Tag: water

The Hydro-Micro Grid!

omriklagLeave a comment

Sustainability issue – energy and renewables

Electricity is the backbone of development. Nevertheless, the current gird is firmly based on fossil fuels. additionally the grid’s design is decades old. If we wish to successfully transition to a cleaner and smarter grid and mitigate climate change we need innovative solutions…

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The solution – hydro-micro grid

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  • LucidEnergy is an American company based in Portland that creates hydro-turbines for municipal water pipes.
  • Many cities receive their water from remote and elevated locations. When gravity “powered” water flows towards a city, strong pressure (i.e., water speed) builds up in the pipes –  LucidEnergy harnesses this power by installing pipes with an intergrated micro-turbine.
  • The system is scalable and can generate between 18kw to 100kw based on the diameter of the pipe system and the flow rate.
  • The power generated can be sold to a 3rd party (e.g., a utility company via a P3). Anticipated return over the investment is 10 years.
  • The solution has been tested successfully in Portland, Oregon and Riverside, California.
  • The company is currently working on the 2nd generation of its LucidPipe turbine design, “which will significantly increase power output, operate across a wider range of pipe sizes and flows and significantly reduce capital cost”.

20130322 LucidPipe - bluehouse 08 EDIT reduced.jpeg

Stakeholders

  • Municipalities
  • Water utilities
  • Electric utilities
  • Army bases, universities and any entity that owns its own water (pipes) infrastructure

Implementation

Step 1 – The company should finish developing LucidPipe 2.0

Step 2 – The company should begin partnering with municipalities and key stakeholders – first as pilots then as contracts.

Step 3 – The company should expand its operations, ideally to countries that are undertaking a lot of infrastructure projects (e.g., China and India) and look into the possibility of opening manufacturing facilities there.

Company Website – Link

 

Link to comment – https://makeasmartcity.com/2017/11/30/desalination-2-0/comment-page-1/#comment-1519

Water from thin (but humid) air!

omriklagLeave a comment

Sustainability problem

Water security (both quality and quantity)

The problem

Water is not only necessary to survive, but it is also a fundamental building block of a decent quality of life. Nevertheless, nearly 800 million people do not have water security (link).  Fresh water, which includes safe drinking water, account for less than 4% of all the water of the plant (link). Moreover, these water bodies are localized and accesses to them is limited. In short, there is an urgent need for potable water in many parts of the world. On the other hand, air is very abundant….

The solution – Water from air!

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  • Water-Gen is a Israeli company that produces a line of Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) and de-humidifing products.
  • The units only require electricity to operate. The company’s largest generator can  produce up to 6,000 liters per day. Standard operating conditions are 26.7°C and 60% Relative Humidity.
  • The company claims its solutions are ideal for cities in developing countries and has identified 12 cities (ranging from Jakarta, Indonesia to Salvador, Brazil) that can greatly benefit from the technology, which can be integrated into existing buildings,
  • One of the nice features about the water generators is that their optimal operating period (when humidity peaks) is at night (when electricity demand is low).

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Stakeholders

  • Individuals in developing countries with poor access to water
  • Individuals in developed countries who live in areas with contaminated water (e.g., Flint, Michigan)
  • Army and Science facilities that are “off the grid”.

Implementation

Step 1 – Partner with cities, organizations and countries that are in need for humanitarian aid  for pilot programs to increase public awareness.

Step 2 –  continue to improve the product and make it more “renewable energy friendly”, which will increase its attractiveness for communities with poor access to electricity.

Step 3- Expand operations and open additional factories that will allow the company to reach economies of scale, which will lower the product’s price.

Sources

Company website – Link

 

Comment on A Bay Area Startup Spins Lab-Grown Silk (JANEVAMORFAW):

Thats is a very cool idea with great potential. I hope that the company will be able to cheaply produce enough “silk” and have a global presence so that they will be able to bring about a real change.

Two things stand out to me in this technology: 1) Is the farming of the planets the company extracts sugar from sustainable and are these plants widely available?  2) Can the company bring the technology to a sufficient scale so that it can “move the needle” and meaningfully make the apparel industry more sustainable?

Smart meter for water use monitoring

abbigaelfosterLeave a comment

IT_2016_Calliope2-2000x1200

 

Sustainability problem: Water

Approximately 18% of water used in residential homes is lost as a result of leaks. This can result in an annual loss of 13,000 gallons of water per household.

