Abstract
The competition and interlinkages between energy, water, and land resources are increasing globally and are exacerbated by climate change and a rapid increase in the world population. The nexus concept has emerged for a comprehensive understanding related to the management and efficiency of resource use. This paper assesses water–energy–land nexus (WELN) efficiency through integration of the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and exergy analysis, using the Chilean energy sector (CES) as a study case. The cumulative exergy consumption (CExC) and cumulative degree of perfection (CDP) are used as indicators for WELN efficiency. The results show the production of 1 MWh of electricity required 17.3 GJex, with the energy component of WELN (fossil and renewable energy sources) being the main contributor (99%). Furthermore, the renewable energy technologies depicted higher CDP of the water–energy–land nexus due to lower CExC and higher technology efficiency concerning non-renewables. The water and land resources contributed slightly to total exergy flow due to low quality in comparison with the energy component. Nevertheless, water availability and competition for land occupation constitute important issues for reducing environmental pressures and local conflicts. This study demonstrated the feasibility of exergy analysis for the evaluation of WELN efficiency through a single indicator, which could facilitate the comparison and integration with different processes and multi-scales.
Highlights
The faster growth of world population, urbanization and anthropogenic activities contributes to increasing the demand and pressure for natural resources, especially on energy, water, and land [1].Nowadays, the interdependence of energy, water and land demand requires a new methodological framework for a better understanding of interactions between resources [1]
This study demonstrated the feasibility of exergy analysis for the evaluation of water–energy–land nexus (WELN) efficiency through a single indicator, which could facilitate the comparison and integration with different processes and multi-scales
In an attempt to quantify the water–energy–land nexus using exergy-based indicators, this study determined the interaction between these resources in the Chilean Energy System (CES)
Summary
The faster growth of world population, urbanization and anthropogenic activities contributes to increasing the demand and pressure for natural resources, especially on energy, water, and land [1]. The interdependence of energy, water and land demand requires a new methodological framework for a better understanding of interactions between resources [1]. In this context, the nexus thinking has emerged as a holistic and comprehensive framework, allowing an improvement of resource use efficiency [2] and avoiding future pressures on natural resources [3]. The WELN have been analyzed in literature, the land resources interaction with water and energy still needs to be studied further
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