a particular technology given the system performance, topo-
graphic limitations, environmental and land-use constraints.
The only exception was represented by the wind-based systems for which estima-
tions for 2030 were available (ANEV—Associazione Nazionale Energia del Vento
2017).
In the following, the procedure for the identification of the renewable energy
marginal technologies is described.
Hydropower
The main constraints of hydropower are low social acceptance, high initial investment
costs and the need to consider other water-using sectors (e.g. irrigation in agriculture,
domestic uses, other industrial uses, etc.) when planning the hydropower develop-
ment (IEA 2011). In the Sicilian “Energy Master Plan” (Region of Sicily 2008),
which is the official document describing the current energy sector and the future
energy plans in Sicily, no significant hydropower use increase is taken into account
as almost all the available potential is considered exploited and the potential of small
hydro is very limited. Then, hydropower technologies cannot be considered marginal
in the Sicilian energy system and the future increase of electricity generation from
these plants, due to small hydro (Region of Sicily 2008; Cattini et al. 2011) can be
assumed as negligible if compared to RS14.
Wind
Barriers to the diffusion of wind power generation include capital costs, uncertainty
regarding policy support, impacts of its intermittent generation on the power systems,
and low social acceptance due to the visual impact (IEA 2008).
An installed power equal to 2000 MW is forecasted for Sicily in 2030 (+14%
compared to RS14) (ANEV—Associazione Nazionale Energia del Vento 2017).
This estimation is done excluding the areas subject to environmental and techni-
cal constraints (e.g. protection of flora and soil orography). Then, considering this
potential and the current installed power, wind plants can be considered as a marginal
technology for the Sicilian energy system. Starting from the forecasted installable
power (2000 MW) and considering an average wind plant productivity equal to
2000 MWh/MW (RSE 2017), a generation of 4000 GWh is estimated for 2030.
Solar
The penetration in the energy system of this technology mainly depends on its cost
(and related incentives). Photovoltaics can be considered a marginal technology, as
within the renewable technologies, solar power seems to be the most promising,
considering the high solar irradiation in Sicily (Šúri et al. 2007; Huld et al. 2012)
and the untapped potential (Region of Sicily 2008, 2014).
In detail, the overall installed solar power in Sicily was 1295 MW in RS14 while
a PV installable capacity equal to 1812 MW is forecasted in 2020 (Region of Sicily
2014). Considering that the installed power in 2016 was equal to 1344 MW (+2.7%
compared to 2015) (TERNA 2017), it is supposed that the estimated potential for 2020
could be installed by 2030. Starting from the forecasted installable power (1812 MW)
and considering an average PV power plant productivity equal to 1500 MWh/MW
(EC—JRC 2017), a generation of 2718 GWh is estimated for 2030.
8 M. Cellura et al.
Bioenergy
The potential electricity generation from thermal plants fuelled with bioenergy in
Sicily in 2020 is estimated as 795 GWh (Benini et al. 2010), considering the limita-
tions due to other potential uses of bioenergy, e.g. for agricultural applications. As in
2016, the electricity generation by bioenergy was 239.9 GWh (TERNA 2017), it is
assumed that the estimated production of 795 GWh will be reached in a medium—-
long period (from now to 2030). Thus, thermal plants fuelled with bioenergy can be
considered as a marginal technology for the Sicilian energy sector.
1.2.3 Electricity Generation Scenarios Definition
The definition of two possible scenarios for electricity demand in 2030 is based on the
prediction of future electricity demand (TERNA 2015). The first scenario, named
as “Base scenario” (BS30), estimates a decrease of −0.2%/year of the electricity
demand for the Italian Islands (Sicily and Sardinia) (TERNA 2015), which results
in a value of 21,512 GWh in 2030 (−3.2% if compared to RS14). The second one,
named as “Development scenario” (DS30), estimates an increase of +0.6%/year of
the electricity demand (TERNA 2015) which results in a demand of 24,443 GWh in
2030 (+10% if compared to RS14).
The exploitation of RES in both the forecasted scenarios is assumed to be equal
to the technical potential discussed in Sect. 1.2.2. The main assumptions on the
renewable marginal technologies of the BS30 and DS30 scenarios are summarized
in Table 1.1.
The assessment of the electricity generation from thermoelectric plants fuelled
with fossil fuels in the future scenarios is based on the difference between the renew-
able energy production and the forecasted energy demand in the same year. It is
14,062 GWh in BS30 and 16,993 GWh in the DS30 scenario. The percentage dis-
tribution of each technology in the thermoelectric sector is considered unchanged
if compared to RS14. Both scenarios are in compliance with the European energy
strategies as they reduce the fossil fuels dependence by increasing RES penetration.
Table 1.1 Main assumptions on the renewable marginal technologies in the forecasted scenarios
Technology Marginal Production RS14 Potential increase Potential
technology (GWh) compared to production BS30
RS14 and DS30 (GWh)
Hydropower No 146 – 146
PV Yes 1893 +44% 2718
Wind Yes 2922 +37% 4000
Bioenergy Yes 259 +207% 795
Table 1.2 Percentage composition of the generation of 1 kWh of electricity per type of plant and
of energy source in RS14, BS30 and DS30 scenario (%)
Type of plant RS14 BS30 DS30
Hydropower—run of 0.7 0.7 0.6
river
Photovoltaic 8.5 12.6 11.1
Wind 13.2 18.6 16.4
CHP—natural gas 21.5 18.1 19.3
CHP—oil products 4.1 3.4 3.7
CHP—other fuels 14.9 12.6 13.4
(sol.)
Power plants—natural 27.5 23.2 24.6
gas
Power plants—oil 8.4 7.1 7.6
products
Bioenergy (CHP + 1.2 3.7 3.3
power plants)
Starting from the electricity mix in RS14 and in the two scenarios, the percentage
composition of the generation of 1 kWh of electricity per type of plant and energy
source was identified (Table 1.2).
1.3 Life Cycle Assessment
1.3.1 Goal and Scope Definition
An LCA approach has been applied to assess the potential energy and environmen-
tal benefits/impacts of the forecasted electricity mixes with respect to RS14. The
assessment was carried out in compliance with ISO 14040 (ISO 2006a) and ISO
14044 (ISO 2006b). The production of 1 kWh of gross electricity was selected as a
functional unit (FU). The system boundaries included the extraction and transport of
raw materials and fuels, the plant construction and operation. For renewable energy
systems also the end-of-life step was taken into account. For thermal power plants,
the end-of-life was not considered due to a lack of reliable secondary data.
The Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) method was used to assess the primary
energy consumption (Frischknecht et al. 2007a), while the impact assessment was
performed by means of the ILCD 2011 Midpoint method (EC—JRC 2012).
10 M. Cellura et al.
1.3.2 Life Cycle Inventory
Data collection, data quality and assumptions
The data collection process and the assessment of the percentage composition of 1
kWh of electricity per type of plant and energy source are described in Sect. 2.2.
The eco-profiles of electricity generation by each power plant and energy source
were taken from Ecoinvent (Frischknecht et al. 2007b) both for 2014 and 2030.
The authors assessed the environmental impacts of the future scenarios by using the
eco-profile referred to the current technology development for the following reasons:
• The eco-profile changes of the electricity generated by thermoelectric plants (pow-
ered by both fossil fuels and bioenergy) occurring over the next decades were
assumed negligible due to the use of mature technologies (Stamford and Azapagic
2014) and due to their lifetime (up to 50 years) (IEA 2014b);
• The eco-profiles of wind and PV power plants are expected to improve with respect
to the current ones thanks to the employment of more efficient materials and
technologies. This will entail a higher electricity output per unit of input (IEA
2008) and, consequently, the reduced impact per kWh of electricity generated.
However, due to the uncertainty on the technological development and on the life
cycle data for future technologies (Stamford and Azapagic 2014), the authors,
assuming a cautious scenario, considered negligible the future wind and PV plants
eco-profile improvement.
1.3.3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment and Discussion of Results
No considerable variations are found in both the scenarios if compared with RS14.
In detail, CED per kWh of electricity produced is 8.9 MJprimary in the BS30 scenario
and 9.1 MJprimary in the DS30 scenario. The percentage variations compared to RS14
are equal to −5.8% in BS30 and −3.3% in DS30 (Fig. 1.2). Such a decrease is
essentially due to the reduced share of the electricity produced from non-renewable
technologies in the future electricity generation mixes.
The renewable primary energy consumption (CED renewable) increases in both
the scenarios compared to the reference scenario. In detail, CED renewable is 1.7
MJprimary in BS30 and 1.5 MJprimary in the DS30 scenario, while it is equal to 1.0
MJprimary in the RS14 scenario. The environmental impacts are shown in Table 1.3.
Both forecasted scenarios involve a reduction of the impacts in almost all the
examined environmental categories, except for human toxicity—no cancer effect
(HT—nce), ionizing radiation—human health (IR—hh), ionizing radiation—ecosys-
tem (IR—e), particulate matter (PM) and mineral, fossil and renewable resource
depletion (MFRRD).
For the HT—nce, IR—hh, IR—e and PM, the increase of the impact is mainly
due to the higher penetration of CHP—biomass and PV plants in the forecasted 2030
Fig. 1.2 Non-renewable and