Technology summary:

  • Calliope’s Bouy is whole-house water flow meter that is connected to a house’s water supply to monitor water use.
  • Bouy incorporates machine learning and predictive analytics to provide real-time water use insights about how much water is being used by which devices.
  • Bouy provides also provides real time data about when and where leaks occur and other waste via an app.

Stakeholders:

  • Homeowners and building owners
  • Water utilities
  • Individuals in drought stricken areas
  • Plumbers
  • Contractors installing the technology
  • Home improvement retailors

Implementation:

  • Educate consumers about benefits of the technology via marketing campaigns
  • Seek partnerships with water utilities in dought-stricken areas to promote adoption of the technology
  • Increase commercial availability by partnering with home improvement retailors

References:

Comment on You Can’t Spell ‘Carbon Nanotube Electricity’ Without ‘Yarn’

As an alternative to yarn made with carbon nanotubes, energy can be harvested from other fabrics via piezoelectric generators to harvest energy from stress and strains and triboelectric generators to harvest energy generated from friction. However, these generators are costly and have a low efficiency making carbon nanotube technology a superior option.

TaKaDu Integrated Event Management solutions for the water industry.

bolorerdenetmr1 Comment
  1. Sustainability Problem:

    According to UN World will face 40% gap in water supply and demand. World Bank estimates that world loses about 25-35% of water due to leaks and bursts(the annual value of this non-revenue water — water produced and lost by utilities — is $14 billion). Water scarcity will cause serious squeeze food and energy supply chains, and stall economic growth.

    2. Technological Solutions:

    Israeli start-up TaKaDu claims its cloud-based, a mathematical led software solution is integrating the water sector with “cloud computing.”

    -The solution works together with utilities’ current infrastructure. Information from flows and pressure meters, GIS and SCADA systems, for instance, is collated, “mathematically cooked” turned into “practical real-time picture and priorities.”

    -Utilities can use a web interface to efficiently find where leaks take place that efficiently locates repair teams.

    -Provide efficient 24/7 monitoring service with prioritized analyze

Takedu

Sources: Sarah Begley, “UN Report Warns of Serious Water Shortages in 15 years”, March 20, 2015 

Tom Freyberg, Water Leakage? Look to the Clouds

#waterleakage #smartwater #energy #foodsecurity #sustainability #health #BT2443

3. Key Stakeholders and their role in the implementation:

-City stakeholders- Include their plan
-Government agencies-Legislate and helping private sectors to participate

-Water Utility Companies-Use Technology for their service
-Civic society- Connect and partnership with the stakeholders
-Citizens of the city-Be aware of leakages and require utility companies be transparent about water bills
-Financial Institutions-Financing water-related projects

4. Steps Deploying Technology:

Public-Private People’s Partnership is the key to successful deployment of the project.
– Government or city stakeholders include the technology city’s water utility systems planning and involve existing infrastructure, decide financial aspects and solutions.

-Encourage through legislation or regulation build prosperous environment for the utility companies to use a technology and financial institutions finance utility companies
– Within Public Private People’s Partnership educate each stakeholder how water scarcity could negatively influence whole energy, food, and economy

Pictures and other sources:

https://www.metering.com/smart-water-management-global-demand/

http://www.takadu.com/company

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb13984663.htm

https://www.israel21c.org/4-israeli-companies-named-in-2017-global-cleantech-100/

 

 

 

Green lawns for less: Smart Irrigation

hayleymoleLeave a comment

Problem: Water Management

  • Places like California are facing more frequent and longer lasting periods of drought.
  • Having an automatic springer system can be a huge waste of regional water supplies on something that is non-esstential.

Solution: Rachio (Website)

  • Rachio have developed an system of managing home owners water usage making it easier for them to save water.
  • The system comes in two varieties: an 8-zone unit ($200) and a 16-zone version ($250).
  • Physical installation is similar to a traditional sprinkler timer. Zone wires are inserted into clips inside the device, then the device is plugged into a standard wall jack.
  • The system is controlled through a mobile app, which guides you through a series of questions which determine how much water your plants need, based on type of vegetation, soil type, sun exposure, and the slope of the land.

Screen Shot 2017-10-26 at 6.18.27 PM

Stakeholders:

  • Middle and upper income families who wish to maintain the aesthetics of their property in dry areas.
  • Water utility companies.
  • Gardening services.

Article

Three steps to deploying:

  1. Install the main hardware at the source of your springer system.
  2. Connect it to you home wifi network.
  3. Download the control app.

