How can a drinking water or wastewater system in a rural community become more energy-efficient and, at the same time, reduce its operating budget? There are a few quick answers and easy targets in the pursuit to conserve energy. However, as with most changes to procedures, there are caveats and a few potential hazards lurking that you must take into account should you decide to address your energy usage. Here are five areas to focus your efforts on in order to have an effective energy-reduction program.
1 Understand your current energy use by benchmarking.
You must first know where you are now in order to determine how you will get to where you want to be. You will need to collect and analyze billing information and budget data over a 12- to 24-month period to identify trends and habits. There are tools and guides to help you do it yourself, including one from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [1].
2 Shed light on your light fixtures.
You can address replacing incandescent bulbs in your facilities. Pay special attention to the lumen output and the correlated color temperature (CCT) for your replacement bulbs to assure a good quality of light. Also, most communities have exterior lighting for their buildings, parking lots, sidewalks, and streets. There are retrofit fixtures and bulbs to reduce the energy consumption of most types of fixtures.
3 HVAC: What is comfort?
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning serve many roles, and you must take these functions into account before you modify settings or working parameters. Potential energy-saving opportunities include adjusting the thermostat slightly during working hours and adjusting the thermostat significantly during non-working hours.
4 Water production: The cost for clean water
The largest energy users in groundwater or surface water systems are the pumps, accounting for approximately 85 percent of the costs. You can replace pumps with higher-efficiency models or use combinations of pumps to better meet the actual pumping volumes. A community should also track and understand how leaks and water losses impact the design and operation of its water facility. It may be more prudent to address water loss rather than upgrading and increasing the water treatment pumps and tanks.
5 Wastewater treatment: Energy to eliminate waste
There are many different types of wastewater treatment plants and designs, and typically the largest energy users in a system are the pumps and aeration systems. It is critical to first understand the operations and the design of the pumping system before any changes are recommended or implemented. It is very common for pumping systems to be very inefficient, so the potential for savings is most likely present. Significant modifications may require regulatory review and may need professional design as well.
Only the beginning of your process
This list and article are only tips and suggestions and by their nature are not meant to be comprehensive or an exhaustive process for evaluating the potential energy savings in your system. This article is mainly to suggest areas to start considering in a longer, more systematized process. The best way to become educated and initiate this process is to start with an energy audit.
There are many sources for audits, along with a variety of costs. You are encouraged to explore the options for energy audits and evaluate the auditor’s experience and qualifications. Pay particular attention to any contract-related requirements for your community that may follow the audit. You should also compare not only the potential for savings but also the cost of changes, the payback period, the possible funding mechanisms, the potential for financial incentives, and the urgency of the proposal.
This article was adapted from a longer article by Scott A. Strahley, P.E., C.E.A., an engineer for Ohio RCAP, part of the Great Lakes RCAP. The original article [2] appeared in RCAP’s magazine, Rural Matters, 2012 issue 1 [3].
Contact the RCAP field staff member in your state for assistance with these options and opportunities. Find him or her [4].