renewable CED in reference
and in forecasted scenarios
Table 1.3 Environmental impact of 1 kWh of electricity in RS14, BS30 and DS30 scenarios
Impact categories RS14 BS30 DS30
GWP (kg CO2eq ) 5.75E−01 4.93E−01 5.22E−01
ODP (kg CFC-11 eq ) 5.58E−08 4.79E−08 5.07E−08
HT—ce (CTUh) 1.39E−08 1.28E−08 1.32E−08
HT—nce (CTUh) 3.91E−08 3.91E−08 3.98E−08
PM (kg PM2.5 eq ) 2.06E−04 2.88E−04 2.77E−04
IR—hh (kBq U235 eq ) 8.22E−03 8.89E−03 8.75E−03
IR—e (CTUe) 2.52E−08 2.72E−08 2.68E−08
POFP (kg NMVOCeq ) 1.53E−03 1.35E−03 1.42E−03
AP (mol H+eq ) 2.79E−03 2.42E−03 2.56E−03
T—EU (mol Neq ) 5.24E−03 4.65E−03 4.89E−03
F—EU (kg Peq ) 1.21E−04 1.06E−04 1.11E−04
M—EU (kg Neq ) 4.90E−04 4.33E−04 4.56E−04
F—E (CTUe) 9.44E−01 8.29E−01 8.70E−01
LU (kg Cdeficit ) 5.89E−01 5.12E−01 5.40E−01
WRD (m3 watereq ) 6.33E−03 5.34E−03 5.69E−03
MFRD (kg Sbeq ) 2.65E−05 3.92E−05 3.45E−05
energy systems. The increase ranges from +1.8% for HT—nce in DS30 to +39.6%
for PM in BS30. In both scenarios, the high penetration of PV in the electricity mix
is responsible for a relevant increase in MFRRD impact category (+47.9% in BS30
and +30.2% in DS30).
The reduced share of fossil fuels thermal power plants in the electricity mixes
(−12.1% in BS30 and −7.8% in DS30 compared to RS14) involves a reduction of
global warming potential (GWP) (−14.4% in BS30, −9.2% in DS30), human toxic-
ity—cancer effects (HT—ce) (−7.6% in BS30, −4.9% in DS30) and photochemical
ozone formation potential (POFP) (−12.0% in BS30, −7.3% in DS30), in both sce-
Table 1.4 GWP in the RS14 and in the forecasted scenarios

Scenarios GWP (kgCO2eq /kWh) Electricity Total GWP
demand (GWh) (tCO2eq )
RS14 5.77E−01 22,211 12.78E−07
BS30 4.93E−01 21,512 10.60E−07
DS30 5.22E−01 24,443 12.77E−07
narios. In detail, the reduced impact in these categories is due to the lower production
from power plants—natural gas and CHP other fuels, which are the two plants with
the highest impact in these environmental categories.
The reduction of the ozone depletion potential (ODP) in both scenarios (−14.0%
in BS30 and −9.0% in DS30) is mainly due to the lower generation from thermal
power plants fuelled with natural gas. The reduced share of CHP other fuels and power
plant—oil in the electricity mixes is mainly responsible for the decrease of terrestrial
eutrophication (T-EU), freshwater eutrophication (F-EU), marine eutrophication (M-
EU), acidification potential (AP) and freshwater ecotoxicity (F-E). The decrease
ranges from −6.6% for T-EU in DS30 to −12.4% for F-EU in BS30.
The lower contribution of power plants powered with natural gas and oil products
in both future electricity mix causes a reduction in the impact on land use (LU)
(−13.1% in BS30 and −8.4% in DS30), while the reduced contribution from CHP
other fuels generation is responsible for water resource depletion decrease (WRD)
(−15.7% in BS30 and −10.1% in DS30).
1.3.4 Potential Contribution of Sicily in the Achievement

of the 2030 European Climate Target
In order to assess the potential contribution of the Sicilian electricity sector in the
achievement of the 2030 European climate target, starting from the impact of 1 kWh
of electricity on the GWP impact category, the authors calculated the GHG emissions
related to the total electricity demand in the forecasted scenarios (Table 1.4).
The results of Table 1.4 show that the Sicilian electricity sector could contribute to
the European climate policy for 2030, reducing GHG emissions of 2.2E−06 tonCO2eq
(−17%) in the BS30 scenario, while in the DS30 the variations in the energy gener-
ation mix allow to maintain the same level of emissions, with a small decrease equal
to −0.1%, even though the electricity demand has increased by 10% with respect to
RS14.
1.4 Conclusions
The study presented an integration of the LCA approach and scenario analysis suit-
able for the evaluation of environmental strategies on a policy level.
In detail, the authors showed the potential contribution of two forecasted electricity
scenarios in Sicily to the 2030 Europe climate and energy policy.
The analysis of a wide range of environmental aspects of sustainability through the
multi-indicator approach of LCA was carried out. Both the assessed scenarios involve
an overall reduction in almost all the environmental impact categories, in comparison
with the reference scenario (RS14), confirming that the high penetration of RES
could improve the electricity eco-profile significantly. However, with the current
state of development of the electricity technologies generation, it is not possible to
achieve improvements in the whole set of environmental impacts categories. Then,
the integration of the LCA methodology with the scenario analysis could be a useful
tool for identifying the potential negative impacts connected to the implemented
strategies and could provide a useful support to policymakers in the identification of
the more suitable strategies taking into account both the site-specific characteristics
of the territory and the most pressing environmental issues.
With reference to the climate target, only the BS30 scenario, characterized by
the reduction in the electricity demand and the increase of RES exploitation, could
involve a reduction of the GWP. In the DS30 scenario, the benefits due to the increase
of the RES are offset by the impacts caused by the electricity demand increase. In
order to match the European climate goals strategies aimed at promoting RES, the
focus on energy efficiency and on the final consumer’s behaviours is mandatory.
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Chapter 2
LCA of Photovoltaic Solutions
in the Italian Context
Pierpaolo Girardi and Alessia Gargiulo
Abstract In the present study the main environmental impacts of different solu-
tions for photovoltaic electricity production in the Italian context are discussed. For
solution we mean the combination between the cell technology (CdTe, single or
multi-crystalline silicon, etc.) and the installation option (roof, ground, etc.). Envi-
ronmental impacts are analyzed by means of the Life Cycle Assessment approach
according to ISO 14040 standard. The life cycle environmental impacts of the differ-
ent solutions are, also, compared with the impacts of a natural gas combined cycle
plant which is, in Italy, the main technology replaced by new photovoltaic installed
power. Results show that there isn’t a photovoltaic solution which is the best for all
the impact categories. All the solutions have several environmental advantages com-
pared to fossil fuel technologies, even compared to natural gas combined cycle. The
main negative effect is a relevant land use for ground installations, which represent
in Italy almost the 40% of the photovoltaic installed power. Moreover criticalities
for what concerns human toxicity impact categories have to be underlined. All the
photovoltaic solutions, in the case of non-cancer effect, and five out of eleven, in the
case of cancer effects show higher impacts than natural gas combined cycle plant.
Keywords Life Cycle Assessment · Photovoltaic · Environmental impact
2.1 Introduction
The promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is a pillar of the European

strategy for climate and energy (EC—COM/2014/015) and in general of European
sustainable development.
P. Girardi (B) · A. Gargiulo

