Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4 Innovative Energy Concepts in the Water
SupplySector
Christine Laures
Institute for Water and River Basin Management (IWG), Water Supply Network
Section, University of Karlsruhe
4.1 Introduction
The world's energy consumption is mainly dependent on the supply of fossil en-
ergy sources. In 2006, more than 80% of the world's total primary energy demand
was covered by oil, coal and gas (IEA 2008). While fossil resources are a phase-
out model, experts are not able to predict exactly when fossil energy resources will
be exhausted. Nevertheless the effects of resource shortages are already leading to
considerable rises in the cost of energy. Furthermore, topics such as political in-
stabilities due to energy dependencies and insecurities as well as the challenges of
global climate change should not be neglected. A reduction of fossil energy de-
mand can be achieved by two means: either by the development of alternative en-
ergy resources or by an increase in energy efficiency. In the industrialised world,
drinking water from a house connection is taken as granted. Most people do not
think about the question where the water is coming from or how much energy is
used to make the required amount of water at good quality and sufficient pressure
available. In this chapter, the question of how much energy is used in central water
supply systems will be discussed - by means of some selected examples - and
how the energy efficiency of central water supply systems can be increased
through innovative energy concepts.
4.2 Concept of a Central Water Supply System
In the year 2004, 78% of the urban and 30% of the rural world's population prof-
ited from water supply via house connection (JMP 2006). It can be assumed that a
high percentage of this group was supplied via a central water supply system. Tak-
ing goal 7 and target 10 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the
United Nations (“Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable ac-
cess to safe drinking water and basic sanitation”) (United Nations Millennium De-
claration 2000) as well as the numerous national poverty reduction strategy papers
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