Water/Energy Sustainability Symposium, Days 2 & 3

The last two days of the GWPC’s Water/Energy Sustainability Symposium were similar to the first: tons of great information on all things related to the water-energy nexus.

By the close of the conference it became clear that the water demands of energy development and production were the primary focus of the event (as opposed to the energy demands of water). This is likely for a number of reasons.

For one, as Deborah Elcock with Argonne National Laboratory explained in a presentation, water consumption related to energy production is projected to grow faster than any other sector – likely doubling by 2030. In addition, the trend of energy-related water consumption is moving westward into the countries most water-scarce regions.

In my opinion, the highlight of the event was a 2-hour session called Green Buildings and Green Cities. Every presentation was fantastic and the numerous examples of different water and energy efficient projects were truly inspiring.

The session was moderated and kicked off by Jeff Moeler from the Water Environment Research Foundation. Moeler talked generally about the paradigm shift taking place in architecture and urban planning, as well as the many benefits associated with incorporating nature into the structures we build. He also went over the Baltimore Charter for Sustainable Water Systems, a stakeholder-driven commitment to designing new water systems that mimic and work with nature.

Patrick Lucey from Aqua-Tex Consulting dazzled the audience with pictures from Dockside Green, perhaps the most innovative new development I’ve heard of. The mixed-use development located in Victoria, BC incorporates an array of water and energy savings features that have pushed the development beyond LEED Platinum certification.

The project (pictured above) serves as a model for how to incorporate natural systems into the built environment to not only minimize environmental impact, but to also make more profit for investors. One of the most interesting aspects of the project was the use of an onsite wastewater treatment facility to provide most of the developments heat and power, as well as reclaimed water for toilet flushing and a beautiful “natural” stream. According to Lucey, the development is the first in North America to be greenhouse gas emissions positive from an energy perspective, reducing emissions by 5727 tons per year.

Mary Ann Dickinson from the Alliance for Water Efficiency also gave a great presentation on how to make green building more blue. She has been hard at work making sure that all of the green building standards, such as LEED or NAHBGreen, include strong incentives for sustainable water features.

Margo Farnsworth from the Cumberland River Compact also gave a great presentation which highlighted how a new residential development in Tennessee saved water, energy and helped the developer make more money than they would have with traditional building techniques. Margo did a great job explaining how river and watershed groups can work with skeptical developers on green building projects. A report on the project can be downloaded from CRC’s website here.