Rainwater Energy Valorization through the Use of Permeable Pavements in Urban Areas

Resumen

This paper presents a research project on Rainwater Energy Valorization (REV) through the use of permeable pavements in urban parking lots with light traffic. This project is being developed as part of the National Research Plan 2008-2011 funded by the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry. The project aims and main research methodologies to develop a new construction technology are presented. This new construction technology is based on the use of permeable pavements to improve the sustainability of cities. Permeable pavements are a sustainable urban drainage technique included in SUDS and they have proved to be very useful in the protection and recovery of urban spaces in the last years. These systems are able to reduce flooding, diffuse pollution and loss of natural wealth in the cities. Permeable pavements help a double rainwater valorization. On the one hand, the collected rainwater is stored in the subbase of the pavement. This storage helps to reuse rainwater in urban nonpotable uses (park irrigation, street cleaning, etc.) and recreational uses (golf course irrigation, ponds, etc.) to save drinking water. On the other hand, this rainwater stored in the subbase can have a geothermal use for heating and cooling nearby buildings, with the consequent energy saving. Consequently, the REV system unites urban sustainable water management and energy efficiency.