Via Green Monk, a report asking how long until all devices which consume water have networked flow meters? According to the article, consumers’ active interest in receiving more information about their energy and water usage and – with the value that this data has – we may see Home Management software that will manage water consumption as well as energy in time:
“…Now, we have all heard about the compelling case for Smart Meters for electrical consumption (I have written and spoken about it extensively) but in this study Oracle asked utilities and their customers about the benefits of rolling out Smart Meters for managing water consumption.
Part of the reason for undertaking this study was that water shortages are already being seen in the South East United States, Western Canada, and Southern California.
In fact, according to the EPA’s WaterSense site:
- At least 36 states are projecting water shortages between now and 2013.
- Each American uses an average of 100 gallons of water a day at home.
- Approximately 5 to 10 percent of American homes have water leaks that drip away 90 gallons a day or more! Many of these leaks reside in old fixtures such as leaky toilets and faucets. If the 5 percent of American homes that leak the most corrected those leaks—it could save more than 177 billion gallons of water annually!
- The average [US] household spends as much as $500 per year on their water and sewer bill and can save about $170 per year by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
Some of the results of the Oracle water study show that:
- 68% of water utility managers believe it is critical that water utilities adopt smart meter technologies
- 76% of consumers are concerned about the need to conserve water in their community
- 69% of consumers believe they could reduce their personal water use
- 71% of consumers believe receiving more detailed information on their water consumption would encourage them to take steps to lower their water use
- 83% of water utilities who have completed a cost- benefit analysis support the adoption of smart meter technology
So, the public is concerned about water conservation and believes that more information would help them reduce their consumption of water. The majority of utility managers also believe smart meter technologies are critical, so things are looking rosy so far.
The data output from smart electricity meters is extremely granular and yields very specific energy footprints. With this data it is trivial to identify the devices using the energy down to make and model of the machine. However, this is not the case for smart water meters. Their output is far less granular – it will be quite difficult to map water consumption data from smart meters to individual devices within the house (unless there are flow meters attached to all the devices using water, for example).
What if though, you could tie-in the output of your electrical smart meter and your water smart meters? Analysing the data from the two meters it should be possible to identify at least some of the devices using water (fridge, dish washer, electric shower, etc.). Having this information tied-in to make and model of device would be extremely useful to help identify more water efficient appliances.
Because, for the most part, your water and electricity utilities are separate companies (or different business units within a utility), this is not a solution they are likely to pursue. However, there has been a surge in the number of 3rd party companies working on Home Management Software applications/devices.
Most recently we’ve seen that Apple are looking into the home energy management space, but others big names already involved include Google, Microsoft, Intel and Panasonic to name but a few.
With consumer’s actively interested in receiving more information about their energy and water usage and with the value that this data has, it is a no-brainer that Home Management Software will manage water consumption as well as energy in time.
How long before it is mandatory that all devices which consume water have networked flow meters and all homes have smart water meters?
Here is the overview of the actual Oracle report cited above:
“Smart grid” has received a lot of buzz in recent months – with electric utilities receiving most of the spotlight, launching initiatives that improve network reliability, enhance efficiency, and help drive more-informed consumption decisions. 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. With growing pressure, water utilities will need a more intelligent approach to managing water consumption to meet environmental concerns.
Oracle 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 forwardKey Findings
Consumers care about water conservation and believe they can reduce personal water use.
- 76% are concerned about the need to conserve water in their community
- 69% believe they could reduce their personal water use
Water utility managers indicate that they are committed to promoting water conservation and believe smart meter technology adoption is critical. However, actual implementations are in a nascent stage.
- 73% say their utility actively promotes water conservation
- 68% believe it is critical that water utilities adopt smart meter technologies
- Only one-third are currently considering or implementing smart meter technologies
Consumers believe receiving more detailed information on their water consumption will be a key factor in motivating their water conservation efforts.
- 71% believe having access to this data would encourage them to take steps to lower water use
While 59% of water utility managers feel their utility does an “outstanding job” of providing detailed, useful information to consumers on their water use, only 24% of consumers feel that their utility does an “outstanding job”
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