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Benchmarking Water Efficiency in Public School Buildings

Author

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  • Rafael Almeida Flores

    (Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil)

  • Enedir Ghisi

    (Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil)

Abstract

The operation of buildings is significant among the human activities that withdraw water from nature, and evaluating the water efficiency of buildings is essential for sustainable development. Hence, this paper aims to assess the water efficiency in school buildings to identify benchmarks that could be used as targets in water-saving initiatives alongside highlighting which type of variable is more influential for each building. A cluster benchmarking system was developed and applied to 82 public school buildings in Florianópolis, Brazil. Data were obtained from the state water supply company and both state and municipal education departments. Water consumption drivers were defined through a literature review and the language R was used for clustering the sample. Water efficiency was then evaluated using suitable indicators for occupation conditions, building rooms and spaces and water appliances. High and low-efficiency buildings were identified in the five clusters generated through the k-means algorithm. Schools with excessively low or high consumption that could be related either to the under-measurement or leaks were identified, which is useful for water network management. In conclusion, water-efficient school buildings were highlighted as benchmarks and the type of variables that should be addressed for enhancing the accuracy of water-saving initiatives were highlighted.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Almeida Flores & Enedir Ghisi, 2022. "Benchmarking Water Efficiency in Public School Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:7:p:3794-:d:777914
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Corton, Maria Luisa & Berg, Sanford V., 2009. "Benchmarking Central American water utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 267-275, September.
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    1. Mariko Almeida Carneiro & Diogo Da Fonseca-Soares & Lucian Hendyo Max Pereira & Angel Firmín Ramos-Ridao, 2022. "An Approach for Water and Energy Savings in Public Buildings: A Case Study of Brazilian Rail Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-13, November.

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