Studio di un indicatore per la valutazione del rischio delprogetto nella metodologia dell’analisi costi benefici - Proposed risk indicators in the cost-benefit analisys methodology

Cost-benefit analysis allows to assess in advance the performance of investment projects through the calculation of appropriate indices, such as the NPV, the IRR, the B/C ratio. Performance indicators are, however, affected by the uncertainty inherent in the exercise of forecasting the future values of the physical and economic parameters generated by the project. Probability distribution of the expected values of each performance indicator can be determined, e.g., through Montecarlo simulations of the CBA model. Derived from the simulated probability distribution, the paper, starting from the definition of the loss function in the statistical decision theory, proposes a set of risk indicators (Index of absolute risk, Index of internal relative risk, Index of generalized relative risk), which include a "weight" function that models the level of aversion against the expected loss of the performance indices by the person who will bear the project risk.risk analysis, risk adversion, Montecarlo simulation, cost benefit analysis - rischio, avversione al rischio, simulazione Montecarlo, analisi costi benefici

Environmental Benefits and Economical Sustainability of Urban Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation—A Cost-Benefit Analysis of an Existing Reuse Project in Puglia, Italy

Besides benefits associated to increased water availability for irrigation, reuse projects of urban water can also provide positive environmental impacts, as they contribute to improve water quality of the receiving bodies by diverting wastewater from their outlet. This represents a typical win-win situation where significant synergies can be achieved between urban and agricultural sector, and the environment. These favorable conditions, however, do not necessarily imply that water reuse is either feasible from an economic perspective nor that the underlying supply chain is going to be triggered, if certain conditions are not met. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is considered a sound, theoretically well-grounded tool to analyze the financial and economical sustainability of an investment. The paper presents the CBA of an existing reuse scheme in Puglia, in southern Italy, reclaiming wastewater for irrigation from a coastal area with growing recreational, beach-related activities. Supported by operational data, official statistics and sector documents, the CBA reveals that in almost all scenarios the existence of environmental benefits must be invoked in order to consider the project economically sustainable. Coherent screening of the different impacts, isolating the ones that are applicable to the specific case-study, shows that these benefits are mainly non-use benefits related to the aesthetic enjoyment of clean water in the reclaimed stretch of coastline where wastewater discharge may no longer take place or take place in a way that significantly reduce seawater pollutio

A Cost–Benefit Based, Parametric Procedure to Screen Existing Irrigation and Municipal Supply Reservoirs for Wind Energy Storage

Pumped hydro storage (PHS) is one of the more suitable energy storage technologies to provide bulk storage of intermittent renewable energy sources (RES) such as wind. Since the main limiting factors to the expansion of this mature technology are environmental and financial concerns, the use of an existing reservoir can help mitigate both types of impacts. In addition, the high number of reservoirs for municipal and irrigation supply in many areas of the world makes the idea of using PHS as a relatively diffuse, open-market, technology for RES management attractive. These arguments in favor of PHS must, however, be convincing for investors and regulators from an economic standpoint. To this end, this paper presents a methodological tool to screen the feasibility of a PHS facility around an existing reservoir based on the principles of cost⁻benefit analysis, calibrated with data from Sicily, Italy. Each potential plant is characterized by two locational and two plant-specific parameters. Costs and benefits are assessed through a simulation model of the storage⁻release process on an hourly basis. Costs include both investment, and operation and maintenance expenditures, while the benefits considered include the opportunity cost of the current energy mix substituted by the stored energy, and the avoided CO2 emissions. The evaluation exercise is carried out parametrically, i.e., looking at a large number of combinations of the four parameters, in order to explore a wide range of possible plant configurations and to identify optimal ones under different locational conditions. A sensitivity analysis performed on models’ parameters points out the sensitivity of results to benefit, rather than cost-related, input parameters, such as the efficiency of the generating and pumping system and the opportunity cost of energy

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy as Revisional Surgery in a Vertical Gastroplasty With Gastrogastric Fistula: A Simplified Technique

Gastrogastric fistula is one of the complications that can occur after vertical gastroplasty surgery for weight loss. We describe a novel sleeve gastrectomy technique to treat a proximal gastrogastric fistula after vertical gastroplasty