RSE Ricerca Sistema Energetico, Milan, Italy
e-mail: pierpaolo.girardi@rse-web.it
A. Gargiulo
e-mail: alessia.gargiulo@rse-web.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 17

R. Basosi et al. (eds.), Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems
and Sustainable Energy Technologies, Green Energy and Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93740-3_2
18 P. Girardi and A. Gargiulo
Among RES, photovoltaic is, in Italy, the one with the highest growth in the last
decade. Due to strong national promotion policy, only in four years (2008–2011) the
average increase of photovoltaic production was around 300%. In 2016 photovoltaic
with a production of more than 22 TWh covered almost the 8% of the total national
electricity production.
In this framework it is essential to understand if RES, and in particular photo-
voltaic solutions, whereas contributing to climate change mitigation have the poten-
tial to reduce or to increase the contribution of energy system to other environmen-
tal impact categories (e.g. air acidification, particulate matter formation potential).
A suitable methodology to face this problem is of course the LCA—Life Cycle
Assessment—(Sumper et al. 2011). LCA has been widely applied in the field of
photovoltaic systems assessment as demonstrated by several literature review stud-
ies (Peng et al. 2013). However, the same review studies have underlined the need
for further research. In particular there is the need to enlarge the system boundaries
because often end of life impacts are not investigated. Moreover there is the need to
increase the number of the considered environmental impact categories since, usu-
ally, they are only limited to greenhouse effect and to energy payback time (Gerbinet
et al. 2014).
In the following paragraphs, after a brief description of the Italian photovoltaic
system evolution, we will discuss the LCA of different photovoltaic solutions fol-
lowing the ISO 14040 scheme.
2.2 Evolution of Photovoltaic Production in Italy
The production of electricity from photovoltaic increased in Italy in the last decade
(Fig. 2.1). Due to strong national promotion policy, only in four years (between 2008
and 2011) the average increase of photovoltaic production was around 300%. Pho-
tovoltaic has covered 18.5% in 2014 and 20% in 2016 of the electricity produced by
renewables (GSE 2015), compared to less than 1% in 2009. In 2016 with a produc-
tion of more than 22 TWh (almost the 8% of the national electricity production) it
was the second renewable energy sources, after hydropower.
As regards the size of the plants, recent years show a trend towards smaller plants.
During 2014 for example, new installations were essentially residential with an aver-
age power of 8.1 kW, considerably lower than the past years. The average plant size,
in fact, was three times higher in 2012 and six time higher in 2011. As regard the
installation options, almost 40% of the installed power is ground mounted, almost
50% is on buildings (mainly on roof) and 6% is mounted on greenhouses or canopies
(such as in car parking). The remaining 4% covers different installation options,
sometime really interesting like those on the highway noise barriers (GSE 2015).
Concerning cells technologies and materials, single-crystalline silicon panels have
decreased in favour of multi-crystalline panels. In all the Italian regions the multi-
crystalline silicon panels cover the majority of the installed power, followed by
single-crystalline silicon. Other technologies like thin film cover a little percentage
2 LCA of Photovoltaic Solutions … 19
25000
20000
15000
GWh
10000
5000
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Fig. 2.1 Production from photovoltaic plant. Source GSE (2015)
of the installed power. According to GSE (2015), in 2014 more than 72% of the
installed power at national level is in multi-crystalline silicon panels, 21% in single-
crystalline silicon panels, while remaining technologies accounts for only 7% of the
installed power.
From a technology point of view a decisive evolution towards more efficient and
low impact solutions is likely in the coming years.
For example the results of APOLLON, a recent EU research project on concen-
trated photovoltaic outline that this solution could emit per kWh only the 5% of CO2
eq emitted by a natural gas combined cycle plant (RSE 2014). Similar results come
from other studies (Fthenakis and Kim 2013). Also without switching to concentrated
photovoltaic, other solutions are available to increase photovoltaic systems perfor-
mance. For example silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells offer high efficiencies and
several advantages in the production process compared to conventional crystalline
silicon solar cells (Louwen et al. 2015). The use of bifacial modules can reduce up to
38% the life cycle CO2 emission of a single-crystalline system (Gazbour et al. 2016).
Shifting from the conventional cell technology to the state-of-the-art PERC (Passi-
vated Emitter and Rear Cell) technology will reduce the energy payback time and
greenhouse gas emissions for photovoltaic electricity generation (Luo et al. 2018).
Finally, one-axis tracking installations can improve the environmental profile of pho-
tovoltaic systems by approximately 10% for most impact categories (Leccisi et al.
2016).
2.3 Goal and Scope
The goal of the present study is to compare, from an environmental point of view,
different existing technologies and installation options for electricity production from
photovoltaic panels.
20 P. Girardi and A. Gargiulo
To better understand the role of photovoltaic in sustainable development of the

national electric system, the different photovoltaic (PV) solutions are also compared
with a Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plant. As matter of fact, NGCC
is (in terms of efficiency, greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions) the best
fossil fuel technology for electricity production. Moreover it is the main technology
pushed out of the market by the new photovoltaic installed power (GME 2014).
The functional unit is 1 kWh delivered to the Italian distribution network. System
boundaries include all life cycle phases, including end-of-life.
The considered technologies are: amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper-
indium–gallium-selenium thin film (CIS), cadmium telluride thin film (CdTe),
single-crystalline silicon (single-Si), multi-crystalline silicon (multi-Si), ribbon-
silicon (ribbon-Si).
The considered installation options are: on roof-integrated, on roof-not integrated,
ground mounted. The combination between technologies and installation options
gives the eleven solutions, illustrated in Table 2.1.
Concerning impact categories, we followed the indications of the working group
of European Commission on Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules
(PEFCR)1 for photovoltaic.
In particular, although other documents and updates have followed, we referred
to the interim report of July 2014 (Frischknecht and Itten 2014) in which the impact
categories are classified by relevance. Impact categories classified as highly relevant
have been selected. Among them we excluded the “water scarcity” since it is too much
dependent on local conditions for the scope of the present analysis. Moreover the
characterization method selected by JRC’s guidelines for life cycle impact assessment
(EC-JRC 2011) is far from being reliable (it has “to be applied with caution”).
Table 2.1 Solutions taken into account in the analysis

