The Water-Energy Nexus and Role of Innovation in Sustainable Solutions

By 2030, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), it is estimated that our world will need 30 percent more water and 40 percent more energy to keep up with rising populations, affluence and demand. To efficiently treat water of all types we need energy, however, increasing energy costs can also drive up the cost of water. Water and energy are inextricably linked. To minimize the impact of water scarcity and the water-energy nexus, we will need innovation to increase efficient use of water for power and to reduce the amount of energy to produce the desired quality of water needed for populations and industry. As populations grow, particularly in arid regions, water sources become impaired and require additional treatment, new sources such as seawater must be brought to a quality level suitable to drink or to be used for industry. Additionally, water reuse has increasing value to meet growing demands for industrial and even potable use with effective and cost efficient treatment solutions. The talk will cover how industry is responding to accelerate innovation in technology and industry-specific application solutions to address the water-energy nexus.