The potential of (waste)water as energy carrier

Energy input and potential output of the Dutch communal water cycle. [Display omitted] Municipal wastewater is a large carrier of chemical and thermal energy. The recovery of chemical energy from wastewater can be maximised by digestion. The potential of thermal energy recovery from wastewater is hu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy conversion and management 2013-01, Vol.65, p.357-363
Main Authors: Frijns, Jos, Hofman, Jan, Nederlof, Maarten
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
(Waste)Water
Applied sciences
Biogas
Biomass
Carbon
Carriers
Chemical energy
Conservation
Energy
Energy generation and recovery
Exact sciences and technology
Heat
Natural energy
Organic carbon
Sludge digestion
Thermal energy
Underground thermal energy
Warm water
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Summary:Energy input and potential output of the Dutch communal water cycle. [Display omitted] Municipal wastewater is a large carrier of chemical and thermal energy. The recovery of chemical energy from wastewater can be maximised by digestion. The potential of thermal energy recovery from wastewater is huge. Underground thermal energy storage is a rapidly developing renewable energy source. Next to energy efficiency improvements in the water sector, there is a need for new concepts in which water is viewed as a carrier of energy. Municipal wastewater is a potential source of chemical energy, i.e. organic carbon that can be recovered as biogas in sludge digestion. The recovery of chemical energy can be maximised by up-concentration of organic carbon and maximised sludge digestion or by source separation and anaerobic treatment. Even more so, domestic wastewater is a source of thermal energy. Through warm water conservation and heat recovery, for example with shower heat exchangers, substantial amounts of energy can be saved and recovered from the water cycle. Water can also be an important renewable energy source, i.e. as underground thermal energy storage. These systems are developing rapidly in the Netherlands and their energy potential is large.
ISSN:0196-8904
1879-2227
DOI:10.1016/j.enconman.2012.08.023