Solution Peak power (kWp)
Slanted-roof installation, a-Si, laminated, integrated 3
Slanted-roof installation, a-Si, panel, mounted 3
Slanted-roof installation, CdTe, laminated, integrated 3
Slanted-roof installation, CIS, panel, mounted 3
Slanted-roof installation, multi-Si, laminated, integrated 3
Slanted-roof installation, multi-Si, panel, mounted 3
Slanted-roof installation, ribbon-Si, laminated, integrated 3
Slanted-roof installation, ribbon-Si, panel, mounted 3
Slanted-roof installation, single-Si, laminated, integrated 3
Slanted-roof installation, single-Si, panel, mounted 3
Open ground installation, multi-Si 570
1 Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) provide specific guidance for calcu-
lating and reporting life cycle environmental impacts.
2 LCA of Photovoltaic Solutions … 21
In order to compare the PV system with NGCC we have included two impact
categories (acidification potential, photochemical ozone formation potential), that,
even though with medium relevance for PV systems, are relevant for conventional
fossil fuel power plant. Finally we included the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED)
both renewable and non-renewable as it is relevant for estimating the energy payback
time of PV solutions.
2.4 Life Cycle Inventory
As regard the inventory analysis, the data used for background systems came from
Ecoinvent version 3 (Wernet et al. 2016). When dealing with PV systems, environ-
mental impacts are mainly related to the materials used for module production and
installation and to efficiency in electricity production.
Given an installed power (at peak), the production depends on several factors
such as solar radiation, modules inclination and cell efficiency. This factors can be
expressed by the so-called yield factor (in hours) which is the ratio between the
annual production of a PV plant and its installed peak power.
In this study, on the basis of GSE’s statistics (GSE 2014) an average yield factor
of 1140 h was estimated.
Life time of photovoltaic system has been assumed equal to 30 years.
The PV system includes the panel, the mounting structure and the inverter.
2.5 Life Cycle Impact Assessment
As discussed above the impact assessment has been carried out using eight impact
categories (see Table 2.2) and the CED (both renewable and not). Besides being
compared to each others, the PV solutions impacts are compared to the electricity
production from a NGCC plant. All impacts are referred to the functional unit, that
is 1 kWh delivered into the distribution network, with the hypothesis that the PV
panels are connected to the distribution network, while the NGCC power plant is
connected to the high voltage grid. For this reason the impacts of the kWh delivered
by the NGCC include 6.3% of grid losses.
In Tables 2.3 and 2.4 the results of impact assessment are reported for the eleven
PV solutions. Values higher than the average are highlighted in red.
As regards the comparison among the different PV solutions, results show that
there is not a better or a worse solution for all the impact categories taken into
consideration (Fig. 2.2).
On the other hand it can be noticed that the single-Si, slanted roof installation
mounted (i.e. not integrated) shows impacts higher than average for six categories
and it is the solution with the worst environmental performance for four impact
categories out of eight.
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ower your lugs like a sark! Pay me my siller—pay me my siller for the
beast, or I’ll turn the nose on your face like the pin o’ a hand-screw.
Down wi’ the dust—I’ll no leave the room till I hae satisfaction o’ ye
ae way or ither, that’s for certain.”
“Let there be peace,” said Mr Singleheart, “for out of strife cometh
a multitude of evils; and he who in vain taketh the name of his Maker
shall not be held guiltless. You are an evil person, M‘Harrigle; and if
you refrain not from that profane and heathenish habit of cursing,
we will, by the advice and council of our Kirk-Session, be obligated to
debar you from all kirk preevileges, and leave you to be devoured and
swallowed up by the evil one.”
“I beg your pardon,” said the credulous and superstitious cattle-
dealer; “I didna mean offence to you or ony man in the room; but I’ll
hae my ain. But it’s you, sir—it’s you, sir,” continued he, addressing
the dominie repeatedly, and extending the tone of his voice at every
repetition, till he had strained it to the most astounding pitch of
vociferation; “it’s you, sir, that set ane o’ your mischievous
vagabonds to hunt the poor dumb animal, till he ran red wud wi’
rage, and flew ower the craig head. And now he’s at the bottom o’ the
linn, and fient be licket’s to be seen o’ him, but an ill-faured hash o’
hide, an’ banes, and harrigles, sooming an’ walloping at the bottom o’
the pool.”
“Somebody’s blawn an ill sough in your lug, friend,” said the
dominie, as he caught M‘Harrigle gently by the sleeve, and invited
him to sit down.
“Aff haun’s,” cried M‘Harrigle, rudely repelling the dominie’s
invitation,—“aff haun’s, I say; no man shall handle me like a brute
beast. I ken what’s right as weel’s ony man, and I’ll allow no man to
straik me wi’ the hair, to wyse me his ain gate, and syne row my tail
to gar me rin by my ain byre door. I want no favours of ony man, but
I’ll hae my ain, if there’s law and justice in the land.”
M‘Harrigle proceeded at great length to insist upon his right of
restitution, bespattering his slaughter-house observations with
abominable oaths, like dirty shreds of dunghill rags sewed on a
beggar’s doublet; while the dominie sat musing, swinging backward
and forward in his chair, making mental and sometimes audible
quotations from the liquid Latin, and, at other times, reciting Greek
professorially, ore rotundo. At length, awakening from his learned
reverie, and looking over his shoulder to M‘Harrigle, he said, in a
tone most provokingly cool and indifferent,—
“Were ye cursing, M‘Harrigle? Ye shouldna curse, ye sinfu’ body;
for an ill life maks an ill hinder-end, and Sawtan’s but a rough nurse
to spread the sheets and draw the curtains o’ ane’s death-bed.”
The enraged cattle-dealer, finding all further threats and
remonstrances unavailing, sat down in sullen and silent indignation,
and, with his arms folded across his breast, his eyebrows knit, and
his upper teeth firmly compressed against his nether lip, he scowled
upon the supposed author of his wrongs, with an expression of face
unutterably horrible. He had just sat down when Grierson the
messenger brought in a tall, yellow, raw-boned thing of a boy, about
fourteen years of age. He had been seized in Sir Robert’s poultry-
yard, and although he had nothing in his possession to convict him
as a criminal, his manner was so embarrassed, and his appearance
altogether so suspicious, that the servants laid hold on him, and
committed him to the charge of the officer above mentioned, to be
carried before a Justice of the Peace and interrogated. He was
accordingly conveyed to M‘Gowan’s, where the officer expected to
find Christopher Ramsay of Wrendykeside, who, he was informed,
had just alighted at the inn from his gig. He had gone, however, and
the officer was about to depart with his charge, when the dominie
called him back, and looking pleasantly at the boy, exclaimed, “Ah,
Geordie, are ye there, ye wild loon?” The boy started at the voice of
his old preceptor, whom he had not before observed. He indeed had
heard and believed that his venerable instructor had been torn to
pieces by the fury of the mad animal, whose destruction had roused
M‘Harrigle’s wrath to such a pitch of frenzy. He gazed upon the
dominie with open mouth, and with a pair of large round eyes, much
dilated beyond their usual circumference by an overpowering feeling
of astonishment; grew pale, and trembled so fearfully that his gruff
guardian was compelled by humanity to let him have a seat beside
his old master, who rose for his accommodation. The afflicted youth
made an effort to speak, but in vain. He stretched out his two hands,
grasped that of his master which was extended towards him, looked
up in his face, and sobbed as if his heart would burst. The tears ran
in floods down his cheeks, and he at length cried out in a choked
undertone of bitter agony,—
“Maister, will ye forgie me? Will ye forgie me? Will they hang me
for’t?”
“Blessings on’s man, Geordie,” cried the dominie, “what’s wrang
wi’ ye?”
“Oh!” cried the afflicted boy, “my father, and mother, and
brothers, and as sisters, and a’ will get a sair heart for me yet. Oh!”
and he continued to cry distractedly.
“The deil tak the laddie,” said M‘Harrigle, “it maks a man’s heart
as saft as ill-fed veal to look at him. What’s come ower ye, ye
blubbering stirk?”
Mr Singleheart spoke not a word to him, but continued clapping
him on the shoulder, while M‘Glashan, every now and then, cried
out, “Hout, laddie, you’ll be makin’ a fool o’ us a’ noo,” and so saying,
he drew the back of his brawny fist across his eyes several times,
began to finger his bagpipe in silence, as if he would soothe his
sympathy by the imagination of playing some merry spring, but his
fingers, after two or three rapid dumb-show flourishes, stood as
stationary upon the holes as if the piper and his instrument of sound
had been both chiselled out of the same stone. The boy still vented
his grief as clamorously and bitterly as ever, clung to his master with
the agony of a conscience-stricken penitent, and cried,—
“Will ye forgie me? It was me that hunted the bull that I thocht had
killed ye.”
“You, ye vagabond!” said M‘Harrigle, collaring the unhappy youth.
Cleekum seized the opportunity of running off, rightly considering
that he had carried the joke far beyond the bounds of discretion, and
really apprehensive that the evil spirit he had conjured up would turn
upon himself and rend him in its fury. “You!” continued the irascible
cattle-dealer; “what do ye think that ye deserve, you ill-gi’en neer-do-
weel? But I’ll mak your father pay.”
This last consideration loosened his grasp, and he seized the
dominie’s hands with both his own, begged a thousand pardons with
a rueful countenance, and in accents very different from his former
imprecatory addresses. During the time that he was making this
sincere and penitent apology for his rudeness and misconduct, he
several times glanced round the apartment for Cleekum, crying out,
“Where is that blackguard scribe? It was him that did it a’.” He was
safe, however.
“There’s nae harm done where there’s nae ill meant,” said the
dominie, in reply to M‘Harrigle’s confession of repentance; “only ye
shouldna flee on a body like an ill-bred tyke, when an ill-disposed
neebour cries ‘shoo’ to ye. Dinna ye be ower ready in telling your
mind to anybody, but let your thoughts cool as weel as your
parritch.”
“’Od, Simon,” rejoined the cattle-dealer, “I am sure ye can hardly
forgie me for the ill-faured words I hae said to ye the night; I wish I
could forget and forgie them mysel. I’m a wild brier o’ a body; I’m
aye into some confounded hobbleshow or anither. But I’m glad, man,
I didna lay hands on ye, for if I had I wad ne’er hae forgi’en mysel
for’t as lang as I live. Can I do naething to mak amends to ye for what
I’ve done?”
“Naething at a’,” replied the dominie, “but to settle as easily as ye
can wi’ the laddie’s father.”
“Peradventure,” Mr Singleheart suggested, “the youth may be
released from his captivity, and sent to the habitation of his father.”
“There’ll be twa ways o’ that faith!” exclaimed Grierson. “Na, na,
though the hangman has lost a job, I’ll be paid for my trouble. I
dinna gang about beating bushes for linties, for deil-belickit but the
pleasure o’ seeing them fleein’ back again. I’ll cage him. Ye’re a’ ready
enough to wind a hank aff a neebour’s reel, or tak a nievefu’ out o’ his
pock neuk, but ne’er a ane o’ ye’ll gie a duddy loon ae thread to mend
his breeks, or a hungry beggar a handfu’ o’ meal to haud his wame
frae stickin’ to his back bane.”
“There,” said M‘Harrigle, tossing down a small sum of money as a
bribe to stop the mouth of this snarling terrier of the law, “tak that,
and save the parish the expense o’ buying you a tether.”
Grierson picked up the money and departed, leaving behind him
as tokens of his displeasure, some muttered and unintelligible
growlings; and the boy was set at liberty, and sent home to his father.
“Come, come,” said M‘Harrigle, “this affair ’ll no be weel ended till
we hae sowthered our hearts again wi’ a half mutchkin o’ M‘Gowan’s
best. Come, Duncan, draw the tow, and tell the gudewife to fetch the
mutchkin stoup, and het water to kirsten’t. I’m sure I’m a fule o’ a
body, for my lang tongue, my short temper, and my short wit, hae
keepit me in a fry a’ the days o’ me.”
“Ye’re vera right, M‘Harrigle,” said the landlord, rubbing his hand
briskly at the blithe proposal. “I’ll ring for Tibbie; she’ll bring us
something worth preein’ out o’ her ain bole. She’s a bit eident body,
and aye keeps a drap heart’s comfort in an orra neuk.”
M‘Gowan pulled a hare’s foot at the end of a rope, which was
suspended from an unhewn piece of knotted wood, of a three-legs-of-
man shape, fastened by a strong screw nail into the wall, and a
solemn bell, most unlike the merry tinkle of an alehouse warning,
was heard jowin’ and croorin’ in a distant apartment, from which our
hostess presently made her appearance.
Her aspect and demeanour at first sight bespoke your affection.
There was in her face a look of blithe contentment with her
condition; in her dress a neat attention to cleanliness and simplicity,
and in her whole manner and behaviour a hearty and honest desire,
not only to be happy herself, but to make all around her equally
comfortable. She curtseyed respectfully and smilingly when she
entered the room; but it was not that cut-and-dried sort of politeness
which publicans in general indiscriminately pay to all their
customers;—it was a kind of friendly greeting, mingled with no small
portion of gratitude towards those on whom she was conscious she
depended for subsistence. It was that warm and kindly expression of
affection which brought one who was removed from his family
fireside in mind of his mother, and which made imagination point
out her habitation as a quiet resting place, where the unsettled
sojourner might stop and glean from the barren field of earthly
enjoyment some few ripe ears of happiness.
“My gude will to ye a’, gentlemen; I’m thinkin’ ye were ca’in’.”
“That we were,” said M‘Harrigle. “Fetch us a mutchkin o’ your
best, gudewife, and some het water.”
“Ye’se no want that,” replied our hostess; “but ye’ll aiblins
aforehand be pleased to tak a tasting o’ supper; I hae’t ready for ye
yonder, as I guessed some o’ ye might stand in need o’ some sma
refreshment. I’ll send it ben to ye in twa or three minutes, and syne
get ye onything else ye want. Ay will ye,” said the motherly, sonsy,
little woman, as she shut the door behind her with a gentleness of
hand which showed that her affections had some regard even for
things inanimate.
A beautiful tall girl immediately made her appearance, and
prepared the round oaken table before us for the reception of the
landlady’s hospitality, by spreading over it a table-cloth of snowy
whiteness, and in arranging the shining implements, which, from
their brilliant cleanliness, seemed to be kept as much for ornaments