 

 

 

Energy from Evaporating Water could rival Wind and Solar.

rycnbeans2 Comments

Ch2217 is my uni.

 

1: Energy, air, water

 

 

 

 

 

 

2: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2148623-energy-from-evaporating-water-could-rival-wind-and-solar/

 

This machine could harness the energy from water that evaporates from existing dams and lakes in the U.S. It could provide up to 2.8 billion megawatt hours per year or about 2/3 of the electrical production in the U.S in 2015.

 

3: Stakeholders are anyone currently using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels. Additional stakeholders would be less developed nations who would not have to spend billions upgrading their infrastructure to burn fossil fuel burning generating plants.

 

4: If this technology can be refined it would sell itself to countries, states and cities currently using fossil fuels to generate electricity or facing huge infrastructure upgrades to generate electricity using fossil fuels.

 

My comment: For the rapid electrical cell recharging technology article;

I particularly like the safety improvement offered by this technology. The removal of the membrane in the fuels cells which become clogged and cause overheating and fires makes this technology important for the future of transportation fuels cells being utilized on a larger scale

 

Fog Harvesting for Water Resources

Dominic Bell2 Comments

1) Water and Health: There are areas around the world with limited access to natural water resources but with considerable proximity to fog. This is where fog harvesting can come into play but capturing fog and producing useful water because without water, people cannot survive.

2) Technology: 

  • Dar Si Hamad has established a 600 square meter installation in Morocco, becoming the largest fog harvesting site
  • MIT was able to develop material that could produce 5 times more water with a mesh made from stainless steel filaments
  • The mesh is dip-coated, causing droplets to flow down to a water basin quickly rather than getting lost back to the environment

3) Stakeholders:

  • Inhabitants of arid regions
  • Manufacturing companies
  • Metals sourcing companies

4) Deployment: 

  • Raise financial support for R&D
  • Have research teams improve the technology further for greater efficiency
  • Work with manufacturer to scale up development

5) Comment for other post: 

https://makeasmartcity.com/2017/10/12/eco-friendly-toilets-for-refugee-camps/comment-page-1/#comment-1197

 

Source:

https://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-fog-harvester-produces-water-from-thin-air-in-the-moroccan-desert/

https://inhabitat.com/mit-develops-advanced-fog-harvesting-material-that-pulls-5x-more-water-from-thin-air/

Image Source:

https://inhabitat.com/tag/fog-harvesting/

 

By: Dominic Bell (dlb2189)

Stanford District Energy System cuts GHG emissions 68 percent and fossil fuel 65 percent #BT2443

bolorerdenetmrLeave a comment

1-stanford

1) Sustainability area(s).

Cities consuming over 70 percent of global energy use and, producing 40 to 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In some cities, heating and cooling can account for up to half of local energy consumption. Any solution for the climate and energy transition must address sustainable urban heating and cooling, as well as electricity. One of the least-cost and most efficient solutions for reducing emissions and primary energy demand is the development of modern (climate-resilient and low-carbon) district energy in cities.

2) Sustainability Technology:

The combined new system – Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) – makes Stanford one of the most energy-efficient research universities in the world.

-SEIS represents a transformation of university energy supply from a 100% fossil-fuel-based combined heat and power plant to grid-sourced electricity and a more efficient electric heat recovery system.

-High-efficiency new-building standards and improvements to existing buildings, a high-voltage substation, state-of-the-art solar arrays and a new central energy facility (CUP) that incorporates the largest heat-recovery chillers ever installed in the U.S

-SESI uses a combination of heat recovery, low-temperature hot water distribution, and thermal energy storage to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 68% and drinking water use by 15%

-Technology roadmap for building heating and cooling

United Nations Environmental Programm,  “District Energy in Cities,” page-11, 2015

David M Brown, “Energy/Industrial Best Project: Stanford Energy System Innovation” ENR California, November 24, 2015

Stanford Energy System Innovations, youtube, Stanford, April 22, 2015

Technology Roadmap: Energy-Efficient Buildings: Heating and Cooling Equipment

#energy #water #systemsthinking #technology #ghgemission

3) Key Stakeholders

-City stakeholders- Include their plan
-Government agencies-Legislate and help private sectors to participate
-Civic society- Connect and partnership with the stakeholders
-Property owners-Able to join or innovate DES
-Financial Institutions-Finance DES projects

4) Steps Deploying Technology:

Public-Private People’s Partnership is the key to successful deployment of the project.
– Within the city, planing decide to financial aspects
– Build a community and infrastructure and educate public
– Within Public Private People’s Partnership leverage project within significant cities

Although DES is common on university and college campuses and more accessible to regulate, it’s possible to duplicate Stanford model within major cities. Current DES powered by mainly Fossil Fuel for changing that financial institutions and state, city policies will play an enormous role.

