Mapping Thermal Energy Resource Potentials from Wastewater Treatment Plants

Georg Neugebauer, Florian Kretschmer, René Kollmann, Michael Narodoslawsky, Thomas Ertl and Gernot Stoeglehner
Additional contact information
Georg Neugebauer: Institute of Spatial Planning and Rural Development, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Florian Kretschmer: Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
René Kollmann: Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
Michael Narodoslawsky: Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
Thomas Ertl: Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Gernot Stoeglehner: Institute of Spatial Planning and Rural Development, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: Wastewater heat recovery via heat exchangers and heat pumps constitutes an environmentally friendly, approved and economically competitive, but often underestimated technology. By introducing the spatial dimension in feasibility studies, the results of calculations change considerably. This paper presents a methodology to estimate thermal energy resource potentials of wastewater treatment plants taking spatial contexts into account. In close proximity to settlement areas, wastewater energy can ideally be applied for heating in mixed-function areas, which very likely have a continuous heat demand and allow for an increased amount of full-load hours compared to most single-use areas. For the Austrian case, it is demonstrated that the proposed methodology leads to feasible results and that the suggested technology might reduce up to 17% of the Austrian global warming potential of room heating. The method is transferrable to other countries as the input data and calculation formula are made available. A broad application of wastewater energy with regard to spatial structures and spatial development potentials can lead to (1) increasing energy efficiency by using a maximum of waste heat and (2) a significant reduction of (fossil) energy consumption which results in a considerable reduction of the global warming potential of the heat supply (GWP) if electricity from renewables is used for the operation of heat pumps.

Keywords: wastewater energy; heat recovery; spatial planning; energy planning; wastewater treatment plant; climate change mitigation; renewable energy; life-cycle impact assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/10/12988/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/10/12988/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:10:p:12988-13010:d:56320

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().