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New project about the recovery of waste water and gray water granted by FORMAS

Published Nov 06, 2018

A new research project has been granted by FORMAS regarding systemic effects of real estate recycling of heat and water.

Below is an excerpt from the application for the project entitled To ensure sustainable and equitable access to water and energy during operator-driven disruptive system change, describing the project in brief:

"Improved energy efficiency in buildings contribute to global and national goals for environment and climate. Recovery of heat from wastewater is a promising technology but may become disruptive for the city-wide systems for water and heat. The aim of this project is to assess the system effect of on-property heat and water installations, including social consequences, in support of a smooth transition towards a climate-smart society. We wish to:

  1. Assess the scope for on-property installations for water and heat recirculation;

  2. Understand the varying incentives, business models and strategies of different actors;

  3. Evaluate system effects in terms of energy, climate, business models and social equity for four future

    scenarios;

  4. Initiate a dialogue between policy-makers, infrastructure-owners, and real estate actors, for coherent

    strategies for transformation of urban water and heat systems.

We use case studies in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Värmdö, where different on-property solutions are already being tested. We assess the co-evolution of technology, actors and society, and how the new technology redistributes benefits and costs among the societal actors.

The interdisciplinary research team from KTH covers energy and water engineering, systems approaches, innovation studies, history and industrial management. The project is carried out with participation from a range of private and municipal actors in water, energy and real estate."

The project is planned to be in progress during the upcoming three years. Participants in the project are Pär Blomkvist, Associate Professor at Royal Institute of Technology, Timon Karpouzoglou, Doctor at Wageningen University & Research, Semida Silveira, Professor at Royal Institute of Technology and Jörgen Wallin, Doctor at Royal Institute of Technology.

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Belongs to: KTH Live-In Lab
Last changed: Nov 06, 2018