Evaluation of energy efficiency actions in Mexican aqueducts with an approach on their performance over time. Case study: Northwest Mexico aqueduct

Abstract

Transporting bulk water from cities where it is scarce requires significant amounts of energy. It is estimated that 7 % of the world's energy production is consumed by pumping systems. Most energy efficiency actions are not applicable to systems of bulk water distribution. This research seeks to identify and estimate the benefits of applying energy efficiency actions to aqueducts in Mexico, specially to the aqueduct located in northwest of Mexico which has 6 pumping stations with a design capacity of 5.3 m3/s which covers 125 km and has a height of 1061 m and 80 MW of electrical energy demand. To estimate energy savings, an energy diagnosis was carried out by measuring hydraulic, and energy parameters of each motor pump group, the hydraulic, electrical and electromechanical efficiency was measured, and a polynomial regression model was developed to predict the degradation of pump efficiency over time represents a significant advancement in the field, offering a predictive tool that can guide future maintenance and upgrade decisions. The results indicate that applying an epoxy coating to the aqueduct pumps is the most cost-effective action with an internal rate of return of 807 %, with potential energy savings up to 4 %. Moreover, replacing pumps whose efficiency has dropped below 80 % can increase savings in energy consumption up to 30 %. These changes represent environmental benefits in the evaluated period which is the equivalent of avoiding 19,549 tons of CO2, however by applying the coating to the pumps 34,775,102 tons of CO2 could be avoided. Considering characteristics of the system analyzed, the energy efficiency actions identified with high economic viability can be implemented in aqueducts administered by water utility in Mexico.

Keywords

• Energy savings
• Energy efficiency
• Aqueducts
• Pumping systems