Alternative Water and Energy Systems in the Buildings

A special issue of Resources (ISSN 2079-9276).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 3733

Special Issue Editors

Department of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rzeszow University of Technology, al. Powstańców Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: alternative water resources; rainwater harvesting systems; renewable energy sources; heat recovery systems; sewage systems; hydrodynamic modeling; life cycle cost analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstańców Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: waste heat recovery systems; sewage systems; underground infrastructure; modeling of infrastructure; water management; rainwater harvesting systems; retention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water and energy are both crucial resources to maintain both the well-being of humans and the economic development of the world. Anthropogenic activities are major contributors to intensifying water scarcity and a clear increase in energy demand. An important part of this demand is the energy and water used in buildings. To increase water availability and to reduce the pressure on natural resources, alternative sources can be implemented, mainly greywater and rainwater. The use of renewable energy sources, such as heat pumps, PV panels, solar collectors and waste heat lead to a reduction in the consumption of energy produced from fossil fuels. The use of alternative water and energy technologies in buildings not only reduces the negative impact of these buildings on the environment, but is also often financially beneficial.

Dr. Agnieszka Stec
Prof. Dr. Daniel Słyś
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • alternative water sources
  • rainwater harvesting system
  • grey water reuse
  • renewable energy sources
  • green buildings
  • drain water heat recovery
  • energy efficiency
  • financial efficiency

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2112 KiB  
Article
Modelling Possible Household Uses of Grey Water in Poland using Property Fitting Analysis
by Józef Ober, Janusz Karwot and Charli Sitinjak
Resources 2024, 13(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13020025 - 05 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1013
Abstract
One of the most important methods of optimising water consumption is grey water recycling. From a technological point of view, the treatment of grey water guarantees that it can be reused for domestic or corporate purposes, but it raises the issue of the [...] Read more.
One of the most important methods of optimising water consumption is grey water recycling. From a technological point of view, the treatment of grey water guarantees that it can be reused for domestic or corporate purposes, but it raises the issue of the social acceptance of the use of such water. This study aimed to assess the possibility of using grey water in households in Poland. The originality of this research study lies in the application of the PROFIT method for the separate construction of models of the benefits of grey water according to user groups. Four groups were identified, differentiated by gender and age; age and possession of an irretrievable water meter; gender and place of residence; place of residence and possession of an irretrievable water meter. To answer the formulated research questions, a diagnostic survey method was used, in which 807 randomly selected respondents from all over Poland were surveyed. The results of the survey indicate that homeowners perceive the potential use of grey water as beneficial, pointing most often to the following factors: rebuilding groundwater levels, reduced extraction of drinking water from rivers and other water bodies, and increased vegetation growth. On the other hand, they are concerned about the need to reconstruct the existing water and sewerage systems in order to produce drinking water from grey water as well as about the high cost and parameter stability of drinking water produced from grey water. Furthermore, men and older people attribute less importance to measures related to the introduction of good practices based on the reuse of recycled water in water management. Women, on the other hand, appreciate almost all opportunities to use grey water to a greater extent than men. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Water and Energy Systems in the Buildings)
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17 pages, 3055 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Life Cycle Cost of a Heat Recovery System from Greywater Using a Vertical “Tube-in-Tube” Heat Exchanger: Case Study of Poland
by Beata Piotrowska and Daniel Słyś
Resources 2023, 12(9), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12090100 - 29 Aug 2023
Viewed by 926
Abstract
Significant amounts of waste heat are deposited in greywater, which can be utilized, among other things, for heating domestic hot water in residential buildings. The manuscript presents an economic analysis of a greywater heat recovery system using a vertical heat exchanger of the [...] Read more.
Significant amounts of waste heat are deposited in greywater, which can be utilized, among other things, for heating domestic hot water in residential buildings. The manuscript presents an economic analysis of a greywater heat recovery system using a vertical heat exchanger of the “tube-in-tube” type in a single-family building. The analysis is based on the results of experimental research on the energy efficiency of three domestic hot water preparation systems equipped with a vertical heat exchange unit. The analyzed systems had different concepts for the flow of preheated water and cold water. The research showed that the implementation of a vertical “tube-in-tube” heat exchanger can reduce the energy consumption for domestic hot water preparation by approximately 45.7% to 60.8%, depending on the system variant. Furthermore, it was determined that the energy savings associated with reducing domestic hot water consumption can cover the investment costs related to the purchase and system of the heat exchanger within a period of 2 to 5 years of system operation, depending on the design variant and the unit price of electricity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Water and Energy Systems in the Buildings)
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17 pages, 7462 KiB  
Article
New Bioretention Drainage Channel as One of the Low-Impact Development Solutions: A Case Study from Poland
by Agnieszka Stec and Daniel Słyś
Resources 2023, 12(7), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12070082 - 10 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1259
Abstract
In recent years, as a result of intensive urbanisation, a significant increase in the surface of impermeable areas has been observed, which results in changes in the hydrological cycle of catchments. In order to counteract these changes, low-impact development (LID) solutions are increasingly [...] Read more.
In recent years, as a result of intensive urbanisation, a significant increase in the surface of impermeable areas has been observed, which results in changes in the hydrological cycle of catchments. In order to counteract these changes, low-impact development (LID) solutions are increasingly being implemented in urban catchments, including bioretention systems. Taking this into account, a new bioretention drainage channel (BRC) was designed, whose main task is retention, infiltration, and pre-treatment of rainwater. The pilot laboratory tests carried out on two BRC prototypes (K1 and K2) showed that the average rate of reduction of mineral-suspended solids from rainwater was 69% and 57%, respectively, for K1 and K2. Analysing the results of the research, it was found that the bioretention drainage channel is characterised by very high efficiency in removing petroleum hydrocarbons from rainwater, and the reduction rate of these pollutants for both the K1 and K2 channels was close to 100%. In turn, hydrodynamic studies carried out on the model of the urban catchment showed that the implementation of BRCs will reduce the peak runoff by more than 82%, and the maximum flow in the sewage network by 83%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Water and Energy Systems in the Buildings)
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