Water–energy nexus in houses in Brazil: comparing rainwater and gray water use with a centralized system

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Vieira ◽  
E. Ghisi
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Theoretical Method ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Smart Meters ◽  
Gray Water ◽  
Low Income Households

The objective of this paper is to assess the potential for energy savings in water and sewerage services by means of on-site integrated water and sewage management strategies in low-income households in Florianópolis, Brazil. The on-site water efficiency measures include reclamation of gray water and rainwater use. The water and energy saving potential of both strategies were studied, and their energy intensities were compared to centralized water and sewerage services. Furthermore, the water consumption pattern for 10 low-income households was empirically determined using smart meters; the rainwater supply was estimated by using the computer program Netuno 4.0; and the water supply and sewage reduction potential of gray water systems were determined using a theoretical method. On average, the gray water and rainwater supply capacities were equivalent to 24% and 43% of the total water consumption of households, respectively. In regard to energy savings, rainwater harvesting was the most energy intensive strategy (0.86 kWh/m³), followed by centralized systems (0.84 kWh/m³); whereas, gray water was the most energy efficient strategy (0.54 kWh/m³). The findings suggest that alternative water and sewerage services may promote energy savings in comparison with centralized ones only when a concomitant reduction in sewage production is achieved.

scholarly journals A Review of Behavioral Energy Reduction Programs and Implementation of a Pilot Peer-to-Peer Led Behavioral Energy Reduction Program for a Low-Income Neighborhood

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4635
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hoody ◽  
Anya Galli Robertson ◽  
Sarah Richard ◽  
Claire Frankowski ◽  
Kevin Hallinan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Energy Reduction ◽  
Smart Meters ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Behavior Based ◽  
Improved Design

Utility-sponsored residential energy reduction programs have seen rapid advancement in the Unites States (US) over the past decade. These programs have particularly emphasized investments in energy efficient appliances and enveloped improvements. They have generally required co-investment by residents and, as a result, have mostly reached medium to high-income residents, with low income residences, in effect, supporting the utility investments through higher energy costs. Additionally, utility initiatives directed toward behavior-based energy reduction have reached residences with more advanced technologies, such as smart meters and smart Wi-Fi thermostats linked to phone apps, technologies generally not present in low-income residences. This research seeks to inform development of behavior-based energy reduction programs aimed specifically at low-income residences, premised on peer-to-peer energy education and support. It focuses on the design and implementation of a pilot program for 84 low-income residences in a medium-sized Midwestern US urban neighborhood, followed by measurement of realized energy savings and assessment of program outcomes through surveys of resident participants and interviews with program implementers. Only 21 residences provided an initial response to outreach. Of these, only 11 participated, and of these, energy savings were, in general, modest. However, evidence based upon other research and qualitative data obtained from program implementers and participants is presented in this study for the development of an improved design. The improved design emphasizes grassroots community co-design of the program and community engagement through program implementation to transform energy consumption and behaviors and find energy justice for vulnerable communities.

scholarly journals Efficiency Gap Caused by the Input Data in Evaluating Energy Efficiency of Low-Income Households’ Energy Retrofit Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2774
Author(s):  
Joowook Kim ◽  
Jemin Myoung ◽  
Hyunwoo Lim ◽  
Doosam Song
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Detailed Measurement ◽  
Ghg Reduction ◽  
Efficiency Gap ◽  
Low Income Households

Energy efficiency policies are made to reduce the energy necessary to achieve a given level of indoor heating and to decrease the greenhouse gas emission worldwide. National and state regulators routinely tighten the energy efficiency building code appliance standards. In particular, for low-income households, the government has been implementing an energy efficiency program, and the most common measures include furnace replacement, attic and wall insulation, and infiltration reduction. The belief that the energy efficiency programs are beneficial and lead to energy reductions often fails, which is known as the ‘efficiency gap.’ This paper analyzed the effect of input data in calculating the energy savings of the energy efficiency program for low-income households as a cause of the energy efficiency gap in energy efficiency treatments for low-income households. According to the retrofit of the low-income household, the energy saving effect predicted through the input data of detailed measurement was 65%, which was higher than 41% of the conventional prediction method (walk-through audit). The resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effect was also the same as the energy savings, and the results predicted by the existing prediction methods were less predicted than the detailed measurement results.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic benefits of conserving Iran’s water resources through modifying agricultural practices and water management strategies

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Karandish
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Current Consumption ◽  
The Status ◽  
On Farm

AbstractSustainable development requires modifying the current consumption pattern of natural resources. This study investigates efficient tactics for reducing the unsustainability and inefficiency of human’s food-related blue water consumption alongside improving national environmental and socioeconomic status. As a case study for Iran, 15 alternative management scenarios (AMS) were defined compared to the current on-farm management, and their effects were assessed on a monthly scale. Based on the results, 45.5 billion m3 y−1 (BCM) blue water is consumed within the croplands, 78% and 34% of which are unsustainable and inefficient, respectively. AMCs reduces the unsustainable and inefficient blue water consumption by 2–17 BCM and 2–13 BCM, respectively. The combination of yield gap closure, drip irrigation, soil mulching, and deficit irrigation has the largest effect on blue water saving; it releases or changes the status of monthly blue water scarcity in 11 provinces; increases field-employees by 132%, food security by 9%, international food-export by 87%, and gross domestic production by 54%. However, it doesn’t fully address blue water overconsumption in the summer period; hence, further measures are needed to reduce blue water scarcity to the sustainable level in these environmental hotspots.

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