Off grid solar powered water device – Zero Mass Water.

Jiten Vyakarnam3 Comments

1) Sustainability problem: Lack of access to clean drinking water. Area: Water

  • Billions of people around the world still lack access to clean drinking water around them.
  • Many have to travel for tens of kilometers just to access this resource.
  • Many of these areas are located in rural parts of the developing world which are also not connected to the grid (i.e, are un-electrified).

2)  Technology

  •  Arizona start-up called Zero Mass Water, has invented a solar-based system called Source, that absorbs moisture from the air and converts it into drinking water. It does not have to be hooked up to an electric grid or an existing water system.
  • It contains a solar panel that provides energy which drives air through a proprietary water-absorbing material and powers condensation of the extracted moisture into fluid.
  • The systems also contains a small lithium-ion battery to operate the device when the sun is not shining.

 

 

Sources:

  1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/harvesting-clean-water-from-air/

3) Stakeholders

  • Populations in areas with lack of access to clean drinking water.
  • Governments and municipalities.
  • Non-profit and international organizations.

4) Deployment 

  • Marketing campaign to increase awareness of products to relevant stakeholders.
  • Partner with local governments and NGOs to secure distribution and supply chain to remote parts of the world affected by this problem.
  • Have enough manufacturing capacity to ensure demand is met.

 UNI – jv2610

 

Smart Water Sensing Technologies

greentechsmartcities2 Comments

The World Wildlife Fund states that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages and ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.  In addition, an excess of 6.5 billion people are projected to live in cities by 2050, according to recent UN estimates.  The sustainability problem of water scarcity is mounting at a global scale but solutions require highly localized implementation.  We are well beyond mere civil engineering matters at this point and pressures are also growing for cities to get “smart.”  This means that looking to improve water and wastewater management, power generation, and urban demands on rural agricultural production are at the top of the list.  The matter of addressing water scarcity involved many stakeholders – householders, residential and commercial property owners, industrial operations, municipalities, water utilities, regulators, policy makers, lawyers, ecosystems, and farming communities.

This matter of water access is an age old one and has made the big screen more than once (think back to 1974 and the movie Chinatown) but today water is increasingly being managed like a commodity (think the documentary Water & Power: A California Heist) and has become a driver of fear to the point of perception that we’re on the bring of a age of water wars.  To date the value of predictive analytics and maintenance of water based assets has been touted as an area of great hope for these concerns but many of these management approaches and their associated methodologies have sought to conserve water, reduce scheduling of repairs costs, maintenance efforts, and eliminate failures without accounting for many “soft” factors.  Worse, these tactics neglect lower hanging fruit that is readily available.  For example, during a period of about 18 months during the years 2013-2015 the largest provider of water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom, Thames Water, worked with Accenture to try to figure out how to best use sensors, analytics, and real-time data to “help the utility company anticipate equipment failures and respond more quickly to critical situations, such as leaks or adverse weather events.”  A good and necessary start but far from systemic when considering the scale of implementation plans needed for the years 2025 to 2050.

Today water management and smart water sensing technologies exist even for the DIY home owner and this is indeed a great place to start.  It’s low hanging fruit like residential consumers that can lead to increasingly addressing other higher volume end points of water consumption.  Installing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is nearly a dead ringer for water utilities so they can better mange for otherwise they’re unable to measure and that’s a death spiral nobody can afford these days.  The growing pressures on infrastructure that urbanization will bring with it are well known and so to get a smart city one must prepare for growth in commensurate ways that are also able to process the worldwide urbanization phenomena.  Smart water sensing technologies and in turn the education of water consumers is a logical place to start for at scale impact.

 

JMB2408 COMMENT TO ANOTHER BLOG POST (Automated Underground Bike Storage):

This concept of storage is pretty amazing in high density environments and of course next to nowhere in the United States will this ever generate enough users to financially justify it but it’s really amazing to think it could be part of a future “smart” city plan. In Boulder, CO there are a lot of bikers and some amazing bike lock options in cage-like structures near the train stations and public transit. A scaled down version of this but one applicable in the United States.