Multidimensional analysis of groundwater pumping for irrigation purposes: economic, energy and environmental characterization for PV power plant integration

Nowadays, the agriculture sector presents relevant opportunities to integrate renewable energy sourcesas an alternative solution to mitigate fossil-fuel dependence and decrease emissions. Moreover, thissector demands a detailed review of energy uses and other factors that are addressed as priority issues inmost developed countries. In this framework, groundwater pumping energy requirements for agricultureirrigation emerge as a relevant topic to be improved in terms of power demand. Actually, this demand iscurrently supplied by diesel equipment solutions, with relevant drawbacks such as:ðiÞa large energydependence on fossil fuels for the agricultural sector andðiiÞa lack of participation in reducing CO2emissions.This paper proposes a multidimensional characterization to evaluate photovoltaic (PV) solar energyintegration into groundwater pumping requirements. Alternative solutions are compared under eco-nomic, energy and environmental aspects; thus providing an extensive scenario where the considerableinfluence of multiple factors such as water needs, irrigation area or aquifer depth are explicitlyconsidered. Extensive results based on a real Spanish aquifer and discussion about the solutions are alsoincluded in the paper.This work is partially supported by projects Ref. TIN2014-55024-P from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (including FEDER funds), and SENECA Foundation 19882-GERM-15

MCDM-based multidimensional approach for selection of optimal groundwater pumping systems: design and case example

Herein, optimal groundwater pumping solutions based on a variety of energy resources and water storage options are estimated and classified. Each energy source and water storage option is first characterized considering energy, economic, and environmental criteria. A multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) process based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is subsequently applied to identify and classify the optimal groundwater pumping solutions under such a multidimensional framework. An aquifer located in the southeast of Spain is analyzed in a case study to assess the proposed optimal MCDM-based approach. Conventional diesel-based equipment, solar PV power plants, and direct grid connection, as well as three water storage systemseedirect pumping, seasonal storage, and annual storageeeare identified as potential energy sources and water storage options, respectively. Characterization and visualization of these energy and water storage systems, as well as prioritized option results, are also discussed herein.This work is partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), reference TIN2017-86647-P. The authors also acknowledge the support of the Fundación Séneca (Region of Murcia, Spain) through the Grant 19882-GERM-15

Net-Metering and Self-Consumption Analysis for Direct PV Groundwater Pumping in Agriculture: A Spanish Case Study

International policies mainly that are focused on energy-dependence reduction and climate change objectives have been widely proposed by most developed countries over the last years. These actions aim to promote the integration of renewables and the reduction of emissions in all sectors. Among the different sectors, agriculture emerges as a remarkable opportunity to integrate these proposals. Indeed, this sector accounts for 10% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the EU, representing 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016. Within the agriculture sector, current solutions for groundwater pumping purposes are mainly based on diesel technologies, leading to a remarkable fossil fuel dependence and emissions that must be reduced to fulfill both energy and environmental requirements. Relevant actions must be proposed that are focused on sustainable strategies and initiatives. Under this scenario, the integration of photovoltaic (PV) power plants into groundwater pumping installations has recently been considered as a suitable solution. However, this approach requires a more extended analysis, including different risks and impacts related to sustainability from the economic and energy points of view, and by considering other relevant aspects such as environmental consequences. In addition, PV solar power systems connected to the grid for groundwater pumping purposes provide a relevant opportunity to optimize the power supplied by these installations in terms of self-consumption and net-metering advantages. Actually, the excess PV power might be injected to the grid, with potential profits and benefits for the agriculture sector. Under this scenario, the present paper gives a multidimensional analysis of PV solar power systems connected to the grid for groundwater pumping solutions, including net-metering conditions and benefit estimations that are focused on a Spanish case study. Extensive results based on a real aquifer (Aquifer 23) located in Castilla La Mancha (Spain) are included and discussed in detail.This research was funded by the research project TIN2017-86647-P from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (including FEDER funds), and the Seneca Foundation 19882-GERM-15

Identification and selection of potential sites for onshore wind farms development in Region of Murcia, Spain

It is often advisable to combine spatial representation tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with Multi criteria Decision Making Methods (MCDM) when solving location complex problems. The current case refers to the search for and selection of sites for onshore wind farms on the coast of the Region of Murcia, in the southeast of Spain. When resolving the proposed problem, the legal restrictions and the criteria (wind speed, area, slope, etc.) that influence the location will be considered. These will be defined in the form of thematic layers that will be entered into the GIS. Restrictions will be imposed taking into account the legislative framework of the study area so that, through their analysis and editing, it will be possible to reduce the initial area and obtain suitable sites where this type of facilities can be installed. Moreover, as the objective of the study is to select the locations and obtain a ranking two different models will be applied, initially a categorical assessment through a lexicographic order will be performed using the tools available in the GIS and, later it will be applied the ELECTRE-TRI methodology will be applied in order to make a comparison between the methods.This work is partially supported by FEDER funds, the DGICYT and Junta de Andalucía under projects TIN2011-27696-C02-01 and P11-TIC-8001, respectively

GIS based solar resource analysis for irrigation purposes: Rural areas comparison under groundwater scarcity conditions

