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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 6 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 #5091
Developing a Framework for Quantifying Energy ...

Reporting Period: June 2021 - August 2021. Project work to date has focused on (1) confirming...

Project Update
12/22/2021
Project #4892
Quality of Biogas Derived from Wastewater Solids and Co-digested Organics:...

Reporting Period: January 2, 2020 – December 31, 2020. To date, the tasks completed include development...

Project Update
02/11/2021
Project #4843
Integrating Sewage Thermal Energy Use (STEU) and Other Emerging...

Reporting Period: January 15, 2021 – July 15, 2021. The team is currently working on further...

Project Update
09/24/2021
Project #4971
Leveraging the Role of Pretreatment Programs in One Water Initiatives:...

Reporting Period: July 1, 2021 -- December 31, 2021. Recent progress focused on the analysis of...

Project Update
04/29/2022
Project #5040
Successful Implementation of Decentralized Reuse ...

Reporting Period: August 15, 2020 – February 15, 2021. The literature review has been reviewed by...

Project Update
07/16/2021
Project #5040
Successful Implementation of Decentralized Reuse ...

Reporting Period: February 15, 2021 – August 15, 2021. Task 1, State of the Knowledge Assessment...

Project Update
12/10/2021
Project #5040
Successful Implementation of Decentralized Reuse ...

Reporting Period: February 15 – August 15, 2020. The literature review associated with Task 1 (State...

Project Update
09/08/2020
Project #5037
Evaluation of Existing Source Separated Organic Feedstock Pre-Treatment...

Reporting Period: September 1, 2020 – February 28, 2021. The last 6 months were spent addressing...

Project Update
04/16/2021
Project #5037
Evaluation of Existing Source Separated Organic Feedstock Pre-Treatment...

Reporting Period: March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020. The project team spent the first six...

Project Update
10/30/2020
Project #4971
Leveraging the Role of Pretreatment Programs in One Water Initiatives:...

Reporting Period: April 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020. During this project period, the project team...

Project Update
11/20/2020

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.

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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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