Energy

Optimizing water–food–energy (WFE) relations has been widely discussed in recent years as an effective approach for formulating pathways toward sustainable agricultural production and energy supply. However, knowledge regarding the WFE nexus is still largely lacking, particularly beyond the conceptual description. In this study, we combined a grid-based crop model (Python-based Environmental Policy Integrated Climate—PEPIC) with a hydropower scheme based on the Distributed Biosphere Hydrological (DBH) model to investigate the WFE interplays in China concerning irrigated agricultural production and hydropower potential. The PEPIC model was used to estimate crop yields and irrigation water requirements under various irrigated cropland scenarios, while the DBH model was applied to simulate hydrological processes and associated hydropower potential. Four major crops, i.e., maize, rice, soybean, and wheat, were included for the analyses. Results show that irrigation water requirements present high values (average about 400 mm yr⁻¹) in many regions of northern China, where crop yields are much higher on irrigated land than on rainfed land. However, agricultural irrigation has largely reduced hydropower potential up to 50% in some regions due to the substantial withdrawal of water from streams. The Yellow River basin, the Hai River basin, and the Liao River basin were identified as the hotspot regions concerning the WFE interactions and tradeoffs. Further expansion the irrigated cropland would increase the tradeoffs between supporting sustainable food production and conserving hydropower potential in many parts of China. The results provide some insights into the WFE nexus and the information derived is useful for supporting sustainable water management, food production while conserving the potential for hydropower generation in China.

Users are increasingly acknowledged as important actors fostering those fundamental socio-technical innovations needed to achieve a sustainable society. In the literature, users have so far been portrayed mostly to play a role in early phases of technology formation. However, more recently users have become important players in the upscaling of various innovations. With the advent of new social media, users may interact effortlessly across large distances, exchange knowledge and so increase their contribution to upscaling. We investigate the new potential of virtual user communities. Conceptually, we build on recent insights from socio-technical transition studies to identify different upscaling dimensions. We conduct an internet ethnography of a large virtual community that formed around the Electric Vehicle (EV). Based on these data, we present virtual community characteristics and core mechanisms of participation in upscaling. We find that the community plays an important and distinctive role in fostering electric vehicle use.

There is increasing interest in using waterbodies as renewable energy sources to heat and cool buildings and infrastructure. Here, we estimate the potentials for heat extraction and disposal for the main lakes and rivers of Switzerland based on acceptable temperature changes in the waterbodies, and compare them to regional demands. In most cases, the potentials considerably exceed the demand, and minor impacts on the thermal regime of the waterbodies are expected. There are, however, critical situations: rivers crossing densely-populated areas, where demand often exceeds the potential, and heat disposal in summer into lowland rivers and shallow lakes, where temperatures may exceed ecological criteria. To assess the impacts of a realistic thermal use, we model the temperature effects in two lakes: Upper Lake Constance, a large lake with relatively low population density, and Lower Lake Zurich, a smaller lake with high regional demand. The estimated mean temperature alterations are −0.05 to +0.02 °C for Lake Constance, and −0.60 to +0.22 °C for Lake Zurich. Based on the model results, we discuss the effects of operating parameters on the efficiency and impacts of thermal use. Our analysis demonstrates that waterbodies provide real alternatives for heat/cold production in many regions of the world.

The assessment of ecological impacts of pumped-storage (PS) hydropower plants on the two connected water bodies is usually based on present climatic conditions. However, significant changes in climate must be expected during their long concession periods. We, therefore, investigate the combined effects of climate change and PS operations on water temperature and quality, as well as extent and duration of stratification and ice cover, using a site in Switzerland. For this purpose, a coupled two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model for the two connected water bodies is run with 150 years long synthetic stochastic meteorological forcing for both current and future climate conditions under two PS and two reference scenarios. The results show relevant synergistic and antagonistic effects of PS operations and climate change. For example, hypolimnion temperatures in September are projected to increase by < 0.6 °C in a near-natural reference scenario and by ~ 2.5 °C in an extended PS scenario. Ice cover, which occurs every year under near-natural conditions in the current climate, would almost completely vanish with extended PS operation in the future climate. Conversely, the expected negative impacts of climate change on hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen concentrations are partially counteracted by extended PS operations. We, therefore, recommend considering future climate conditions for the environmental impact assessment in the planning of new or the recommissioning of existing PS hydropower plants.