During the past decade, most governments have been promoting energy efficiency programs and the integration of renewable energy sources into the majority of energy uses. Among the different sectors, the agricultural sector is becoming a more active participant to reduce fossil fuel dependence and improve environmental sustainability. Indeed, agriculture usually combines both a high energy demand and water problems associated with over-exploited aquifers, providing great potential and remarkable opportunities to change the energy mix and maximize the use and integration of natural resources in a rational way. Considering this framework, the present paper describes and compares the solar resource integration and its effects on agricultural pumping purposes in two Mediterranean countries, Spain and Morocco, with significant differences in terms of energy mix, climatic conditions and energy policies. As a novel contribution in this paper, we propose the use of GIS to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of the solar resource through real data of both locations, as well as to study groundwater resources. With this aim, two technical proposals for irrigation purposes are compared in terms of environmental benefits, CO2 emissions and agriculture energy model changes: diesel equipment and photovoltaic system. Results based on solar radiation resource, pumping requirements and aquifer depth are included in the paper.The authors appreciate the EU Marenostrum-Erasmus Mundus Program, which allows us to collaborate with the Moulay Ismail University in Meknes (Morocco). This work has been partially supported by funds, DGICYT and Junta de Andalucía under projects TIN 2014-55024-P and P11-TIC-8001 respectively, and Seneca Foundation 19882-GERM-15

Polen

El estudio de los granos de polen y esporas o análisis palinológico, es un método ampliamente utilizado para reconstruir la historia de las comunidades de plantas terrestres y acuáticas y sus respuestas al cambio ambiental durante el Cuaternario (últimos 2 millones de años). Los granos de polen y las esporas se depositan en el fondo de los lagos, entre otros ambientes sedimentarios, y registran la variación en la composición de las comunidades vegetales pasadas y los cambios ambientales que han ocurrido. Sobre la Con base en del análisis de estos micro-restos en las secuencias lacustres se reconstruye la variabilidad climática del pasado. Los granos de polen de angiospermas y gimnospermas así como las esporas de helechos, musgos y hepáticas representan la flora terrestre y constituyen el tema de estudio de la Palinología, aunque en esta disciplina se analizan también restos algales provenientes generalmente de clorofíceas y cianobacterias, que forman parte del grupo de los palinomorfos no polínicos (PNPs). Entre las razones por las que se engloban estos restos de plantas en dicha disciplina, es que comparten ciertas características. Tienen en común el tamaño (5 a 500 micras), la composición química, así como los mecanismos de dispersión, a pesar de que los procesos reproductivos de estos grupos de plantas son distintos. Estos micro-restos se pueden dividir de acuerdo a su origen en endógenos, que provienen del lago y exógenos, que provienen de fuera del lago.La palinología es una disciplina que tiene más de 100 años, y durante este lapso numerosos trabajos y libros han sido publicados, enfocados tanto en cuestiones metodológicas como teóricas (Erdtman, 1952; Faegri e Iversen, 1989; Kapp, 1969; Seppä 2013; Traverse, 1988). En este capítulo se presentan generalidades del análisis polínico, (desde el origen del grano de polen a la reconstrucción de la vegetación en el pasado), con énfasis en la metodología relacionada con la obtención de muestras polínicas y su procesamiento para la extracción de palinomorfos. Se describen los antecedentes más importantes para Latinoamérica y el Caribe, y se presentan presentando ejemplos en los cuales el polen es utilizado en reconstrucciones paleoambientales y paleoclimáticasFil: Lozano García, María Socorro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Tonello, Marcela Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Stutz, Silvina Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

A Comparative Analysis Based on GIS and Fuzzy MCDM Approaches Case Study: Offshore Wind Site Selection in the Gulf of Maine

The site selection process to optimize renewable facilities has become a relevant issue, mainly due to the variability of such resources. Among the different solutions, Geographic Information Systems in combination with fuzzy logic and Multi-Criteria Decision Making approaches provide a consistent tools to solve these complex decision problems. Moreover, the versatility of GIS software has led to the generation of spatial analysis extensions, such as the fuzzy membership tool transforming the input data into real numbers that belongs to the unit interval. In this work, a comparative study between fuzzy membership tool of ArcGIS software and a combination of the fuzzy MCDM methodologies (AHP-TOPSIS) is applied to optimize the offshore wind site selection. A case study based on the offshore wind resource in the Gulf of Maine is also included and discussed.2020-2

Testate amoebae (Amoebozoa: Arcellinidae) as indicators of dissolved oxygen concentration and water depth in lakes of the Lacandón Forest, Southern Mexico

