Combining interbasin water replenishment and solar capacities for sustainable energy and water management in the catchment of Lake Velence

Climate change has a significant negative impact on water resources in the catchment area of Lake Velence, Hungary, which is a source of increasing conflicts amoung stakeholders and various water users. The area of the lake is an ecologically diverse, partly a Ramsar site, and consecutively, a dynamically developing, economically expanding area with rapid population growth, of which wetlands are a prominent, central element. As a result of significantly increasing new residents and newly built modern properties, the area has a high solar panel capacity, and thus the renewable energy production rate per property is outstanding at a national level. The negative impacts of climate change on water resources can be compensated by replenishing water resources from outside of the catchment area. The hilly nature of the area and the high solar panel supply serve as advantages if combined with pumped hydro-storage reservoirs.

The aim of the research is to develop a possible inter-basin water replenishment system based on the territorial characteristics, while fulfilling the economic-social-environmental needs. The water replenishment system considers the ecological aspects, the hilly characteristics of the area and the solar panel capacities of nearby settlements, as pumped water reservoirs are developed that balance the daytime peaks of renewable energy production. At the same time, the reservoirs are suitable for replenishing the water resources of Lake Velence from external watersheds, in a sustainable way with low carbon footprint. Using the excess water volumes above the ecological water demand of the watercourses available in the external, neighboring watershed, and the existing solar panel capacities of the nearby settlements, we optimize a sustainable renewable energy storage and water replenishment system that meets social, economic and environmental needs of the area.