Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study
Optimising energy use in systems and buildings is crucial to reduce climate change. This paper aims to address the gap in knowledge for pico-hydropower (<5 kW) that has been identified as an area of untapped potential in the water industries. A literature review and multivariate analysis are used...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023039166 |
| _version_ | 1797812796347383808 |
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| author | Sascha Thyer Tony White |
| author_facet | Sascha Thyer Tony White |
| author_sort | Sascha Thyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Optimising energy use in systems and buildings is crucial to reduce climate change. This paper aims to address the gap in knowledge for pico-hydropower (<5 kW) that has been identified as an area of untapped potential in the water industries. A literature review and multivariate analysis are used to find a suitable pico-hydro turbine to install into a coral reef aquarium system in a government owned facility. Key findings from the literature review are untapped potential, gaps in knowledge and global quantification of small hydropower for energy recovery, and lack of enabling data contributing to slow uptake of small hydropower. The study showed a propeller pico-hydropower turbine could be used to recover approximately 10% of the energy used for pumping water through a filtration system. At 2.3 m available head, and 90 L/s water flow, power output up to 1.124 kW was achieved. The project was economically viable with financial and non-financial benefits for the life cycle of the product. There remain sparse case studies for energy recovery using small hydropower in the scientific literature. A growing number of authors see the potential of this renewable energy technology to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to provide affordable clean energy and address climate change. This study helps to shine a light on opportunities to find value from waste using a novel application of hydropower in a water industry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:42:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ee60aa4b8d64a41b586bce1e4e3b287 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:42:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ee60aa4b8d64a41b586bce1e4e3b2872023-06-03T04:22:24ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-06-0196e16709Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case studySascha Thyer0Tony White1Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Australia; Central Queensland University, Australia; Corresponding author. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville Australia, Australia.Member of Engineers Australia, AustraliaOptimising energy use in systems and buildings is crucial to reduce climate change. This paper aims to address the gap in knowledge for pico-hydropower (<5 kW) that has been identified as an area of untapped potential in the water industries. A literature review and multivariate analysis are used to find a suitable pico-hydro turbine to install into a coral reef aquarium system in a government owned facility. Key findings from the literature review are untapped potential, gaps in knowledge and global quantification of small hydropower for energy recovery, and lack of enabling data contributing to slow uptake of small hydropower. The study showed a propeller pico-hydropower turbine could be used to recover approximately 10% of the energy used for pumping water through a filtration system. At 2.3 m available head, and 90 L/s water flow, power output up to 1.124 kW was achieved. The project was economically viable with financial and non-financial benefits for the life cycle of the product. There remain sparse case studies for energy recovery using small hydropower in the scientific literature. A growing number of authors see the potential of this renewable energy technology to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to provide affordable clean energy and address climate change. This study helps to shine a light on opportunities to find value from waste using a novel application of hydropower in a water industry.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023039166Small hydropowerPico-hydropower turbineEnergy recoveryEnergy efficiencyMicro-gridRenewable energy |
| spellingShingle | Sascha Thyer Tony White Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study Heliyon Small hydropower Pico-hydropower turbine Energy recovery Energy efficiency Micro-grid Renewable energy |
| title | Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study |
| title_full | Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study |
| title_fullStr | Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study |
| title_short | Energy recovery in a commercial building using pico-hydropower turbines: An Australian case study |
| title_sort | energy recovery in a commercial building using pico hydropower turbines an australian case study |
| topic | Small hydropower Pico-hydropower turbine Energy recovery Energy efficiency Micro-grid Renewable energy |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023039166 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saschathyer energyrecoveryinacommercialbuildingusingpicohydropowerturbinesanaustraliancasestudy AT tonywhite energyrecoveryinacommercialbuildingusingpicohydropowerturbinesanaustraliancasestudy |