Winter 2013

 

Alliance Research Report: Blending Energy And Water Efficiency For Big Gains

A combined approach to water and energy efficiency offers big savings potential. The Alliance to Save Energy’s report, “Achieving Energy Efficiency in Water Supply & Wastewater Treatment Utilities through Watergy Strategies,” highlights its Watergy program while charting best practices. Findings include:

• Issues facing a Watergy project
• Technical approaches to Watergy
• Managerial approaches to Watergy

Watergy Report Background
This report describes the results of the Alliance's Watergy program – simultaneously addressing water and energy efficiency – and concludes that improving the performance of water distribution and wastewater treatment systems can yield important energy efficiency gains.

Since 1997, the Alliance has implemented water and energy efficiency projects geared toward improving the energy performance of water and wastewater treatment systems in 100 municipalities across 16 developing countries. This report discusses Watergy strategies and highlights successes from this strategy’s implementation. Often, Watergy-based projects yielded significant energy savings without large capital expenditures.

The report also discusses how the Alliance recently brought Watergy to the United States. In its first Watergy project, the Alliance found technical energy savings potential of 20% annually at a large water and sewer agency on the East Coast. The Alliance trained the agency’s personnel in energy management and a team was formed to pursue implementation and to uncover new energy-savings opportunities.

Watergy Foundations
The report also describes the foundations of Watergy projects. Watergy projects include energy assessments, training in energy management, research into financing solutions, and implementation of assessment recommendations. In addition, outreach materials are produced to help stakeholders’ understanding the value of a Watergy project. The report concludes with Watergy case studies that underscore this approach.

Achieving Energy Efficiency in Water Supply & Wastewater Treatment Utilities through Watergy Strategies