Energy Auditing as a Tool for Outlining Major Inefficiencies: Results from a Real Water Supply System. (2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mamade, Aisha; Sousa, Catarina; Marques, Ana; Loureiro, Dália; Alegre, Helena; Covas, Dídia
• Is Part Of: Procedia engineering. Volume 119(2015)
• Page Start: 1098
• Page End: 1108
• Publication Date: 2015
• Subjects: energy auditing -- water-energy nexus -- water losses -- water supply systems -- energy efficiency; Engineering -- Congresses; Engineering -- Periodicals; Engineering; Conference proceedings; Periodicals; 620.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.944
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1877-7058

Abstract

Abstract: The application of a novel energy auditing scheme in a real water supply system and its sub-systems to determine major sources of energy inefficiency is presented. This scheme has been consolidated in the Portuguese National Initiative for the management of water-energy losses (www.iperdas.org ). Within this initiative, 17 water utilities have carried out energy audits following a two-step procedure: (i) simplified energy auditing and calculation of efficiency metrics for the global system and for sub-systems and (ii) detailed energy auditing for critical sub-systems. The case-study of Águas do Sado water utility is presented to illustrate the application of this approach. This system has 25% of non-revenue waterand consumes 5.5 GWh per year, which is approximately twice the minimum energy required. The analysis of therespective 17 sub-systems has shown that the major inefficiencies are due to topography constraints, to water losses and to the lack of intermediate service pressure levels.