Green Week 2012 Water and energy, qualitative & quantitative linkages between two essential resources Session 3.1 on 22 May 2012 Energy use in water utilities.

Green Week 2012

Water and energy, qualitative & quantitative linkages between two

essential resources Session 3.1 on 22 May 2012

Energy use in water utilities

Bo N. JacobsenEuropean Environment Agency

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Image: ActewAGL Education Website

Focus: Energy efficiency (intensity) in water utilities

Several links in the water – energy nexus

New EEA report – launch at WWF6

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EU resource–efficiency policy-Resource efficiency -Sustainable water management

Water-resource efficiency-Water use efficiency-Energy use in water utilities-Nutrient recovery

Using markets-Economic instruments-Water pricing & cost recovery

Improved info on management-Indicators-Water accounting-Water footprint and LCA-Labelling, certification, standards,..

Resource efficiency – policy - targets

Resource and impact decoupling- Resource decoupling can be achieved by improved water/energy efficiency per GDP or population - is relative - Impact decoupling requires reduction in water/energy use – is absolute

Resource efficiency – policy - targets

Source: UNEP, 2011

Energy efficiency in water utilities• Currently no specific European regulations on energy efficiency in

water utilities• EC Communications ”Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe”

- specifies milestones and activities for COM and Member States- describes general directions,

including water and energy efficiency

”European Innovation Partnership on Water”- Establish a stakeholder platform and web-based Market Place for water innovations in 2013

- ..”Innovative solutions focussing on the relationship between water and energy, water efficiency (domestic and industrial), water quality, water infrastructure, recreation, public health and ICT-enabled user awareness will be of key importance.”..

• Opportunity for water utilities / associations, pro-actively, to formulate targets and corresponding commitments

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Resource efficiency – policy - targets

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Global trends and policies on climate and emissions/energy

• Global Targets: 2 degree celsius• Regional targets: EU 20-20-20 by year 2020

• A reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions of at least 20% below 1990 levels • 20% of EU energy consumption to come from renewable resources • A 20% reduction in primary energy use compared with projected levels, to be achieved

by improving energy efficiency

• National Targets: e.g., Netherlands: 30-30-30 • Utility targets?

• WWF6 targets: 20% improvement in energy efficiency (1990 level - 2020)

Resource efficiency – policy - targets

Domestic Water

use

Transport to

waterworks

The urban water cycle – energy nexus

Based on: (Olsson, 2012 in press)

Drinkingwater

Distribution

Wastewater

treatment

Transportsewagewater

0.24 kWh/m3

0.9 - 10 kWh/m3

0.16 kWh/m3

> 50 kWh/m3

0.13 kWh/m3

Drinking water

treatment

0.11 kWh/m3

Waste Water Drinking Water

Data from Sweden

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

Example of energy efficiency indicator:Odyssee energy efficiency index (ODEX) (EU-27)

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Source: (EEA, Ener22)

Water heating in households 20% improvement in efficiency !

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

Systematic analyses for UWWTP energy efficiency in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

10-year experiences•Energy consumption in 645 UWWTPs 1200 mio kWhe/y •35 mio p.e. Served; 18 mio inhabitants

– 34 kWh/p.e.(load)/y or– 67 kWh/p/y *)

•Support with up to 70% of cost for energy analysis•Since 2012 also support to measures•Financed from effluent taxation revenue•Experience: about 30% energy saving possible most commonly by:

– electricity and heat production from the digester gas,

– utilizing the heat energy contained in the sewage

– in some cases by the use of hydropower from the slope of the wastewater plants

*) calculated by this author

http://www.umwelt.nrw.de/umwelt/pdf/karte_komm_klaeranlagen.pdf

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

The influence of UWWTP sizeTotal electricity consumption in about 10,000 UWWTPs in Germany is 4400 GWh/y

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http://www.bmu.de/files/english/pdf/application/pdf/faltblatt_wasserwirtschaft_en_bf.pdf

Corresponds well with mean of 33 kWh/p.e. (European benchmarking Co-operation, 2010)

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

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Total end-use electricity consumption per capita in 2008 (kWh/y/person)

In perspective: - Total consumption ca. 5500 kWhe/y/p - From earlier slide for urban wastewater treatment: 67 kWhe/y/p

In other words -ca. 1.2 % of total electricity consumption-Ca. 7 W/p (small light bulb continously burning)-Net consumption lower where energy recovery takes place

Source: (ENER18)

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

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Source: (EEA,2011) link

Inventory from UK indicate GHG emission related to water:- Utilities: 0.8 %- In homes: 5.5 %

(Defra, 2008; EA, 2008)

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

Average ca. 10 t CO2-eq./y/p

(Defra, 2008; EA, 2008)

Waternet, Amsterdam (The Netherlands): Urban Water Cycle – Energy efficiency and recoveryCooling from surface water

Co-locating: Waste Water – Solid Waste Incinerator

Thermal energy from groundwater

Waste Inceneration

Plant

Waste Water Plant

Sludge and Biogas

Heat and Electricity

• Consumption> drinking water 45.000 MWh/yr (49 %)> wastewater 39.000 MWh/yr (42 %)> watersystem 8.000 MWh/yr ( 9 %)

• Productionbiogas/sludge 25.000 MWh/yr

Source: Waternet 2011

Energy intensity in the urban water cycle

Numerous technological solutions exist- communicated via water associations- incentives for further implementation needed

Some IWA events on Water & Energy-2008: Workshop during World Water Congress, Vienna-2009: Int. Conference on W & E, Copenhagen -2010: Int. Conference on W & E, Amsterdam-2012: World Congress on W, C & E, Dublin

New books on Water & Energy-- Interactions in Water Reuse

(Lazarova, Choo, and Cornel, 2012)

- - Threats and Opportunities (Olsson, 2012 in press)

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Dissemination

Numerous Tech.sci. Papers- Instrumentation, control, automation, process optimisation,..- Anaerobic treatment processes, co-digestion,..- Heat exchange, ....

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Some open questions for establishingwater utility energy efficiency indicator(s):

Looking forward

Willingness to share data from water utilities

… from plants, city administrations, associations ?

Level of aggregation

… national, river basin district, per plant?

Boundary framing

Total energy balance /only electricity ?

Total UWWTP (incl./excl. Incinerations, industrial pre-treatment, storm water,..

Normalisation

Per person, per p.e., per m3

Existing data infrastructure in EU 27 can be used:WISE has database and interactive maps for > 20,000 UWWTPs

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Looking forward

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Summary and way forwardLooking forward

Water and energy sectors can have several synergies in the climate change context

Power consumption by European water utilities is ”only” few % of use in society but has

reduction potentials

• Like the rest of society, utilities need to reduce carbon footprints

• Population growth and higher quality standards makes this more difficult

• Technological solutions do exist - several good use case demonstrations • wastewater sector has a potential to become CO2-neutral

• Fiscal incentives may accelerate implementation of sustainable technologies

Targets for water utilities should be set for energy efficiency

• WWF6 targets: 20% improved energy efficiency (1990-2020) – not enough for EU 20/20/20 targets (absolute reduction)

• Indicators are needed to provide status and to monitor progress

• Existing data infrastructures (WISE, Eye-on-Earth,..) may be helpful

Multi-stakeholder involvement needed

• Political level: policies, targets, support mechanisms

• Technical operating level: new technology implementation & optimisation

• User level: awareness and demand management

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Thank youfor your attention!

Contact e-mail:[email protected]