Water-Energy Nexus

• Corporate Water Management
  • We work with the US Department of Energy through their Better Buildings Challenge to develop best practices for corporate water management strategies. See here for a guide developed by DOE and LBNL based on the experiences of 7 industrial companies: betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/resources/corporate-water-management-strategy-manufacturers
• US Manufacturing Water Use Characteristics
  • We conduct research to better understand US manufacturing water use characteristics including quantities, sources, location, and watershed impact. Through mapping US manufacturing water use, our results can be used my policy makers and manufacturers alike to identify manufacturing operations at risk of water shortages, where to prioritize conservation efforts, and the impact of water saving technologies. See our paper on the embedded energy in the US water and wastewater network: eta.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/publications/lbnl-190943.pdf
• Analysis of the Water-Energy Nexus
  • We conduct analysis to better understand the coupling between water and energy and methods to reduce the interdependence. Our current work includes an evaluation of the current and R&D opportunity for reducing the energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and costs of seawater desalination for U.S. public water supply under various uptake scenarios. See our interim report for foundational information on seawater desalination: eta.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/publications/lbnl-1006424.pdf

Contact

Prakash Rao

(510) 486-4410 | PRao@lbl.gov