KEY WORDS: WATER USAGE IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS • IRRIGATION WITH IMPORTED AND RECLAIMED WATER • TECHNOLOGY EVALUATIONS FOR WATER-EFFICIENT PROCESSES • NON-TRADITIONAL WATER SOURCES: RECLAMATION, DIRECT AND INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, DESALINATION • ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE WATER SECTOR • ENERGY INTENSITY OF WATER PROCESSING • WATER-ENERGY EFFICIENCY • WASTE-TO-ENERGY • TECHNOLOGY EVALUATIONS FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT WATER PROCESSES
ABOUT THE UCI WEX CENTER
The UC Irvine Water-Energy Nexus Center promotes fundamental and applied research at the water-energy nexus in partnership with industry.
Our research activities focus on all dimensions of power/energy use and efficiency in the water processing sector: extraction, treatment, conveyance, reclamation, and reuse.
In each activity, our industrial partners are engaged in interacting with our students. Through this interaction, the faculty and students of the WEX Center can access sites and data of otherwise difficult or impossible reach, and in addition to the UC scholarship our students are also trained to be industry-ready.
A combination of comprehensive and trans-disciplinary approaches to water efficiency, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction in an urban environment benefits a diverse, rapidly growing population, our industry, and the society at large.
OBJECTIVES
To act as a collaborative bridge between our faculty members and our external partners (i.e. water agencies, government, industries) to advance research and education at the water–energy nexus
To advance fundamental knowledge on energy efficiency of water management, treatment, distribution, and end-use
To advance fundamental knowledge on greenhouse gas emission (e.g., production, emission, capture, mitigation, adaptation, monitoring, modeling) from water and wastewater processes and infrastructure
To study the effectiveness of water efficiency (e.g. conservation and reuse), energy efficiency (i.e. optimization, reduction and recovery), and greenhouse gas reduction strategies in the water sector
To exploit productive synergies among water and energy systems to increase education and promote safe and productive use of nontraditional water sources
LEADERSHIP TEAM
WEX CENTER DIRECTOR
Since 2000, he has been investigating aeration systems and the water-energy-carbon nexus of water reclamation and reuse processes. He holds degrees from the University of Padua from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Environmental Process Laboratory
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Dr. Jiang’s research group focuses on applied and environmental microbiology. Research projects in her lab include investigation of seawater desalination biofouling, deep subsurface sludge disposal and energy regeneration, microbial water quality and microbial ecology of harmful algal blooms.
Jiang Laboratory
WEX FELLOWS
The Fellows of the WEX Center are a group of distinguished industrial scholars of international reputation and visibility, engaged in collaborative work with our faculty and students.
Nominations letters are submitted by the end of each calendar year to the WEX Center Director
Director & Fellow, Chair of Strategic Council, International Water Association
Fellow, Water Environment Federation
WEX PARTNERS
The WEX Center benefits from collaborations with industrial partners from public utilities, technology developers, consultants. Membership agreements are tailored to the needs of the partners, while maintaining the center of the collaboration on water-energy nexus research and student involvement.
Below are our research partners and a map of current projects.
For questions, please contact the WEX Center Director.
