by Renata Mikalauskiene
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| Figure 1: Water-energy nexus: Water is used to gain energy, in addition to release energy is used to process water. |
Water in addition to release energy are intricately linked in addition to should hold upwards managed equally interrelated resources. The concept of the release energy in addition to H2O nexus refers to the human relationship betwixt the H2O used for release energy production including both electricity in addition to sources of fuel in addition to the release energy consumed to extract, purify, deliver, process in addition to dispose of H2O or/and wastewater.
Rising demand for release energy has the potential to significantly increase H2O consumption. Energy producers in addition to consumers essay to evaluate their release energy options in addition to developing policies that apply appropriate fiscal carrots in addition to sticks to diverse technologies to encourage sustainable release energy production, including cost, carbon, in addition to safety considerations. Energy in addition to H2O nexus needs to hold upwards purpose of this debate, especially how communities volition contend the trade-offs betwixt H2O in addition to release energy at the local, national, in addition to cross-border levels.
Although the release energy in addition to H2O nexus theme has been of involvement to a handful of people inwards the Mediterranean percentage for 2 decades, it was exclusively of late (in the yesteryear v years) brought upwards inwards a to a greater extent than serious way. Local governments are aware of the final result in addition to specific efforts inwards specific regions convey been carried out throughout the countries, in addition to of course, amongst the awareness of the issue, challenges arise.
Energy in addition to H2O integration inwards a unmarried in addition to efficient organisation is the primary theme of the EdgeWise (Energy in addition to Water Systems Integration in addition to Management) project. The experimental airplane pilot volition hold upwards used to banking concern check the applicability in addition to assess the socio-economic behave on of the run developed yesteryear the inquiry teams.
In Portugal, it is of major importance to alter national policies inwards companionship to articulate release energy in addition to H2O sectors in addition to to create beneficial synergies to increase both resources efficiency in addition to to sustain the generations to come.
The basic view of the proposed scenario for urban areas is uncomplicated enough: H2O is release energy intensive, in addition to release energy is H2O intensive, in addition to thus addressing both inwards an integrated means should Pb to innovative, to a greater extent than efficient solutions.
The populace green located inwards Covilha (Portugal) metropolis volition hold upwards used to create a water-energy combined organisation to back upwards the city’s black demand of H2O in addition to electricity to mightiness its populace lights.
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| Figure 2: Energy Water Nexus airplane pilot implementation site – Alexandre Aibeo Park, Covilha, Portugal (HWT: Upper H2O reservoir; LWT: Lower H2O reservoir; PV: Photovoltaics; WT: Wind turbine; PAT: Pump equally turbine) |
The full general objective of the developed airplane pilot is to transform solar in addition to air current release energy to gravitational potential release energy (GPE) yesteryear raising H2O to a degree higher than its reference level. The peak divergence of the already existing H2O reservoirs volition hold upwards used to shop release energy yesteryear elevating H2O from the bottom of the green to the top. The run that volition hold upwards used to lift the H2O volition hold upwards supplied yesteryear solar in addition to air current sources.
Figure 2 represents the airplane pilot inwards its nigh basic configuration. Two H2O reservoirs (HWT in addition to LWT) are managed throughout the twenty-four hours taking into concern human relationship 2 factors: the postulate for H2O yesteryear consumers in addition to maximizing the release energy storage capacity inwards the upper degree reservoir. According to operation, during the twenty-four hours produced release energy from Sun (PV) in addition to air current (WT) volition hold upwards used to provide mightiness to the see inwards companionship to shop the release energy inwards the upper reservoir. During the night, the see equally a turbine (PAT) volition gain release energy to provide the populace illumination inwards the green area. This sort of release energy transformation is anticipated to hold upwards of involvement to H2O in addition to utility providers of mount cities in addition to towns.
Energy in addition to H2O nexus inquiry has a number of benefits when compared to traditional release energy storage mechanisms that utilisation an electrochemical approach. Water storage is depression maintenance, depression cost, environmentally friendly, in addition to it comes amongst easily available components that gain non require frequent replacements.
Renata Mikalauskiene
Malta College of Arts, Science in addition to Technology (MCAST) Energy
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer wishes to give thank yous for their fiscal back upwards the Republic of Malta Council for Science in addition to Technology (MCST) (Grant ENM-2016-001) through the ERANETMED maiden of Member States, Associated Countries in addition to Mediterranean Partner Countries (EdgeWise Project ID eranetmed_nexus-14-044).
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