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Ph.D. in Information Technology Final Defense Ali A. Bakhshi
*Abstract*
This research investigates the embodied energy associated with water use. A geographic information system (GIS) was tested using data from Loudoun County, Virginia. The carbon footprint metric is a useful tool for prediction and measurement of a system’s sustainable performance over its expected life cycle. Two metrics were calculated: tons of carbon dioxide per year to represent the contribution to global warming and watt-hrs per gallon to show the embodied energy associated with water consumption. The water delivery to the building, removal of wastewater from the building and associated treatment of water and wastewater create a sizable carbon footprint; often the footprint is the greatest end use of electrical energy in a facility. The embodied energy in water depends on topographical characteristics of the area’s local water supply, the efficiency of the treatment systems, and the efficiency of the pumping stations. The questions answered by this research are: What is the impact of demand side sustainable water practices on the embodied energy as represented by a comprehensive carbon footprint? What are the major energy consuming elements attributed to the system? What is a viable and visually identifiable tool to estimate the carbon footprint attributed to those Greenhouse Gas (GHG) producing elements? What is the embodied energy and emission associated with water use delivered to a building?
The objective of this study was to devise a GPS that will calculate the embodied energy associated with water at the facility level to improve sustainability planning. Factors that affect the carbon footprint were investigated and the use of the GIS model as a sustainability planning framework was evaluated.
Benefits to be derived from a standardized GIS applied carbon footprint estimation approach include:
· Improved environmental and economic information for the developers, water and wastewater processing and municipal planners;
· Improved energy use reporting and conservation planning;
· Establishment of a benchmark for GHG emissions attributed to the water and wastewater industry; and
· Ability to quantify relative impacts of building design options using carbon emission equivalents.
The GIS based model was applied to the Dulles South and Brambelton regions in Loudoun County, VA. The GIS revealed the customer’s embodied energy to be in the range of 4.41MWh/Mgal to 8.0 MWh/Mgal. The customer’s carbon footprint was between 0.008 and18.0 Tons of CO_2 per year.
A copy of this doctoral dissertation is on reserve at the Johnson Center Library.
This research investigates the embodied energy associated with water use. A geographic information system (GIS) was tested using data from Loudoun County, Virginia. The carbon footprint metric is a useful tool for prediction and measurement of a system’s sustainable performance over its expected life cycle. Two metrics were calculated: tons of carbon dioxide per year to represent the contribution to global warming and watt-hrs per gallon to show the embodied energy associated with water consumption. The water delivery to the building, removal of wastewater from the building and associated treatment of water and wastewater create a sizable carbon footprint; often the footprint is the greatest end use of electrical energy in a facility. The embodied energy in water depends on topographical characteristics of the area’s local water supply, the efficiency of the treatment systems, and the efficiency of the pumping stations. The questions answered by this research are: What is the impact of demand side sustainable water practices on the embodied energy as represented by a comprehensive carbon footprint? What are the major energy consuming elements attributed to the system? What is a viable and visually identifiable tool to estimate the carbon footprint attributed to those Greenhouse Gas (GHG) producing elements? What is the embodied energy and emission associated with water use delivered to a building?
The objective of this study was to devise a GPS that will calculate the embodied energy associated with water at the facility level to improve sustainability planning. Factors that affect the carbon footprint were investigated and the use of the GIS model as a sustainability planning framework was evaluated.
Benefits to be derived from a standardized GIS applied carbon footprint estimation approach include:
· Improved environmental and economic information for the developers, water and wastewater processing and municipal planners;
· Improved energy use reporting and conservation planning;
· Establishment of a benchmark for GHG emissions attributed to the water and wastewater industry; and
· Ability to quantify relative impacts of building design options using carbon emission equivalents.
The GIS based model was applied to the Dulles South and Brambelton regions in Loudoun County, VA. The GIS revealed the customer’s embodied energy to be in the range of 4.41MWh/Mgal to 8.0 MWh/Mgal. The customer’s carbon footprint was between 0.008 and18.0 Tons of CO_2 per year.
A copy of this doctoral dissertation is on reserve at the Johnson Center Library.
Posted on: October 13, 2009
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