Rich Brown; Christie Galitsky; Judy Roberson; Bailey Green

Contact: Rich Brown, (510) 486-5896, rebrown@lbl.gov

Role in The Energy-Water Nexus

The water and wastewater treatment sectors account for as much as 3% of electricity use in the U.S. In the drinking water sector, pumping accounts for about 90% of energy use, whereas in wastewater treatment the majority of energy use is due to treatment processes. EPA’s ENERGY STAR partnership offers organizations a proven energy management strategy that helps measure current energy performance, set goals, track savings, and reward improvements. To extend this management strategy to the water and wastewater sectors, LBNL will help EPA design an Energy Performance Rating System (EPRS) for each sector that is normalized for the appropriate variables such as climate, plant/system characteristics, and regional differences. The EPRS will facilitate internal and external performance comparisons within and between water and wastewater utilities.

Research Objectives

The goal of this project is to provide technical assistance to the ENERGY STAR commercial- and industrial-sector branch in developing a program for the water and wastewater treatment sectors. Initially, this assistance has focused on helping EPA understand the technical and other factors that affect energy use in this sector. The next phase of this project will develop Energy Efficiency Assessment and Opportunities Reports (or guidebooks) for each sector that describe best practices to increase energy and water efficiency. These guidebooks can be used by water and wastewater plant operators and managers to help improve the energy performance of their systems.

Approach

LBNL has compiled previous studies on energy use in the water and wastewater sectors, as well as energy management guides for these sectors. We will also draw on energy performance data being collected by AWWARF and CEC.

Accomplishments

We have completed a memo providing an overview of energy use in the water and wastewater treatment sectors.

Significance of Findings

Efficiency measures should focus on these energy-intensive parts of the treatment system. The drinking water and wastewater sectors are driven by concerns about compliance with water quality regulations and discharge permits, thus a successful program needs to both save energy and improve compliance.

Related Publications

No public documents yet.

Acknowledgements

The work is supported by the Office of Atmospheric Programs, Climate Protection Partnerships Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.