Martin Anda

A 100% renewable energy (RE)-based stand-alone power system can be achieved using a resilient renewable energy storage system RESS to provide a sufficient and stable power supply. This study conducted a feasibility study for a 100% renewable energy hydrogen-enabled microgrid in the Pilbara region, North of Western Australia (WA). In this feasibility study, two different sites were studied to techno-economically evaluate the transition to a 100% RE-based stand-alone microgrid (SAM) using a hybrid hydrogen-battery storage system. The first selected site was a grid-connected small-scale aboriginal community power system (150 kWh/day) to be expanded to a large-scale 100% RE SAM power system to avoid the cost of expansion of their grid connection and become a pilot zero-emission project. The second selected site was a diesel-based power system in medium-scale aboriginal communities (1.5 MWh/day). A diesel power station transition to a 100% RE SAM power system has been modelled as a pilot project using a hybrid hydrogen-battery storage system. This study demonstrated the techno-economic viability of using hybrid hydrogen-battery RESS to provide lower energy cost with sufficient autonomy and reduce the carbon footprint. Several scenarios were considered in the modelling for the most optimal option for the locality in terms of the cost of energy and GHG emissions. Both sites were modelled with the principle of a battery bank following the load fluctuations while the hydrogen fuel cell generator covers the baseload.

Simulation analyses for the grid-connected site revealed that a larger capacity of hydrogen system adds more energy autonomy at a price. An additional scenario of utilising one of the existing diesel generators for site 2 as a backup was evaluated. It is found that having the diesel generator backup is the most robust and cost-effective option. However, this option comes at the cost of having a tiny percentage (1.5%) of fossil fuel penetration, therefore incurring a 1.5% carbon footprint compared to the base case scenario.

AI and machine learning techniques have already demonstrated significant outcomes in various water industry applications such as water quality monitoring, chemical dosing, prioritising active leakage detection areas, intelligent network optimisation, and the prediction of water pipe failure. Can these techniques be extended from water utility operations (Anda, 2017) into home and commercial water usage (Schmack et al., 2019)? The introduction of a reward credit system to those residents who actively save energy-intensive mains water and wastewater, whilst optimally managing aquifer recharge, can support localised, hybrid water sources at residential and community scale (Fornarelli et al., 2019). While currently, machine-learning algorithms are being used to detect inaccuracies or anomalies in water meter data, in the future, AI and machine learning techniques can be used to better manage the use of alternate water sources in cities to achieve sustainable hybrid water systems (Fornarelli et al., 2021).

The interest in greywater reuse as an alternative water supply is increasing in most part of the World. In Perth, Western Australia (WA), an industrial association to promote greywater reuse named Grey Water Industry Group (GWIG) has been established. Malaysia is a country seemingly endowed with abundant water resources with an annual average rainfall of more than 2000 mm. Despite its high rainfall and water resources compared to other regions in the world, Malaysia still suffers water problems (both excesses and deficits). The present work describes the suitability of greywater reuse in water supply strategy and wastewater management in Malaysia in comparison to that applied in Australia. Greywater should not be seen as a waste product, but as a valuable resource in wastewater management. Based on the comparison study between Australia and Malaysia, it appeared that the adoption of greywater treatment in Malaysia is more feasible and meaningful than the reuse approach, which creates problems in some instances when the greywater system is inappropriately designed for the type of environment. However, proper legislation, awareness and environmental considerations in terms of geochemistry characteristics, selection of the treatment method and the need for a paradigm shift are essential keys to ensuring optimum utilization of greywater as a future water resource in Malaysia.

This study investigates the effect of indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the optimal long-term planning and short-term operational scheduling of a desalination-based water supply system. The system was driven by grid-electricity and surplus output from residential rooftop photovoltaics to deliver water and energy to urban areas. The interactive two-level mixed integer linear programming model took into account demands, system configurations, resources capacities and electricity tariffs as well as GHG emission factor associated with the source of grid electricity. Both system and carbon abatement costs were considered in the formulation of the objective function. The optimal decisions for Perth (Australia) resulted in $47,449,276 higher discounted total cost but 51,301.3 tCO2eq less GHG emissions over 15 years planning horizon compared to when only system costs were minimised. Finally, the predominant effect of the indirect GHG emissions costs over system costs on the optimal solutions indicated their high sensitivity towards the source of purchased grid electricity.

Sustainability has often been sought through new technologies for housing, water supply, food production, energy sources and waste management . Throughout these industry sectors we often come across, innovators, entrepreneurs and educators that have discovered new technologies and built new businesses from the ideas that were born and implemented in the process. In this chapter I will profile five individuals in Western Australia that have grappled with the challenges of sustainability and innovation through the abovementioned sectors and built successful businesses along the way. Their businesses are addressing the major environmental challenges facing society today, challenges that are often not being responded to effectively by our politics of the day. Their business models are often the most innovative one may find globally, making use of leading edge practices in science , information technology , communications and social networking. Through their businesses, positioned in the domain of sustainability, they have demonstrated corporate social responsibility and, as individuals they are models of responsible citizenship . Accordingly, this chapter sits at the nexus of business, engineering and entrepreneurship, while it is written from the disciplinary perspective of sustainability science.

