Financial Feasibility Analysis of Residential Rainwater Harvesting in Maringá, Brazil

Rodrigo Novais Istchuk () and Enedir Ghisi
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Rodrigo Novais Istchuk: Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Enedir Ghisi: Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are key solutions to improve water resource management in cities, and financial feasibility is essential for their diffusion. Moreover, studies about rainwater often adopt diverse design approaches, leading to incompatible results for direct comparison. This study introduces a categorised item-by-item outlay procedure and evaluates indirect (gravity) and direct (pressuriser) rainwater distribution schemes. Computer simulations were used to design 54 generic RWH system scenarios in Maringá based on a range of design variables. For each scenario, a monthly cost–benefit balance was built, and discounted payback, net present value, and internal rate of return were obtained. Similar outlays were obtained for direct and indirect rainwater distribution schemes (∆ = BRL 21.81) with an average of BRL 13,484.87 among all scenarios. Average operational costs were estimated at BRL 1.31/month.m 3 of rainwater demand. On average, paybacks of 14.7 years and internal rates of return of 0.99% per month were obtained among feasible scenarios. Like in other studies, financial feasibility indicators presented significant correlations (0.88 ≤ R 2 ≤ 0.94) with rainwater demand. The initial outlay distribution proposed herein provides an objective reference for result comparison among similar studies. Similar results for both rainwater distribution schemes point towards investigating alternative technical solutions for RWH systems.

Keywords: economic feasibility; payback; internal rate of return; initial outlay; investment feasibility; computer simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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