to the kitchen shelf, as for the more vulgar purpose of preparing food
for the process of mastication. She was evidently the daughter of the
hostess. Her countenance indicated all the amiable qualities of her
mother, but her manners were more polished,—at least they seemed
so, perhaps from the circumstance of her language being pure
English, unmixed with any of the Doric dialect of her parent. By the
mutual assistance of the landlady and her daughter, the table soon
groaned beneath a load of savoury substantialities, most provokingly
pleasant to all but myself. Our chairs being drawn forward towards
the attractive influence of the supper, and grace being said by the
reverend Mr Singleheart, they all proceeded lustily and cheerfully to
the work of repletion.
“Oogh!” says M‘Glashan the piper, as he opened his Celtic jaws,
and disclosed two formidable rows of white stakes, which stood as a
sort of turnpike gate to the entrance of his stomach, and demanded
toll of all that passed that way,—“oogh! this’ll pe tooin’ her good, for
her fu’ bag maks a loot trone.”
“Verily, it is both savoury and refreshing,” said Mr Singleheart, as
he sawed away with a suppleness of elbow by no means consistent
with the staid solemnity of his usual motions.
“My faith!” said M‘Harrigle to the dominie, “your mill gangs
glibly.”
“Ay,” says the dominie, “the still sow licks up the draff, and a
heapit plate maks hungry men scant o’ cracks.”
“And scant o’ havins too, I think,” said M‘Gowan; “for the stranger
gentleman’s sittin’ there before us wi’ a toom plate.”
“Let him alane,” said the dominie; “it’s time he were learning that
a man that’s hamely’s aye welcome, and that frank looks mak kind
hearts.”
Cleekum had secreted himself in the kitchen, and, though indebted
to Mrs M‘Gowan’s fidelity for his preservation from M‘Harrigle’s
indignation, he was by no means satisfied with the amount of the
night’s amusement. It was at all times a source of delight to him to
observe men acting extravagantly and foolishly under misconception
and false impressions of one another; and he at no time hesitated to
invent and circulate fabrications, generally innocent, indeed, as to
intention, but sometimes productive of serious consequences. He
was commonly the most taciturn individual in company, and
notwithstanding his frolicsome and mischievous disposition, enjoyed
the reputation among his neighbours of being a skilful lawyer, and
what is still more creditable, a man of unimpeached integrity. This
last quality, in some measure, atoned for his love of mischief, and
enabled him to perform with impunity wild pranks, which might
have seriously injured almost any other man.
When he saw Dame M‘Gowan preparing supper, his whimsical
imagination suggested to him the very ridiculous and extravagant
trick of making M‘Glashan believe that his favourite bagpipes formed
a part of the entertainment. This he accomplished by giving a little
urchin a penny to steal unperceived into the room and fetch them
away, and an old pair that lay on a shelf in the kitchen furnished him
with the ready materials for carrying his whimsical conceit into
execution. Ribbons of the same breadth and colour with those which
garnished M‘Glashan’s pipes were purchased, and tied upon the
drone, which was then attached to the “chieftain o’ the pudding
race,” which had never before perhaps been dignified with such
notable marks of distinction. Mrs M‘Gowan whispered to her
husband a hint of the rarity preparing for them in the kitchen, and he
gave a sly intimation of the same to the dominie.
Part of the dishes being removed, the whole company sat in silent
expectation of this new specimen of culinary skill, for the whispered
hint had by this time been communicated to all except M‘Glashan
himself. The dominie squinted at M‘Gowan, with that sly and jocular
expression of face for which he was so remarkable. The landlord
himself could with difficulty restrain his risibility within the compass
of a well-bred smile. It was evident, from the various workings of his
features, that it required no small exertion to master down his
inward emotion, and keep it from leaping forth and divulging the
secret of the coming joke.
After a delay of a few minutes our good hostess entered with a pair
of bagpipes on a large plate. She placed them on the table and
hurried out of the room, evidently for the purpose of enjoying a
prudential and private laugh. There stood the piper’s instrument on
the middle of the table, “warm, reeking, rich,” steaming forth its
appetising fragrance, regaling every nose, delighting every eye, and
provoking instantaneous peals of laughter from all but the supposed
proprietor of this fantastical but seemingly substantial piece of good
cheer.
“Cod mak a mercy on us a’! An’ I will teclare, a poiled pagpipe!
Who’ll be toing that, noo? Oogh! oogh!” said the enraged musician,
snuffing himself into an ungovernable fit of rage, raising his brawny
and ponderous form into a threatening attitude and doubling his
knotty, iron fists, with the design of hammering the offender, whose
wicked temerity had dared to brave the indignation of this half-
reclaimed mountaineer. “An you’ll offer to jag him, and let out his
win’ too, oogh! you’ll petter be a’ looking ower a house-rigging o’ twa
storey. You’ll poil your tam haggis in my pag, and sotter my trone
too, and the vera ribbons I had at the competeetion. Shust mine!”
cried the enraged Highlander, looking more intently at the Scotch
haggis with its whimsical appendages. “An you’ll no tell me the man
wha would be toing that, I will mak the room my ain in five minutes.
I taur you all to touch him. I’ll mak a tead man o’ her—oogh! oogh!”
I was the only individual in the company who seemed to feel any
apprehensions about the consequence of this absurd piece of
waggery. All the rest enjoyed it rarely, not even excepting the Rev.
Mr Singleheart, who, though possessing none of the elements of
jocularity himself, was yet at times singularly well pleased to second
a piece of innocent fun with his individual portion of jocose laughter.
“Sit down, ye muckle Highland stirk,” said M‘Harrigle, “and no
mak a sough there about a boiled bagpipe. I’se warrant it’s a bit of
gude eatin’; and we’ll see what can be made o’t when we hae pu’d
awa thae whigmaleeries that are stickin’ round about it. Faith! I
wadna gie a mouthfu’ o’ your bagpipe, M‘Glashan, for a’ the music
that ever came out o’ its drone.”
“It’s quite a musical feast,” quoth the dominie; “only I fear we’ll be
troubled wi’ wind in our stomachs after making a meal o’t. Sit down,
M‘Glashan,” he continued, “for, as you were sayin’ before, a fu’ bag
maks a loud drone.”
“Sit town! sit town! and see six Sassenach teevils tefour the
bagpipes that hae pelanged to a M‘Glashan for twa hunder year!
Oogh! won the competeetion too!”
The gaunt descendant of the Gael stood grinding his teeth, opening
and clenching his big bony fists, as if he fancied himself about to
grapple with some sturdy antagonist. His large blue eyes flaming
from beneath the fringe of his knitted eyebrow, the big muscles
encircling the corner of either eye, and curving round the mouth in
deep hard folds, and the outward shelving upper-lip, puckered with a
thousand wrinkles, were rendered more picturesque and fearful from
being hedged round by an uncommon mass of bristly gray hair, two
large portions of which hung on his broad, flat cheeks, like two large
bunches of burned furse, while the whole rugged exterior was
rendered still more imposing by the association of his favourite
guttural interjection, “oogh!” His aspect lowered so grim and
threatening, his “ooghs” became so loud and numerous, that all
began to think it time to soothe the spirit of this Highland storm, lest
its rising wrath should descend with deadly vengeance on those
around him.
The landlord stepped out, and returned with M‘Glashan’s
instrument. The mountaineer looked astonished, snatched it from
him with eagerness, eyed it round and round, hugged and kissed the
darling object of his affection, and poured into its capacious bag a
stream of wind which immediately issued in a wild and stormy
pibroch. Delighted with his own performance, “he hotched and blew
with might and main,” mingling, every now and then, with his
unearthly music, the half-recitative bass of a broad rumbling laugh,
while M‘Harrigle’s rugged terrier, with his two fore paws upon the
piper’s knees, spun out long and eerie howls of canine sympathy. It
was in vain that we praised the savoury Scotch haggis, and
recommended it to the palate of M‘Glashan. His heart, as well as his
wind, was in his bagpipe, and he never once deigned to return an
answer to our reiterated invitations; but having exhausted his scanty
musical budget, the contents of which amounted to no more than a
few Highland reels and strathspeys, he droned away in voluntaries so
utterly horrible and dissonant, that Simon Gray, after swallowing a
few morsels with as rueful contortions of visage as if every mouthful
had been dipped in sand, ran out of the room holding his ears, and
giving vent to a harsh German ach! which was powerfully expressive
of his crucified sense of hearing. The piper piped on, and seemed to
enjoy a sort of triumph over the wounded feelings of the departed
dominie. None of the rest of the company followed his example, but
each individual sat still with as much coolness and composure as if
his ears had been hermetically sealed against the grunting, groaning,
and yelling of this infernal musical-engine.
M‘Glashan’s tempestuous hostility at length ceased, and the
dominie returned as the large punch-bowl was shedding its fragrant
effluvia through the apartment, giving to every eye a livelier lustre, to
every heart a warmer glow, and to every tongue a more joyous and
voluble expression. No more than two or three glasses had circulated
when Mr Singleheart and the dominie left the generous beverage to
the enjoyment of the more profane and less responsible members of
this assemblage of convivial spirits.
“He is an ill-hearted tyke who can’t both give and take a joke,” said
Cleekum, as he burst abruptly into the apartment. “You would not
certainly quarrel with an old friend, M‘Harrigle?”
“No, I’ll be hanged if I do,” was the reply of the cattle-dealer; “but
Lord, man, if I had cloured Simon, I might hae run the kintra. Faith!
if ye gang delvin’ about this gate for fun, ye’ll set your fit on a wasp’s
byke some day. If I had but gotten my hands ower ye twa hours syne,
there would hae been a job for the doctor. Let there be nae mair
about it;—there’s a glass to ye.”
“The night drave on wi’ sangs and clatter.”
One merry story suggested another, till the potent spirit of the bowl
covered some all over with slumber “as with a cloak,” laid others
prostrate beneath the table, and to the maudlin eyes of the
unconquered survivors presented every object as if of the dual
number. The bustle and hurry of preparation in the kitchen had died
away, orders for an additional supply of liquor were more tardily
executed, and the kitchen-maid came in half undressed, holding a
short gown together at the breast, rubbing her eyes, and staggering
under the influence of a stolen nap at the fireside, from which she
had been hastily and reluctantly roused. Cleekum, M‘Harrigle,
M‘Glashan, and myself were the only individuals who had any
pretentions to sobriety. The landlord had prudently retired to rest an
hour before. Silence reigned in the whole house, except in one
apartment, and silence would have put down her velvet footstep
there also, but for the occasional roars of M‘Harrigle, who bellowed
as if he had been holding conversational communion with his own
nowt; and the engine-without-oil sort of noise that M‘Glashan made
as he twanged, sputtered, and grunted his native tongue to
M‘Harrigle, who was turning round to the piper every now and then,
crying “D——n your Gaelic, you’ve spewed enough o’t the night; put a
bung in your throat, you beast!”
A few flies that buzzed and murmured round the room were the
only joyous and sleepless creatures that seemed disposed to prolong
the revelry. The cold toddy having lost its delicious relish, produced
loathing, and its former exhilarating effluvia was now sickening to
the nose. The candle-wick stood in the middle of the flickering flame
like a long nail with a large round head, and sending the light in fitful
flashes against the walls. The cock had sounded his clarion, the
morning seamed the openings of the window-shutters with lines of
light, and the ploughman, roused to labour, went whistling past the
door. I opened the window-shutter. A glare of light rushed in and
condensed the flame of our little luminary into a single bud of pale
light, whose sickliness seemed to evince a kindred sympathy with the
disorderly remains of the night’s revelry, and with the stupified
senses and exhausted bodies of the revellers themselves.
I looked out of the window. All was silent, save the far-off whistle
of the ploughman who had passed, and the continual roar of the
cataract; and all was motionless, except the blue feathery smoke
which puffed from a single-chimney, and floated down the glen in a
long wavering stream. How chill and piercing the morning air feels to
the nervous and debilitated reveller, and how reproachfully does the
light of another day steal in upon the unseemly disorder of his
privacy! Almost every man feels himself to be somewhat of a
blackguard who is thus surprised.
Going home drunk in a summer morning! What a beast!
Feebleness of knees, that would gladly lie down by the wayside,—
headache, that makes the brain a mere puddle of dirty recollections,
and dismal anticipations,—dimness of eyes, that makes every visible
object caricaturish and monstrous,—filthiness of apparel enough to
shame a very scavenger,—and a heart sick almost to the commission
of felo de se. Zig-zag, thump, thump, down again, howling, swearing,
praying. It is a libel on the brute creation to call it beastliness. Brutes
do no such thing. And the morning, how fresh, clear, green, and
glittering! Hang that fellow,—going to work, I imagine. What on
earth roused him at such an unseasonable hour? To be a spy upon
me, I suppose. Who are you, sir?—A poor man, please your honour,
sir.—A poor man! go and be hanged then.—These birds yelping from
that thicket are more unmusical than hurdy-gurdy, marrowbone and
cleaver. I wish each of them had a pipe-stopple in its windpipe. I
never heard such abominable discord. The whole world is astir. Who
told them I was going home at this time in the morning? Who is that
singing the “Flower o’ Dunblane” at the other side of the hedge? A
milkmaid—“and the milkmaid singeth blithe.” Ah, John Milton, thy
notions of rural felicity were formed in a closet. You may have a peep
of her through this “slap.” Rural innocence!—a mere humbug,—a
dirty, tawdry, pudding-legged, blowsy-faced, sun-burnt drab. What a
thing for a shepherdess in a pastoral! Confound these road trustees;
they have been drawing the road through a bore, and have made it
ten times its common length, and a hundred times narrower than its
common breadth. Horribly rough; no man can walk steadily on it.
Have the blockheads not heard of M‘Adam? In the words of the
Lawrencekirk album epigrammatist,—
“The people here ought to be hanged,
Unless they mend their ways.”
Hast thou, gentle reader, ever gone home drunk in a summer

