Embarking on a Journey with MAXQDA through an Energy Efficiency Analysis of the Portuguese Water Sector: Reviewing Literature

Water sector and energy consumption: a brief framework and research context

The water sector is remarkably energy dependent, accounting in 2014 for about 4% of global electricity consumption, which is then estimated to more than double by 2040. Operations are expected to become more energy-intensive due to three fundamental reasons:

higher reliance on non-traditional water resources (desalination, water reuse).

larger amounts of wastewater being treated to more stringent levels.

Given this trend of increasing energy consumption in the water sector, it is imperative to reduce the environmental impact and to improve the energy efficiency of all facilities. This will require identifying the barriers prevailing in the sector which forestall the existing energy efficiency potential from being fully exploited, as well as determining the most appropriate drivers and incentives to facilitate the adoption of energy efficiency measures.