| Energy Management and Benchmarking
The UK water industry is a major user of electricity and hydrocarbon fuels and, as such, has a great incentive to ensure – for both financial and environmental reasons – that it uses these resources efficiently. It also has the ability to contribute significantly to reducing dependence on fossil fuel sources through renewable energy production.
For these reasons, WRc’s engineering and process specialists have been involved with energy efficiency initiatives in the sector for a number of years, particularly (but not only) in the field of performance benchmarking, as the following projects demonstrate:
- 2006 - 2007: Leading, with support from the Electrical Engineering Department of Nottingham University, a study on monitoring of energy use for a group of water companies. This investigated non-intrusive methods of energy recording from motors, and examined a number of suitable algorithms for such monitoring. This led to vibration analysis to measure variations in rotation speed, to monitor power use without connection to control panels, and production of a prototype hand held device to allow operators rapidly to measure the actual power consumption.
- 2006 – ongoing: Undertaking for a group of water utilities a major project on comparing energy efficiencies, to answer such questions as: ‘How much energy is used, where is it used and how does one company or treatment plant compare with another?’; ‘What is the practical minimum benchmark consumption for energy efficient operation at a process or motor level?’; ‘What can be reasonably achieved in terms of further efficiencies on a site-specific basis?’. The work involves developing and implementing a benchmarking process; outputs will include methodologies for data collection, calculation and comparison of EPIs, and a shared database of EPIs with baseline values for water and wastewater treatment.
- 2003 - 2004: Leading, with support from the Centre for Alternative Technology, a project on sustainable technology for small wastewater works, for a group of water utilities. This examined how stricter discharge consent standards might be met at such works using low energy techniques and alternatives to grid electricity.
- 2003: Undertaking for a group of water utilities a Sewage Treatment Efficiency Programme (STEP™), an inter-utility benchmarking project which provided a complete, in-depth analysis of wastewater treatment costs and performance. Starting from high level objectives, the work included stakeholder analysis and an evaluation of approaches to risk, and examined in detail activity-based costing of operations and practices. It identified quick wins and made strategic recommendations for cost efficiency and performance improvement.
- 2003: Leading a project (with Energenecs of Cedarburg, Wisconsin and McMahon Associates of Menasha, Wisconsin) on the development of energy consumption guidelines for water and wastewater treatment for Wisconsin Focus on Energy. Energy and process studies were undertaken at a range of water and wastewater facilities in Wisconsin, and plant performances were benchmarked against each other and against plants in Europe. Guidelines were developed for energy-efficient utilisation, design and specification for treatment unit processes.
- 2002 - 2003: Undertaking for a group of water utilities a Water Production Proficiency Programme (HOPP), a benchmarking-based project on water abstraction and treatment costs and performance, bringing together international technical benchmarking expertise. The work included stakeholder analysis and an evaluation of approaches to risk. Details of activity-based costing of operations and practices were examined, some quick wins identified, and strategic recommendations made for cost efficiency and performance improvement.
For more information please contact us at carbon@wrcplc.co.uk.
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