Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Management, Economics and Humanities
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
An Exploration of an Entrepreneurial Solution to the Global Freshwater Crisis
Samuel Beck, Shane Rivera
ABSTRACT:
In the electricity market, the Consumer-to-Prosumer Transition Model (CPTM), which interweaves consumption and production, has been practiced in European and American countries for many years. However, Taiwan’s growth rate in this area remains low, and information asymmetry is a challenge. This study uses the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (Extended UTAUT) combined with Sustainability Gap as a conceptual framework and adapts it to the current situation in Taiwan’s industry to explore the influence of variables such as empowerment and barriers on the degree of incentives for consumers to become prosumers. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey, and hypothesis testing analysis was performed on each variable. The study aims to identify the barriers that prevent Taiwanese consumers from becoming prosumers and the factors that motivate prosumers in Taiwan to install solar energy generation systems (SEGS). By considering both perspectives, the study provides policy recommendations to facilitate the transition of consumers into prosumers. Additionally, the study provides a feasible direction for the energy industry and government units to effectively achieve Taiwan’s carbon emission reduction goals. Freshwater scarcity is becoming an increasing global concern for many reasons. The overarching causes are diminishing supply due to overuse and slow replenishment, lack of equal accessibility to sources and infrastructure, “collapsed infrastructure and distribution systems, contamination, conflict, or poor management of water resources”. The WWF reports over 1 billion people don’t have access to clean freshwater and almost 3 billion people experience a water shortage for at least 30 days per year. When water sources are unavailable or unclean, this lack of a fundamental human necessity renders entire nations socially and economically vulnerable to disaster and disease. Municipal water treatment comes with cumbersome investment into facility acquisition and risky management, and one point this thesis intends to prove is that this current paradigm is not the most viable solution for our emerging world. This study aimed to investigate if it is possible for an entrepreneur to innovate in the water recycling, management and sanitation space to solve this growing crisis in a decentralized, widely applicable way that can be made to fit in a single-family residential home. Secondary-source data was analyzed first to provide an in-depth education on the topic of water recycling, to prove that the crisis is global, and prove that a Product Opportunity Gap (POG) exists because current paradigms are outdated. From there, an analysis was conducted of current scientific best practices, related academic research and related private ventures, which resulted in an integration of these current best piece-meal practices and technologies to create a water recycling machine that can treat water with any quality in any environment back to potable standards. After individual components were chosen based on efficacy using both First Principles Thinking and Minimalism, CAD software Solidworks was used to compose the prototype design, and it was postulated that future research will include primary data from the prototype on energy consumption, manufacturing cost, etc.
keywords: Wastewater Recycling, Global Freshwater Crisis, Freshwater Scarcity