AA Ye艧ilhat at YT脺: "Electric vehicle batteries are finding a second life in UPS systems"
At an event held at Y谋ld谋z Technical University as part of the Anadolu Agency Green Line Academy Meetings, the role of water management and clean energy technologies in combating climate change was discussed from an academic perspective.
Y谋ld谋z Technical University (YT脺) served as the new venue for the Ye艧ilhat Academy Meetings, an event organized by the Anadolu Agency (AA) Environment and Agriculture News Directorate in collaboration with universities, with a focus on the environment and nature. The panel titled 鈥淲ater Management and Energy Technologies from a Sustainability Perspective鈥 was held at the Historical Hamam Cultural Center on YT脺鈥檚 Davutpa艧a Campus.
Moderated by AA Environment and Agriculture News Reporter G眉lseli Kenarl谋, the panel featured YT脺 Clean Energy Technologies Institute Director Prof. Dr. Aysel Kant眉rk Figen, Faculty of Civil Engineering Department of Civil Engineering Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Hayrullah A臒a莽c谋o臒lu, Prof. Dr. Mehmet 脟akmak莽谋, a faculty member of the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali R谋fat Boynue臒ri, Deputy Director of the Institute of Clean Energy Technologies.
"Sustainability should not only bring to mind environmental engineering"
The program began with an opening speech by Prof. Dr. G眉leda Engin, Vice Rector for Research and Planning at YT脺. In her speech, Prof. Dr. Engin summarized YT脺鈥檚 sustainability vision and innovative projects, emphasizing that sustainability is not merely an environmental concept.
Engin stated, 鈥淲hen we talk about sustainability, we shouldn鈥檛 think only of areas related to environmental engineering. Sustainability is a topic we must address in very different dimensions鈥攊n finance, in production, and in the energy sector.鈥
Referring to YT脺鈥檚 green campus goals and its leading position in the energy sector, Prof. Dr. Engin remarked, 鈥淲hen evaluated by various indices, our research in the energy sector ranks at a very significant level. We can say we are number one in Turkey.鈥
"Switching to pressurized irrigation could increase agricultural productivity to 90%"
Prof. Dr. Hayrullah A臒a莽c谋o臒lu, who spoke first at the panel, drew attention to Turkey鈥檚 available water potential, noting that approximately 75% of total water consumption occurs in the agricultural sector.
Referring to the high water loss in traditional open-channel and flood irrigation methods, A臒a莽c谋o臒lu said, 鈥淭he transition to pressurized and drip irrigation systems could increase agricultural productivity to 90%.鈥
A臒a莽c谋o臒lu noted that storage methods such as rainwater harvesting in urban areas and infiltration galleries in rural regions hold strategic importance for creating an additional water source during drought periods.
"Wastewater should not be seen as a burden, but as a source of fresh water"
Prof. Dr. Mehmet 脟akmak莽谋, who assessed the destructive effects of climate change on the hydrological cycle, emphasized that the perspective on wastewater management must change completely.
Noting that wastewater is not a burden to be disposed of but rather a valuable resource, 脟akmak莽谋 stated, "Today, the widespread adoption of advanced biological treatment systems to reuse water in industry and agriculture is of vital importance."
脟akmak莽谋 also highlighted that the use of digital twin technologies and artificial intelligence in infrastructure systems will be a key determinant in the real-time management of future flood and drought crises.
"We must focus on next-generation electrolyzer technologies"
Prof. Dr. Aysel Kant眉rk Figen also emphasized the strong link between energy production processes and water usage, noting that the water footprint must be meticulously calculated in investment projects.
Explaining the importance of integrating "Power-to-X" technology鈥攚hich converts carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere or industrial facilities into useful synthetic fuels鈥攊nto renewable energy investments, Figen shared the following observation: "For the energy infrastructure of the future, we must focus on next-generation electrolyzer technologies that can directly process seawater and operate independently of precious metals" she noted.
"Evaluating batteries under the 'second life' framework is essential"
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali R谋fat Boynue臒ri, meanwhile, assessed the contributions of electrification in transportation systems to energy efficiency. Noting that battery-powered vehicles offer a significant advantage in well-to-wheel energy efficiency compared to internal combustion engines, Boynue臒ri stated that using renewable energy sources for electricity generation maximizes environmental benefits.
Boynue臒ri emphasized that end-of-life vehicle batteries should not be sent directly to recycling, stating, 鈥淓valuating these systems as 鈥榮econd-life鈥 applications鈥攕uch as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) or storage units in renewable energy plants鈥攊s essential for a sustainable ecosystem.鈥
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