Two interesting articles today; both championing the idea that smart grids encompass far more than electrons and eventually will reach into the world of water. As the first – courtesy to The Energy Collective – notes, we need to extend our thinking about smart grids to other resources such as water, waste water, gas and oil pipelines, and even transportation systems:
“…The Smart Grid has traditionally been used to describe the electrical grid 2.0. The distinctions between the traditional electrical grid, or version 1.0, and the Smart Grid cover the bidirectional flow of electricity and communications. We need to extend our thinking about the smart grid to add distributed intelligence and communications to other parts of the developed infrastructure – water and waste water, gas and oil pipelines, and even our transportation systems. Doing so will help us engineer the most sustainable and cost-effective solutions.
The relationship of electricity and water is particularly intertwined – it takes electricity to move and treat water, and water is quite often used to make electricity. For instance, the state of California moves a great deal of water from the northern part of the state to the south. Transporting one acre-foot of water – the typical amount consumed by two families of four in a year – requires 3000 kWh per year. One acre-foot of water (the amount of water covering 1 acre to a depth of 1 foot) equals 326,000 gallons and weighs 2.7 million pounds. The California Energy Commission (CEC) figures that 20% of the state’s electricity and 30% of its natural gas consumption are dedicated to water transport or treatment. A five minute faucet flow uses approximately the same energy as letting an incandescent 60-watt light bulb burn for 14 hours.
There is a great deal of attention given to the aging electrical grid infrastructure, and with good reason. The current electrical grid has reduced reliability and transmission losses that cost the economy dearly. We need to fund massive investment in the water infrastructure for similar reasons. The water systems in many cities and municipalities in the USA are characterized by aging water pipes that leak and are at risk for full collapse. The waste of potable water through this unreliable infrastructure cannot be sustained for much longer – especially in high growth regions where current water resources are not sufficient for continued consumption rates.
The water infrastructure needs basic upgrading to stop the leaks, but it also needs sophisticated sensors to track and measure water use. Just like we use smart meters to provide much more detailed and instantaneous information about electricity use, we need better feedback mechanisms that communicate and analyze water use. Information leads to awareness and knowledge, and efficient use And that’s the crux of another problem. We can add clean renewable sources of electricity to the grid in the form of solar, wind, and geothermal production to accommodate growing populations. We can’t make more water – we can only use and reuse the water that is on the planet.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense site, reducing water use has definite positive impacts on the environment and economy. Intelligent use of water lets us reduce the need for investments in new infrastructure and reduces the strain on the current, aging infrastructure. We talk about energy efficiency as the low hanging fruit in Smart Grid discussions, and we need to view water efficiency in the same light, and add intelligent devices and more communications capabilities to optimize this infrastructure as we are already doing for the electrical Smart Grid.”
The second is an Oracle report on need for a smart grid in the water sector:
“…Did you know that at least 36 states are projecting water shortages between now and 2013? Water conservation is a very serious issue – and a “smart grid” for water can help water utilities better manage their distribution systems and work with their customers on critical sustainability initiatives.
“Smart grid” has received a lot of buzz in recent months with electric utilities receiving most of the spotlight – especially with the recent announcement of $3.4 billion in stimulus program grants. But, electric utilities aren’t the only ones facing aging infrastructures, sustainability challenges, and customer demand for better service. Water utilities face these challenges too – and smart grid initiatives (with smart metering playing a key role) – can help address them.
Oracle recently surveyed more than 300 water utility managers and 1,200 water consumers in the United States and Canada to examine:
- Water utility managers’ perception of, and future plans for, smart meter technology, including benefits and potential obstacles
- Water consumers’ perception of their water use, motivations for conservation, and what they feel they need from their water utilities moving forward
Key takeaways include:
- 76% of consumers are concerned about the need to conserve water in their community; their behavior changes are more motivated by a desire to conserve water than a desire to reduce water bill costs
- 68% of water utility managers believe it is critical that water utilities adopt smart meter technologies
- Consumers believe receiving more detailed information on their own water consumption will be a key factor in motivating water conservation – 71% believe having access to this data would encourage behavior change.”
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