morning, when thy shame, that is day-light, was rising in the east?
Sulky—a question not to be answered. So much for thy credit, for
there be in this sinful and wicked world men who boast of such
things. I am glad thou art not one of them. Neither do I boast of such
doings; for, gentle reader, I went to bed. My bedroom was one of
M‘Gowan’s garret-rooms. Cleekum and M‘Harrigle, who lived at
some distance, thought proper to retire to rest before visiting their
own firesides; and M‘Glashan, being a sort of vagrant musician, who
had no legal domicile in any particular place, had always a bed
assigned him in M‘Gowan’s when he visited the village.
Stretched in bed after a day’s travelling and a night’s carousing—
exquisite pleasure! It is worth a man’s while to travel thirty or forty
miles to enjoy such a blessed luxury. After a few yawnings, pokings
out and drawings up of the legs, the whole body begins to feel a
genial glow of heat, and he is worse than an infidel who in such a
pleasurable mood does not feel disposed to bless his Maker.
Everything being properly arranged, the curtains carefully drawn
around, the night-cap pulled down over the ears and folded upward
on the brow, the pillow shifted, shuffled, and nicely adjusted to the
head, the clothes pulled and lugged about, till there is not a single
air-hole left to pinch the body, the downy bed itself, by sundry
tossings and turnings, converted into an exact mould for the
particular part of the body that has sunk into it, then does the joyous
spirit sing to itself inwardly, with the mute melody of gratitude,
—“I’m wearin’ awa, Jean!”—Blackwood’s Magazine, 1826.
THE MILLER AND THE FREEBOOTER.
By Sir Thomas Dick Lauder.
In Glenquoich, in Aberdeenshire, in the early part of last century,

