Keywords

electricity, water, urban environments, energy-water nexus

Start Date

25-6-2018 10:40 AM

End Date

25-6-2018 12:00 PM

Abstract

Electricity and water are closely connected resources, with both resources necessary for sustaining urban built environments. Electric power generation depends on water resources, and piped treated water and wastewater systems depend on energy resources, representing aspects of the electricity-water nexus. A microcosm of this electricity-water nexus is the residential household, where consumers both directly and indirectly consume electricity and water resources. In this analysis, we quantify and visualize direct and indirect water and electricity consumption for households in the urban area of Chicago, Illinois, USA. As the third largest city in the United States, Chicago is a dense urban environment with interesting considerations regarding water and energy sustainability. While the area’s electricity provider has installed smart electricity meters, Chicago's water sector has comparatively lagged in advances, struggling with challenges of limited drinking water withdrawals from Lake Michigan and massive gray infrastructure investment and overflow restrictions with a combined sewer system. To analyze the city as the sum of residents, we quantify the electricity-water nexus for the residential sector, conducting geographic analysis on a ZIP code scale. Using 30-minute electricity consumption, monthly drinking water flows, and daily wastewater flows, we quantify direct and indirect water and electricity consumption for Chicago households at both annual and monthly scales to reveal aspects of seasonality. Results show that both water and electricity (and their respective embedded resources) are important for decision-making in the context of sustainable cities.

Stream and Session

Stream B: (Big) Data Solutions for Planning, Management, and Operation and Environmental Systems

Session: Modelling and Managing Urban Water and Energy Demands in the Era of Big Data

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Jun 25th, 10:40 AM Jun 25th, 12:00 PM

Exploring the Household Electricity-Water Nexus of Chicago, Illinois, USA

Electricity and water are closely connected resources, with both resources necessary for sustaining urban built environments. Electric power generation depends on water resources, and piped treated water and wastewater systems depend on energy resources, representing aspects of the electricity-water nexus. A microcosm of this electricity-water nexus is the residential household, where consumers both directly and indirectly consume electricity and water resources. In this analysis, we quantify and visualize direct and indirect water and electricity consumption for households in the urban area of Chicago, Illinois, USA. As the third largest city in the United States, Chicago is a dense urban environment with interesting considerations regarding water and energy sustainability. While the area’s electricity provider has installed smart electricity meters, Chicago's water sector has comparatively lagged in advances, struggling with challenges of limited drinking water withdrawals from Lake Michigan and massive gray infrastructure investment and overflow restrictions with a combined sewer system. To analyze the city as the sum of residents, we quantify the electricity-water nexus for the residential sector, conducting geographic analysis on a ZIP code scale. Using 30-minute electricity consumption, monthly drinking water flows, and daily wastewater flows, we quantify direct and indirect water and electricity consumption for Chicago households at both annual and monthly scales to reveal aspects of seasonality. Results show that both water and electricity (and their respective embedded resources) are important for decision-making in the context of sustainable cities.