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Energy Optimization

For most water facilities, energy is one of the highest costs in their operating budget. Stricter regulations are pushing facilities to use even more advanced—and energy-intensive—treatment technologies. Optimizing energy use can provide huge cost savings and numerous additional benefits, including improving air quality, protecting the environment, and bolstering energy security. WRF has published more than 100 projects that explore ways to not only optimize current energy use, but to generate power as well—setting the course for a self-sufficient water sector.

Topic Overview (PDF)
81 Projects 9 Web Tools 4 Case Studies 3 Webcasts
Integrated Planning & Water Management
Resource Recovery
Anaerobic Digestion
Innovation
Project #5062

A Distributed Renewable Energy Opportunities and Policy Workshop

$30,550
Completed

Project Highlights

This project expanded on the results of project 4625 by holding a science to policy workshop connecting research, industry, and policy. The workshops engaged local, state, and national water and energy professionals in discussions on the opportunities for distributed energy...

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Principal Investigator
Steven
Conrad
Research Manager
Mr. Ashwin Dhanasekar

Energy is Embedded in Wastewater

This video discusses a suite of past WRF research co-funded by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), which focused on barriers to and strategies for energy optimization at water resource recovery facilities. 

Recent Updates

Project #4843
Integrating Sewage Thermal Energy Use (STEU) and Other Emerging...
Project Update
09/14/2022
Project #5091
Developing a Framework for Quantifying Energy ...
Project Update
12/22/2021
Project #4971
Leveraging the Role of Pretreatment Programs in One Water Initiatives:...
Project Update
04/29/2022
Project #4969
One Water Cities: Development of Guidance Documents and Assessment...
Project Update
02/18/2022
Project #5040
Successful Implementation of Decentralized Reuse ...
Project Update
12/10/2021
Project #4849
Exploring Cost-Benefit Analysis of Post Long-Term Control Plan...
Project Update
11/05/2021
Project #4971
Leveraging the Role of Pretreatment Programs in One Water Initiatives:...
Project Update
09/10/2021
Project #5040
Successful Implementation of Decentralized Reuse ...
Project Update
07/16/2021
Project #4969
One Water Cities: Development of Guidance Documents and Assessment...
Project Update
06/28/2021
Project #5037
Evaluation of Existing Source Separated Organic Feedstock Pre-Treatment...
Project Update
04/16/2021

News

WRF Announces 2020 Paul L. Busch Award Winner 

Press Release
10/01/2020

$100K Research Prize Will Advance Innovative Water Separation Technologies The Water Research Foundation announced today that Dr. Shihong Lin is the recipient of the 2020 Paul L. Busch $100,000 research...

Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility

Featured Facility
Ana Pena-Tijerina
06/14/2019

Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility (VCWRF) has implemented numerous energy-related improvements by executing an Energy Savings Performance Contract with Johnson Controls, Inc.

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Resources

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Related Topics

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Resource Recovery

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Anaerobic Digestion

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Integrated Planning & Water Management

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Utility Management

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