Harvesting of Condensate Water from Air Conditioners in Large Institutions as a Sustainable Resource

Amr Elbrashy (), Kambiz Vafai, Abdullah Elshennawy, Manar Ayman, Ahmed Elgebaly and Maher Rashad
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Amr Elbrashy: Horus University-Egypt (HUE)
Kambiz Vafai: University of California
Abdullah Elshennawy: Horus University-Egypt (HUE)
Manar Ayman: Horus University-Egypt (HUE)
Ahmed Elgebaly: Horus University-Egypt (HUE)
Maher Rashad: Tanta University

Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), 2025, vol. 39, issue 10, No 29, 5289-5312

Abstract: Abstract The presented study aligns with global sustainability goals by integrating water harvesting with energy-efficient transactions. Infrastructure and energy in buildings are worth attention to tackle water scarcity and energy consumption management. This research highlights the dual benefits of enhancing water sustainability while optimizing energy use in air conditioning (AC) systems. The methodology includes investigating the potential of harnessing condensate water produced by a network of 113 AC units and a surface area of 3000 m2. All data have been collected and evaluated at the faculty of engineering at Horus University in New Damietta, Egypt. The greatest cumulative amount of water produced for one day was 51.24 L in June, 51.56 L in July, 55.65 L in August, and 53.32 L in September. By multiplying the average amount by the number of AC units in the building, the daily water production records 5977.7 L/day, approximately 6 m3. Although this number of air conditioners consumes 236 kW to operate, the operating cost is not considered since water is a byproduct. Therefore, the main cost can be represented by maintenance, renewal, and water treatment when used for drinking. Also, using this water in other applications without treatment, such as irrigation, cleaning, practical experiments, and engineering applications, provides a great return on investment. Graphical Abstract

Keywords: Condensate water; Air conditioning; Water recovery; Sustainability; Building energy; Water harvesting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11269-025-04203-9

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