I am pleased to note that an international leader in the field of energy efficiency has agreed to be the keynote speaker at the WaterWorld/EPRI Energy Efficiency Forum for the Water & Wastewater Industry.
Earlier this year I began working with the folks at the Electric Power Research Institute and the Department of Energy’s Motor Challenge program to help organize the forum. It’s finally coming together and will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Denver’s Marriott City Center Hotel.
Amory Lovins, the founder and research director at the Rocky Mountain Institute, will speak from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31, during the Forum’s Opening Session. I also will step to the podium during opening ceremonies to welcome attendees and introduce the speakers.
Lovins has been active in energy policy in more than 25 countries in as many years. His Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is a research and policy center that explores the links between energy, water, agriculture, transportation, security and development. More than 400 electric utilities, major industries, governments and design firms worldwide subscribe to E Source, a publication on advanced electric efficiency published by RMI.
Lovins has briefed heads of state, given expert testimony in eight countries and more than 20 states, and has published 26 books and several hundred papers on energy efficiency and other topics. In 1980-81 he served on the U.S. Department of Energy’s senior advisory board.
The Rocky Mountain Institute is also active in the water conservation arena. RMI’s Water Associates specializes in evaluating demand-side management (DSM) programs and works with water utilities to establish or fine-tune water efficiency programs. RMI’s web page, http://www.rmi.org offers a catalog of water-related books, including conservation guides for water utility managers.
Lovins is noted for his entertaining and informative speaking style. I am personally looking forward to his comments on energy efficiency in the water industry.
The Energy Efficiency Forum will begin on Aug. 31 with a workshop on pump optimization. Presented by DOE’s Motor Challenge program, the workshop will focus on the performance of pumping systems for fresh water and wastewater facilities.
We’ve collected a great group of papers for the conference. Sessions will be devoted to opportunities generated by changes in the electric power industry; auditing treatment facilities to optimize energy usage; and case studies from such places as Philadelphia, Riverside, Calif., and the City of Bethlehem.
Aeration is an important energy consumer at wastewater treatment facilities, and I was impressed by the number of papers on aeration I received. I think we could easily have presented a conference focusing on aeration alone. I received more abstracts on that subject than all the others combined.
Of course the culprit behind the high-dollar power demands at water and wastewater facilities is the motor, which drives all the larger energy-consuming systems. Two sessions will be devoted exclusively to attaining energy efficiency through the care and maintenance of motor systems.
Sessions on pump technology, power generation and energy management case studies also are planned. Consulting engineers from HDR, Consoer Townsend, ITT Fluid Technologies and Black & Veatch will make presentations, as will representatives from the Florida Energy Extension Service, the Department of Civil Engineering at Mississippi State and the Department of Energy.
If you would like to learn more about the Energy Efficiency Forum for the Water & Wastewater Industry, visit our web site at http://www.waterworld.com, or contact Laura Boland, conference coordinator, at 800-331-4463, ext. 6179.
