Back to Topic List

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)
67 Projects 6 Web Tools 4 Case Studies 10 Webcasts
Integrated Planning & Water Management
Resource Recovery
Anaerobic Digestion
Innovation
Project #4625

Opportunities and Barriers for Renewable and Distributed Energy Resource Development at Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities

$379,558
In Progress

Project Highlights

The objectives of this project were to: Identify and discuss opportunities for distributed energy resource (DER) development at drinking water and wastewater utilities Assess the legislative, regulatory, and policy environment impacting DER developments Undertake case studies of implemented DER utility...

View more details
Principal Investigator
Steven
Kenway
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 #4717
Innovative Technologies to Effectively Manage Deteriorating...

January 1, 2018 – July 1, 2018 - Collect and review the literature on implementation of...

Project Update
06/09/2019
Project #4717
Innovative Technologies to Effectively Manage Deteriorating...

October 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018 - Finalized the survey analysis result summary as part...

Project Update
06/09/2019

News

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.

View all Energy Optimization News

Resources

View all Energy Optimization Resources

Related Projects

Project #1416

Pathways to Energy Neutrality: Victor Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility, California

Completed

This informative 13-page factsheet documents VVRWRF’s journey from aging facility with outdated infrastructure to one that incorporated energy neutrality as a utility-wide goal, allowing it to be named...

View more details
Project #1415

Assessment of Technology Advancements for Future Energy Reduction

Completed

This research reviews 18 areas of emerging technology that have the potential to reduce the need for purchased energy and could improve the wastewater industry’s ability to beneficially...

View more details
Project #1550

LCAMER: An Assessment Tool for Managing Cost-Effective Energy Recovery from Anaerobically Digested Wastewater Solids

Completed

LCAMER (Life Cycle Assessment Manager for Energy Recovery) is a spreadsheet-based tool developed for comparing the benefits and costs of onsite energy recovery alternatives throughout the lifetime of...

View more details
Project #4788

State of the Science and Issues Related to Heat Recovery from Wastewater

In Progress

This research explores the feasibility of recovering thermal energy from sewage, and what the state of current technology is for doing so, It is the first step identifying...

View more details
Project #4863

Hybrid Anaerobic Primary and Secondary Treatment with Energy Recovery

In Progress

The goal of this project is to demonstrate the efficacy of a low complexity mainstream anaerobic wastewater treatment system for energy generation and increase process understanding. The researchers...

View more details
Project #4969

One Water Cities: Development of Guidance Documents and Assessment Metrics

In Progress

A growing number of U.S. and international utilities have been developing One Water initiatives to respond to regional water challenges. This research aims to help utilities and municipalities...

View more details

Related Topics

Link

Resource Recovery

Link

Anaerobic Digestion

Link

Integrated Planning & Water Management

Link

Utility Management

Like reading about Energy Optimization ?