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Energy Efficiency Drivers in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Double Bootstrap DEA Analysis

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  • Andrea Guerrini

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Verona, Via Cantarane, 24, 37129 Verona, Italy)

  • Giulia Romano

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Pisa, Via Ridolfi, 10, 56124 Pisa, Italy)

  • Alessandro Indipendenza

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Verona, Via Cantarane, 24, 37129 Verona, Italy)

Abstract

The relevance of wastewater treatment service has increased in recent years, since it has a significant impact on the natural environment. A treatment plant facilitates energy generation, the recovery of products from waste, and the reuse of wastewater for industrial and irrigation purposes. An indirect environmental effect is the high energy consumption for pumping water and for tank aeration. The objective of this research is to develop a tool for measuring the energy costs of wastewater treatment plants and identifying how they can be reduced. The method adopted is double-bootstrap data envelopment analysis. The results show that the variables with a significant influence on efficiency are the chemical oxygen demand concentration; plant capacity; rate of used capacity, which positively affects efficiency; weight of industrial customers, which exerts a negative impact; and aeration system, with a negative impact for turbines. This paper suggests the adoption of an effective control tool to monitor the costs drivers and energy expenditure of water utilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Guerrini & Giulia Romano & Alessandro Indipendenza, 2017. "Energy Efficiency Drivers in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Double Bootstrap DEA Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1126-:d:102728
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rosa M. Llácer-Iglesias & P. Amparo López-Jiménez & Modesto Pérez-Sánchez, 2021. "Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Bartlomiej Gawin & Bartosz Marcinkowski, 2020. "Setting up Energy Efficiency Management in Companies: Preliminary Lessons Learned from the Petroleum Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Sibel Uludag-Demirer & Nathan Olson & Rebecca Ives & Jean Pierre Nshimyimana & Cory A. Rusinek & Joan B. Rose & Wei Liao, 2020. "Techno-Economic Analysis of Electrocoagulation on Water Reclamation and Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions of a High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Min An & Weijun He & Dagmawi Mulugeta Degefu & Zaiyi Liao & Zhaofang Zhang & Liang Yuan, 2018. "Spatial Patterns of Urban Wastewater Discharge and Treatment Plants Efficiency in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, August.
    5. Shervin Hashemi, 2020. "Sanitation Sustainability Index: A Pilot Approach to Develop a Community-Based Indicator for Evaluating Sustainability of Sanitation Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-12, August.
    6. Xiao‐Ning Li & Ying Feng & Yung‐Ho Chiu & Tai‐Yu Lin & Shih‐Yung Chiu, 2021. "Recycling water and sludge disposal efficiency in China's sewage treatment industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(7), pages 1703-1717, October.
    7. Kirchem, Dana & Lynch, Muireann Á. & Bertsch, Valentin & Casey, Eoin, 2020. "Modelling demand response with process models and energy systems models: Potential applications for wastewater treatment within the energy-water nexus," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    8. Abbas Mardani & Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Balezentis & Muhamad Zameri Mat Saman & Khalil Md Nor & Seyed Meysam Khoshnava, 2018. "Data Envelopment Analysis in Energy and Environmental Economics: An Overview of the State-of-the-Art and Recent Development Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Kirchem, Dana & Lynch, Muireann Á & Casey, Eoin & Bertsch, Valentin, 2019. "Demand response within the energy-for-water-nexus: A review," Papers WP637, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    10. Ronggang Zhang & Ching-Cheng Lu & Jen-Hui Lee & Ying Feng & Yung-Ho Chiu, 2019. "Dynamic Environmental Efficiency Assessment of Industrial Water Pollution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-12, May.
    11. Joanna Rodziewicz & Artur Mielcarek & Kamil Bryszewski & Wojciech Janczukowicz & Karolina Kłobukowska, 2022. "Energy Consumption for Nutrient Removal from High-Nitrate and High-Phosphorus Wastewater in Aerobic and Anaerobic Bioelectrochemical Reactors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-15, October.
    12. Molinos-Senante, María & Sala-Garrido, Ramón, 2018. "Evaluation of energy performance of drinking water treatment plants: Use of energy intensity and energy efficiency metrics," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 1095-1102.
    13. Salazar-Adams, Alejandro, 2021. "The efficiency of post-reform water utilities in Mexico," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    14. Molinos-Senante, Maria & Maziotis, Alexandros, 2022. "Evaluation of energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants: The influence of the technology and aging factors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).

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