there was a corn-mill erected for the use of the neighbourhood, and
as the construction and management of such machines were ill
understood in that part of Scotland at the time, a miller was brought
from the low country to superintend it. In this neighbourhood there
lived at that time a certain Donald Mackenzie, a hero remarkable for
his haughty and imperious manner, and known by the appellation of
“Donald Unasach,” or Donald the Proud. Being a native of
Glenquoich, he knew as little of the English language as the miller
did of Gaelic. He was an outlaw, addicted to freebooting, and of so
fierce and unruly a temper, that the whole country stood in awe of
him. One circumstance regarding him struck everyone with
superstitious awe, and created much conjecture and speculation
among those around him: he was never known to be without
abundance of meal, and yet he was never known to carry any corn to
the mill.
But the sagacious miller of Glenquoich soon discovered that, in
order to bilk him of his proper mill-dues, the caitiff was in the habit
of bringing his grain to the mill in the night, and grinding it, and
carrying it off before morning. To charge him directly with this fraud,
was too dangerous an attempt. But the miller ventured to ask him
now and then, quietly, how he did for meal, as he never brought any
corn to the mill; to which the freebooter never returned any other
answer than one in Gaelic, signifying that “strong is the hand of
God!”
Provoked at last, the miller determined to take his own way of
curing the evil; and, having some previous notion of the next
nocturnal visit of his unwelcome customer, he took care, before
leaving the mill in the evening, to remove the bush, or that piece of
wood which is driven into the eye of the nether millstone, for the
purpose of keeping the spindle steady in passing through the upper
stone. He also stopped up the spout through which the meal
discharged itself; and as the mill was one of those old-fashioned
machines, where the water-wheel moved horizontally, and directly
under the stones, it follows that, by this arrangement of things, the
corn would fall into the stream. Having made these preparations, the
miller locked his house door, and went to bed.
About midnight, Donald arrived with his people, and some sacks
of dry corn, and finding everything, as he thought, in good order in
the mill, he filled the hopper, and let on the water. The machinery
revolved with more than ordinary rapidity; the grain sank fast in the
hopper; but not a particle of it came out at the place where he was
wont to receive it into his bag as meal. Donald the Proud and his
“gillies” were all aghast. Frantic with rage, he and they ran up and
down; and, in their hurry to do everything, they succeeded in doing
nothing. At length Donald perceived, what even the obscurity of the
night could not hide, a long white line of fair provender flowing down
the middle of the stream, that left not a doubt as to where his corn
was discharging itself. But he could neither guess how this strange
phenomenon was produced, nor how the evil was to be cured. After
much perplexity, he thought of turning off the water. But here the
wily miller had also been prepared for him, having so contrived
matters, that the pole, or handle connecting the sluice with the inside
of the mill, had fallen off as soon as the water was let on the wheel.
Baffled at all points, Donald was compelled at last to run to the
miller’s house. Finding the door locked, he knocked and bawled
loudly at the window; and, on the miller demanding to know who
was there, he did his best to explain, in broken English, the whole
circumstances of the case. The miller heard him to an end; and
turning himself in his bed, he coolly replied, “strong is the hand of
God!” Donald Unasach gnashed his teeth, tried the door again,
returned to the window, and, humbled by the circumstances,
repeated his explanation and entreaties for help. “Te meal town te
purn to te teil! hoigh, hoigh!” “I thought ye had been ower weel
practeesed in the business to let ony sic mischanter come ower ye,
Donald,” replied the imperturbable lowlander; “but, you know,
‘strong is the hand of God!’” The mountaineer now lost all patience.
Drawing his dirk, and driving it through the window, he began to
strike it so violently against the stones on the outside of the wall, that
he illuminated the house with a shower of fire, that showed the
terrified inmates the ferocious countenance of him who wielded the
weapon. “Te meal to te mill, te mutter to te mailler,” sputtered out
Donald, in the midst of his wrath, meaning to imply, that if the miller
would only come and help him, he should have all his dues in future.
Partly moved by this promise, but still more by his well-grounded
fears, the miller arose at last, put the mill to rights, and ground the
rest of the corn. And tradition tells us that after this the mill-dues
were regularly paid, and the greatest harmony subsisted between
Donald Unasach and the miller of Glenquoich.
BENJIE’S CHRISTENING.
By D. M. Moir.
We’ll hap and row, hap and row,
We’ll hap and row the feetie o’t;
It is a wee bit weary thing,
I dinnie bide the greetie o’t.—Provost Creech.
An honest man, close button’d to the chin,