There are new approaches to environmentally sound technologies for water, energy and waste systems in compact cities and these can be effectively integrated into buildings and districts for sustainable living in higher-density urban areas to avoid augmentation of the traditional centralized systems. In the case of decentralized water systems integrated into buildings and districts, the sources of rainwater and groundwater are demonstrated. With the massive issue of urban waste management, minimization and recycling are the key, and while readily achievable with municipal solid waste, a focus is given to construction and demolition waste and how some countries are successfully integrating this material into their compact built form. Solar PV and battery storage systems are leading in the renewable energy revolution and already integrate well into denser urban environments. Finally, in order to avoid the ‘rebound’ affect, the use of smart metering and feedback systems are explained as essential features of eco-technology integrated into the sustainable compact city.

Pathways towards a post-carbon society are being explored across all levels of government, within the scientific community and society in general. This chapter presents scenarios for cities and regions in Australia after the Age of Oil, particularly the energy-intensive state of Western Australia (WA). It argues that a post-carbon WA would ideally use technological and wider social choices to reduce carbon emissions close to zero. It focuses on policy requirements, institutional and governance arrangements and socio-technical systems to provide an industry-focussed renewable energy development plan that will help to balance ongoing and past emissions and lead to a low-carbon society.

Decentralised water systems can readily contribute towards water environmental sustainability. It is important to be able to rate environmental sustainability of decentralised systems so that home buyers can have confidence on claims of water sustainability, builders can have guidance on how to improve sustainability, land developers can justify their marketing claims and regulators can assess and regulate promotion of water sustainability of decentralised water systems. The Environmental Technology Centre has developed a rating tool for such a purpose. The rating tool quantifies the volumes of water drawn from all sources and wastewater disposed or reused through all routes, compares these with best practice water use volumes for a decentralised system and arrives at a score out of 10 (equivalent to best practice). The algorithm for the rating tool is implemented using Excel workbook/ worksheets prompting users to enter required input values. Application to four case studies is presented.

A modified appropriate 'sustainable turnkey approach' (STA) was developed, trialled and used to introduce new cottage papermaking technology to an existing papermaking village in a remote highland part of Fiji, an example of a less developed country. The new research explored making a high technology piece of equipment in Suva, the nearest city to the Wainimakutu Village. The STA has empowered a local engineering business and the engineering department of the local university to be able to understand and transfer the 'hardware' (equipment) and 'software' (skills) of these technologies and actually make the machines. The principle Author helped them to adapt and improve the design, to trial it, to test it, and then network with a village to complete the ideals of using the 'best available technology' that is also sustainable, eco-friendly, appropriate and financially viable. The ST A has proved a far superior process. When something goes wrong with the machine it can be adjusted, fixed or modified to work: first in the village; second, with local industry help; third with local university help; and fourth with contacting the inventor for advice and networking with all stakeholders.

After almost three years after tsunami and earthquake in 2005 in Nias and Aceh, most rehabilitation efforts from international organizations are now addressing longer term economic development and livelihood improvements. As a part of UNDP project reference: RFP/UNDP/ERTP/013/2006 "Organisations/Firms to manage Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Program" (TRWMP), environmental experts from Murdoch University conducted a technical assessment for local NGOs to advise on waste management livelihood goals for the rehabilitation process. Pre-training visits in affected areas of Banda Aceh occurred in June 2007 to identify the potential project opportunities. The outcome of this mission was matched with local NGOs and community identification. These were 3 potential activities: biogas, coconut processing, and plastic recycling processing. The two-day training workshops for each of three mentioned activities were conducted in February 2008 for NGOs and community representatives. These workshops have provided information to beneficiaries and NGOs staff on specific technical details for sustainable waste management livelihood opportunities. Wastewater application in horticulture using hydroponics technology should minimise the exposure and contamination risk to the workers. Since the edible parts of the plant, with the exception of root crops, may not be in direct contact with the wastewater, contamination to the edible parts may also be reduced. This chapter examined two hydroponics systems, nutrient film technique and water culture (without aeration), for their efficiency in causing pathogen die-off. Three treatments, secondary treated domestic wastewater, control medium (commercial hydroponics medium) and pathogen spiked control medium were tested in triplicate. S.typhimurium (ATCCI4028) and E.coli (WACC4) were used to spike one of the treatments (spiked control medium). The experiment was conducted over four months with the medium changed every fortnight. The results showed that there was a general decrease of pathogens over seven days (>40%) in the medium and complete die-off was observed after 14 days (99%), in both types of hydroponics systems. In both systems, there were no pathogens detected in the fruits. The hydroponics techniques for domestic effluent reuse, is a viable option for edible crop production as it reduces the risks of bacterial pathogen contamination.