Every Drop counts because water sector is one of the biggest energy consumers
As a global problem, the issue of climate change requires all countries around the globe to collaborate with each other because every drop count when we talk about water efficiency. In 2015 the world leaders agreed on ambitious new goals in the fight against climate change.
The Paris Agreement includes an action plan to limit global warming. The European Union signed and ratified the Paris Agreement demonstrating its strong commitment to its application, having set the goal of being the first economy and society with a neutral impact on the climate by 2050.
In this objective the urban water cycle plays a very important role. The water sector is one of the largest energy consumers (needs energy to capture, treat and distribute water) and given the high residential energy consumption for water heating (corresponding to approximately 23% of the energy bill), in order to achieve the goal in terms of decarbonization it is important to consider that every drop counts to optimize the management and use of water in these sectors, mostly on the water transition along with the energy one. This water transition has great potential in buildings with benefits for the environment, energy and economic sustainability of the country and families (see Figure 1).
AQUA+ THE WATER EFFICIENCY BENCHMARK IN BUILDINGS BECAUSE EVERY DROP COUNTS
What can be done to make a building more sustainablemfrom a water efficiency point of view?
Droughts and the occurrence of floods are a growing problem in the country and in Europe which test the resilience of cities and the sustainable management of water resources. Using water also requires a lot of energy. The sustainable transition in terms of the conservation of resources decarbonization and climate resilience makes it imperative to develop solutions that promote waste reduction, optimize the use of wate and its reuse in buildings.
In buildings a potential water efficiency of 30% to 50% is estimated depending on their age. The consumption of hot water represents in the domestic sector 23%1 of the energy bill, so the introduction of water efficiency solutions can generate combined savings in water and energy in buildings of more than 800 million euros per year for the Portuguese families.
Responding to these challenges, ADENE launched AQUA+, a simple, agile and voluntary system for evaluating and rating the water efficiency of buildings.
AQUA+ meets the objectives and actions foreseen in the National Program for the Efficient Use of Water, in the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality 20501, in the 2030 National Energy and Climate Plan2, in the Public Administration Resource Efficiency Program for 20303 (ECO.AP 2030)4, in the Long-Term Strategy for
Renovation of Buildings (ELPRE)5, in the Wave for the Renovation of Buildings (an initiative under the European Ecological Pact), and in the New Action Plan for the Circular Economy of the European Union.
AQUA+ is the result of H2ODesign, a participatory process started in September 2018 which involved consumers, experts and stakeholders in a collaborative approach to the design of new approaches for the efficient use of water. The system was implemented with the collaboration of entities of the national scientific and technological system (SCTN) and technical-scientific associations throughout 2019.
In addition to the Water Class, AQUA+ provides information to the consumer/real estate developer regarding the performance of the property with regard to infrastructure, equipment and devices (installed or in project), namely: water sources and networks, outdoor uses, device efficiency, washing equipment (dishwashers and washing machines) and domestic hot water (Figure 3).
Improvement measures to be implemented to reduce water consumption and associated energy consumption are also identified, giving an indication of the potential for saving water and water + energy.
Considering a family of 4 people and an average water price for a municipality with a high population density it is possible to obtain, by replacing conventional showers, toilets and taps with new ones with more efficient features, savings of approximately 196 thousand litters of water per year. These savings translate into a reduction of €227 per year in the water bill.
The purchase of an efficient dishwasher, when it does not exist, will also save water. By using the dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand you can save up to 16,000 litters of water per year. This results in a reduction of €19 per year in the water bill.
In order to support the informed choice of users so thar every drop counts, ADENE created the AQUA+ saving tips, which aim to guide consumers and technicians in the proper selection of products (cisterns, shower systems, faucets and outdoor uses, such as irrigation systems) and present solutions for the sustainability of buildings.
From the total of residential property audits carried out, it appears that:
/ About 38% of properties manage to go from Classes F to C to B to A+;
/ The potential for reducing consumption varies between 30 and 40%, with an average of 38% considering 2020 data (estimates based on standard values for water use);
/ The implementation of all improvement measures, in all properties audited since the beginning of the system, would result in a total saving of almost 4 million litters of water/year.
AQUA+ is based on the AQUA+ Ecosystem, created to boost water efficiency in buildings. As a key element for the replicability and scale of AQUA+, is included the technicians training and qualification who act as AQUA+ consultants and auditors. Their qualification and training ensure the dissemination and application of AQUA+ throughout the country and the creation of new opportunities for professionals and entrepreneurial companies with more than 150 AQUA+ technicians trained.
The 1st Edition of the AQUA+ Awards (2020) expanded the ecosystem with the Tech AQUA+ Network, an informal network for the dissemination of intelligent water monitoring and control solutions and technologies for users in different applications (buildings and other urban spaces), in particular those that contribute to a better AQUA+ water classification in different types of buildings and uses.
The AQUA+ classification methodology intends to encourage the growing integration in buildings and urban uses of water and technologies that help consumers and managers of different types of buildings and uses to make a more efficient use of water also contributing to the improvement of behaviors in different contexts. In this context AQUA+ values the existence of systems for measuring, monitoring and/or managing water consumption.
These are fundamental solutions for the innovative evolution path towards the future AQUA+ 4.0 based on a dynamic approach and for a more intelligent water management in the different types of buildings and other urban uses and for which the entities of the TECH AQUA+ Network already help to answer. Initiated with the finalists of the AQUA+ 2020 Awards, this Network will soon be extended to other entities with solutions and technologies for monitoring and intelligent control of water in different applications.
Alongside these entities, others including water service management entities are taking important steps to help users to better understand and manage their consumption. Meet one of these entities in this edition.
Born from a participatory process AQUA+ maintains its strong collaborative approach and the involvement of everyone. In 2021 the AQUA+ Commitment Network was set up including 30 institutions of governance and institutional and sectoral representation in the country (others will join in a continuous cycle), which contribute to the strong implementation of this instrument of water efficiency in Portugal.
The extension of AQUA+ to other types of buildings is underway: to the tourism sector (Hotels), already under development in partnership with Turismo de Portugal and scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2021; and commercial and service buildings, including public buildings, in 2022.
References:
- PNEC, 2030.
- Ministers Council Resolution no. 107/2019, of 1 July, following Portugal’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 assumed at the Conference of the Parties on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2016.
- Ministers Council Resolution no. 53/2020, of 10 July, responding to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 December 2018, concerning the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action.
- Ministers Council Resolution no. 104/2020, of 3 january, responding to Resource Efficiency Program in Public Administration for the period up to 2030.
- Ministers Council Resolution no. 104/2020, of 3 january, responding to Resource Efficiency Program in Public Administration for the period up to 2030.