The ecology of aquatic protists such as testate amoebae is poorly known worldwide, but is almost completely unknown in lakes of the northern Neotropics. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed testate amoebae (Amoebozoa: Arcellinidae) in lakes of the Lacandón Forest, one of the most biodiverse parts of southern México. We set out to evaluate the diversity of testate amoebae communities and assess whether testate amoebae taxa are reliable indicators of environmental variables dissolved oxygen and water depth. We collected 17 surface sediment samples from a range of water depths in six lakes across the Naha-Metzabok Biosphere Reserve, northeastern Chiapas state. We identified 15 testate amoebae taxa distributed across seven genera. Eleven were identified to species level and four to strain (infra-subspecific level), and taxa were distributed unevenly among samples. Distribution of taxa in samples was related to dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the water measured near the sediment surface. Arcella discoides and Centropyxis aculeata strain “aculeata” were the most tolerant of low oxygen concentrations, whereas the other taxa require higher DO levels. The influence of oxygen was also seen at the assemblage level. Sites with low DO concentrations had Shannon Diversity Index (SDI) values <1.5, an indication of stressful ambient conditions. We identified two species assemblage types, which are distinguished by their oxygen concentration requirements. Assemblage 1 was more diverse and possessed species that are intolerant of low oxygen concentrations, whereas Assemblage 2 possessed fewer, rarer, opportunistic species that tolerate stressful conditions. Low oxygen concentrations are related to water depth and the combination of these two variables is important in determining the composition of testate amoebae assemblages in Lacandón Forest lakes. Quantitative relationships between testate amoebae assemblages and water depth will enable use of sedimented amoebae remains for paleolimnological inference of past water level changes in lakes of the Lacandón Forest.Fil: Charqueño Celis, Norma Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Parque Nacional "Nahuel Huapi"; ArgentinaFil: Garibay, Martin. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Sigala, Itzel. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Brenner, Mark. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Echeverria Galindo, Paula. Technische Universitat Carolo Wilhelmina Zu Braunschweig. Iinstitut fur Geosysteme und Bioindikation.; AlemaniaFil: Lozano García, Socorro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Massaferro, Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Parque Nacional "Nahuel Huapi"; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Liseth. Technische Universitat Carolo Wilhelmina Zu Braunschweig. Iinstitut fur Geosysteme und Bioindikation.; Alemani

A GIS-based offshore wind site selection model using fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making with application to the case of the Gulf of Maine

In the last decades, a considerable number of studies have been conducted to find the optimal locations for renewable energy facilities. The reviewed literature demonstrates how the combination of spatial representation computer tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS), with multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methodologies, has successfully solved the problem of identifying optimal locations. Furthermore, since the appearance of fuzzy logic, the combination approaches have extended to the field of fuzzy sets to consider the imprecision and vagueness that some criteria may involve. In this paper, we propose a comparative analysis among fuzzy versions of MCDM methodologies, including GIS technologies, for the optimal site selection of offshore wind power plants. With this aim, we combined a classical pair-wise comparison method (AHP) with two distance-based approaches (TOPSIS and VIKOR), applying GIS software and comparing the two most extended fuzzy membership functions: triangular and linear. As a case study, this optimal location problem was applied to offshore wind site selection in the Gulf of Maine (USA). Initially, 56 alternatives for potential locations were identified from 22,331 km study area. After applying the AHP methodology, the weights of the criteria were obtained, turning out to be the wind speed and bathymetry the most important criteria. The results demonstrate the robustness of the fuzzy TOPSIS methodology against potential variations in the criteria weights, since the best alternatives (optimal locations) and almost 90% of the 25 top–ranked alternatives were matching. Likewise, the rankings of alternatives illustrate that the use of triangular or linear fuzzy membership functions does not cause significant differences after applying the fuzzy VIKOR methodology and ArcGIS software. In fact, the most appropriate alternative is the same for both cases, and there is only an exchange of positions among the top–ranked alternatives. The proposed solutions can be applied to other locations and both onshore and offshore installations.2021-2

Ecological drivers of testate amoeba diversity in tropical water bodies of central Mexico

Testate amoebae are unicellular organisms characterized by a shell-like test. Due to their potential use as bioindicators (and paleoindicators), these organisms have been increasingly studied in the last decade, particularly in temperate latitudes. This study’s objective was two-fold: to identify the testate amoeba communities sampled from 29 water bodies in Mexico and to determine if their presence and distribution also made them suitable bioindicators for tropical latitudes. A total of 40 taxa were recorded within 12 genera, and six significant variables -oxygen, pH, depth, temperature, conductivity, and total alkalinity - that explained testate amoeba distribution within and among the water bodies were identified through a canonical correspondence analysis. The Q-mode clusters rendered five assemblages, each named after their respective dominant species: 1) Centropyxis aculeata strain “aculeata” assemblage, 2) Difflugia oblonga strain “bryophila” assemblage, 3) diverse assemblage, 4) Cucurbitella tricuspis assemblage, and 5) Difflugia protaeiformis strain “acuminata” assemblage. We found that Cucurbitella tricuspis and the Difflugia protaeiformis strain “acuminata” have similar ecological preferences to those reported previously for temperate lakes, with the former identified as an indicator of eutrophic environments and the latter as an indicator of low oxygen levels. On the other hand, Centropyxis aculeata strain “aculeata” and Arcella vulgaris seem to indicate adverse conditions, but the source of this environmental stress apparently differs from that reported in temperate latitudes. Although this stress source could not be identified in all cases, our study nonetheless demonstrates that testate amoebae in the water bodies of central Mexico could reveal the presence of environmental stress