Spatial and temporal considerations in the performance of wastewater heat recovery systems

Spriet, Jan; McNabola, Aonghus; Neugebauer, Georg; Stoeglehner, Gernot; Ertl, Thomas; Kretschmer, Florian

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119583

Cited by 45 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Thermal energy recovery directly from wastewater, applying, for example, heat pumps, is also being considered as an option, and some scholars are focusing their research on that aspect [43][44][45].…”

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confidence: 99%

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

2021

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In upcoming years, water demand is expected to boost worldwide, and with that, wastewater generation and the required energy for treatment. Provided that efficiency measures should be implemented at first instance, developments of renewable energy technologies are needed to improve sustainability at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Based on theoretical analyses of literature data, this article presents a novel perspective of the role that hydropower could play in that energy framework. This research applied a new approach compared to previous studies, considering the introduction of sustainability aspects in the decision-making process, other than economic feasibility. With that aim, a broad search of real case studies was conducted, and suitable Key Performance Indicators based on the energy self-sufficiency concept were selected and applied to the identified cases. The findings suggest that there is not a rule of thumb to determine feasibility for hydropower installation and this technology might deserve more attention. This new perspective can help to raise awareness among policy makers, decision managers, or plant operators, of the possibilities hydropower could offer to the wastewater industry in the pathway towards more sustainable systems.

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confidence: 99%

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

2021

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“…For a localised case study in Ireland, it was shown that due to temporal mismatches between demand and supply, there were 21-123 days where heat supply from the WWTW was insufficient to meet demand in the required urban zones. 47 Nevertheless, the heat recovery potential estimates of this study suggest that wastewater heat recovery, even at the final, coolest stage of the treatment and disposal process, could play an important role in meeting heat demand and emissions targets. Recovered heat could be fed into district heat networks which heat the very places producing the warm wastewater.…”

Section: What Is the Annual Volume And Heat Recovery Potential Of Treated Wastewater Leaving Wwtw?mentioning

confidence: 79%

The heat recovery potential of ‘wastewater’: a national analysis of sewage effluent discharge temperatures

Wilson

Worrall

2021

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol.

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“…In regard to UEH, most research concentrates on cases showcasing specific types of excess heat sources and the following part presents some recent examples. In [26], the excess heat potential from wastewater treatment facilities in Ireland was analyzed in a spatio-temporal analysis, showing that 58-93% of the heat demand can be covered by heat recovery in five different zones. Another article, [27], examines the economically feasible potential for waste heat recovery from wastewater treatment in Hungary, where distance to DH and investments in heat pumps were found to be the major factors influencing the feasibility.…”

Section: Current Research On Unconventional Excess Heat Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unconventional Excess Heat Sources for District Heating in a National Energy System Context

et al. 2020

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District heating (DH) is an important technology in future smart energy systems as it allows for an efficient implementation of various renewable energy sources. As DH develops towards lower temperatures and renewable electricity production increases, new types of heat sources become relevant. Thus, the aim of this article is to assess the potential for utilizing four unconventional excess heat (UEH) sources in DH systems, namely: Data centers, wastewater treatment, metros and service sector buildings. The main method used to assess the UEH potentials is an energy system analysis focusing on the availability and economic feasibility of utilizing the UEH sources in national contexts. The analysis consists of 2015 and 2050 scenarios for Germany, Spain and France. The results show a potential for utilizing the UEH potentials in all three countries, both in 2015 and 2050 systems. The potentials are highest in the 2050 scenarios, primarily due to larger DH shares. Furthermore, the potentials are limited by competition with other heat supply sources, conjunction with heat demands and feasible heat pump operation. In conclusion, the four UEH sources could impact the local DH systems, but in a national energy system context they are expected to play a minor role.

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Spatial and temporal considerations in the performance of wastewater heat recovery systems

Cited by 45 publications

References 30 publications

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

The heat recovery potential of ‘wastewater’: a national analysis of sewage effluent discharge temperatures

Unconventional Excess Heat Sources for District Heating in a National Energy System Context

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