Broad-cloth without, and a warm heart within.—Cowper.
This great globe and all that it inherits shall dissolve,

And, like the baseless fabric of a vision,
Leave not a rack behind!—Shakspeare.
At the christening of our only bairn, Benjie, two or three

remarkable circumstances occurred, which it behoves me to relate. It
was on a cold November afternoon; and really when the bit room was
all redd up, the fire bleezing away, and the candles lighted, every
thing looked full tosh and comfortable. It was a real pleasure, after
looking out into the drift that was fleeing like mad from the east, to
turn one’s neb inwards, and think that we had a civilised home to
comfort us in the dreary season. So, one after another, the bit party
we had invited to the ceremony came papping in; and the crack
began to get loud and hearty; for, to speak the truth, we were blessed
with canny friends and a good neighbourhood. Notwithstanding, it
was very curious that I had no mind of asking down James Batter,
the weaver, honest man, though he was one of our own elders; and in
papped James, just when the company had hafflins met, with his
stocking-sleeves on his arms, his nightcap on his head, and his blue-
stained apron hanging down before him, to light his pipe at our fire.
James, when he saw his mistake, was fain to retreat; but we would
not hear tell of it, till he came in, and took a dram out of the bottle, as
we told him the not doing so would spoil the wean’s beauty, which is
an old freak (the smallpox, however, afterwards did that); so, with
much persuasion, he took a chair for a gliff, and began with some of
his drolls—for he is a clever, humoursome man, as ye ever met with.
But he had not got far on with his jests, when lo! a rap came to the
door, and Mysie whipped away the bottle under her apron, saying,
“Wheesht, wheesht, for the sake of gudeness—there’s the minister!”
This room had only one door, and James mistook it, running his
head, for lack of knowledge, into the open closet, just as the minister
lifted the outer-door sneck. We were all now sitting on nettles, for we
were frightened that James would be seized with a cough, for he was
a wee asthmatic; or that some, knowing there was a thief in the
pantry, might hurt good manners by breaking out into a giggle.
However, all for a considerable time was quiet, and the ceremony
was performed; little Nancy, our niece, handing the bairn upon my
arm to receive its name. So we thought, as the minister seldom made
a long stay on similar occasions, that all would pass off well enough.
But wait a wee.
There was but one of our company that had not cast up, to wit,
Deacon Paunch, the flesher, a most worthy man, but tremendously
big, and grown to the very heels; as was once seen on a wager, that
his ankle was greater than my brans. It was really a pain to all feeling
Christians, to see the worthy man waighling about, being, when
weighed in his own scales, two-and-twenty stone ten ounces, Dutch
weight. Honest man, he had had a sore fecht with the wind and sleet,
and he came in with a shawl roppined round his neck, peching like a
broken-winded horse; so fain was he to find a rest for his weary
carcass in our stuffed chintz pattern elbow-chair by the fire-cheek.
From the soughing of wind at the window, and the rattling in the
lum, it was clear to all manner of comprehension, that the night was
a dismal one; so the minister, seeing so many of his own douce folk
about him, thought he might do worse than volunteer to sit still and
try our toddy; indeed, we would have pressed him before this to do
so, but what was to come of James Batter, who was shut up in the
closet, like the spies in the house of Rahab the harlot, in the city of
Jericho?
James began to find it was a bad business; and having been driving
the shuttle about from before daylight, he was fain to crook his
hough, and felt round about him quietly in the dark for a chair to sit
down upon, since better might not be. But, wae’s me! the cat was
soon out of the pock.
Me and the minister were just argle-bargling some few words on
the doctrine of the camel and the eye of the needle, when, in the
midst of our discourse, as all was wheesht and attentive, an awful
thud was heard in the closet, which gave the minister, who thought
the house had fallen down, such a start, that his very wig louped for a
full three-eights off his crown. I say we were necessitated to let the
cat out of the pock for two reasons: firstly, because we did not know
what had happened; and, secondly, to quiet the minister’s fears,
decent man, for he was a wee nervous. So we made a hearty laugh of
it, as well as we could, and opened the door to bid James Batter come
out, as we confessed all. Easier said than done, howsoever. When we
pulled open the door, and took forward one of the candles, there was
James doubled up, sticking twofold, like a rotten in a sneck-trap, in
an old chair, the bottom of which had gone down before him, and
which, for some craze about it, had been put out of the way by Nanse,
that no accident might happen. Save us! if the deacon had sate down
upon it, pity on our brick-floor!
Well, after some ado, we got James, who was more frightened than
hurt, hauled out of his hidy-hole; and after lifting off his cowl, and
sleeking down his front hair, he took a seat beside us, apologeezing
for not being in his Sunday’s garb, the which the minister, who was a
free and easy man, declared there was no occasion for, and begged
him to make himself comfortable.
Well, passing over that business, Mr Wiggie and me entered into
our humours, for the drappikie was beginning to tell on my noddle,
and made me somewhat venturesome—not to say that I was not a
little proud to have the minister in my bit housie; so, says I to him in
a cosh way, “Ye may believe me or no, Mr Wiggie, but mair than me
think ye out of sight the best preacher in the parish; nane of them,
Mr Wiggie, can hold the candle to ye, man.”
“Wheesht, wheesht,” said the body, in rather a cold way that I did
not expect, knowing him to be as proud as a peacock—“I daresay I
am just like my neighbours.”

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Life Cycle Assessment of Energy

Systems and Sustainable Energy

Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems Closing the

Social Life Cycle Assessment Case Studies from the

Sustainable Energy Technologies 1st Edition Eduardo

International Scientific Conference Energy Management

International Scientific Conference Energy Management

Hydrogen Economy Supply Chain Life Cycle Analysis and

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Through

Low Carbon Energy Supply Technologies and Systems 1st

Riccardo Basosi · Maurizio Cellura

Sonia Longo Maria Laura Parisi

Life Cycle Assessment

Maurizio Cellura Maria Laura Parisi

ISSN 1865-3529 ISSN 1865-3537 (electronic)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018960203

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Energy is one of the key elements included in the 17 Sustainable Development

The Italian LCA Network and the Working Group

Siena, Italy Riccardo Basosi

Part I LCA Applied to the Energy Sector: State of the Art

Part II LCA Applied to Bio-energy: State of the Art

7 Energy and Environmental Assessments of Agro-biogas Supply

Maurizio Cellura, Maria Anna Cusenza, Francesco Guarino, Sonia Longo

M. Cellura · M. A. Cusenza (B) · F. Guarino · S. Longo

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 3

Keywords Scenario analysis · Renewable energy sources · Life cycle assessment

1.2 Scenario Analysis

1.2.1 Electricity Production in Sicily

In Sicily, electricity is generated by thermal power plants, hydroelectric plants, wind

1.2.2 Identification of the Renewable Energy Marginal

Power plants - oil

Power plants - natural

CHP* - oil products

1.2.3 Electricity Generation Scenarios Definition

1.3 Life Cycle Assessment

1.3.1 Goal and Scope Definition

1.3.2 Life Cycle Inventory

Data collection, data quality and assumptions

1.3.3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment and Discussion of Results

Fig. 1.2 Non-renewable and

Table 1.4 GWP in the RS14 and in the forecasted scenarios

1.3.4 Potential Contribution of Sicily in the Achievement

EC—JRC (2012) European Commission—Joint Research Centre—Institute for Environment and

Pierpaolo Girardi and Alessia Gargiulo

Keywords Life Cycle Assessment · Photovoltaic · Environmental impact

The promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is a pillar of the European

P. Girardi (B) · A. Gargiulo

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 17

2.2 Evolution of Photovoltaic Production in Italy

Fig. 2.1 Production from photovoltaic plant. Source GSE (2015)

2.3 Goal and Scope

To better understand the role of photovoltaic in sustainable development of the

Table 2.1 Solutions taken into account in the analysis

2.4 Life Cycle Inventory

2.5 Life Cycle Impact Assessment

Hast thou, gentle reader, ever gone home drunk in a summer

By Sir Thomas Dick Lauder.

In Glenquoich, in Aberdeenshire, in the early part of last century,

An honest man, close button’d to the chin,

This great globe and all that it inherits shall dissolve,

At the christening of our only bairn, Benjie, two or three

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