An Approach for Water and Energy Savings in Public Buildings: A Case Study of Brazilian Rail Company
Metadatos
Mostrar el registro completo del ítemEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Energy conservation Sustainable water consumption Photovoltaic system Railway system Greenhouse gas emissions Footprint carbon
Fecha
2022-11-29Referencia bibliográfica
Carneiro, M.A... [et al.]. An Approach for Water and Energy Savings in Public Buildings: A Case Study of Brazilian Rail Company. Sustainability 2022, 14, 15921. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315921]
Resumen
Water scarcity is a current problem in many parts of the planet and there is a worldwide
concern about water availability to meet future water demand. In countries like Brazil, where most
of the electricity is produced by hydroelectric power plants, water scarcity directly impacts energy
production. The water–energy nexus is directly related and impacted by CO2 emissions and its
climate consequences, which calls to a broader approach: energy–carbon–water nexus. In this context,
the Sustainable Water and Energy Consumption (SWEC) Program was developed to mitigate water
and energy supply problems in a railway company in Brazil. The actions took place in four main
areas: (a) users conscientization, (b) consumption diagnosis, (c) indicators for evaluating water
and energy consumption, and (d) evaluation of implementing alternative cleaner water and energy
sources. The per capita consumption of water and energy were reduced by 10% and 19%, respectively.
Permanent results were achieved by the SWEC Program, such as the acquisition of two photovoltaic
systems with a total capacity of 96.5 kWp. The investment made provided an average monthly
reduction in energy consumption of 56% in 2022. This work contributed to the UN Agenda 2030
and the findings may help companies and industries, and other institutions, such as universities and
schools, to improve their water and electricity consumption.