2010 Issue

19 W ITH THIS VISION, NO ONE nation or soci- ety would be dependent on another for energy, thus creating universal energy independence. Ultimately, energy independence would be achieved by: 1. Energy conservation, most importantly 2. Creating more efficient systems 3. Renewable energy provided by a combination of sources, such as solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal power, and bioenergy Hence, a movement toward maximizing utiliza- tion of biologically derived energy coupled with other renewable energy sources has recently become of more interest to wastewater facility management as part of the global renewable energy portfolio. While the challenges faced by engineers are imposing, the industry has responded strongly in recent decades with novel and valuable research efforts and innovative engineering approaches to applying these concepts to advanced per- formance in the field. These technological ad- vances can be used for generation of renewable energy. However, additional research and imple- mentation of many of the technologies will be necessary before the change fromnonrenewable to renewable sources of energy is streamlined. With a new emphasis on renewable energy in the U.S. and globally, the change will likely be Sustainable Energy Management: Achieving Energy Independence at Wastewater Utilities DRURY WHITLOCK, JULIAN SANDINO, TIM SHEA, and PETER BURROWES Although viable renewable energy alternatives are available, there does not appear to be one renewable energy source that is a panacea for the global energy demand. Instead, it is generally accepted that a global sustainable energy system will be a combination of many different renewable resources. continued on page 20 rapid in the first half of this century. Hence, the goal of wastewater facilities achieving energy in- dependence is a worthy one and consistent with the current progression to sustainable systems. Sustainable Energy Management Planning In the last several years and with anticipation of new U.S. legislation and renewable-energy- related legislation, there have been increased demands for solutions that respond to a broad range of global sustainability issues—with a specific focus on greenhouse gas (GHG), energy, and water. In evaluating these demands, there is a need for incorporating an approach with a focus on “create, use, and reuse” in how to take on the complex array of sustainability and climate change challenges: From setting boundaries and creating strategies and plans To implementing emission reduction projects and integrating sustainability into management and information systems To developing cultures and organizational think- ing that put sustainability decision-making on par with how industries currently view safety, cost, schedule, and quality for the long term Figure 1 presents approaches to the develop- ment of customized strategies, master planning approaches, and programs that align with facil- ity needs, preferences, culture, organization, and investment plans. It is important to have a process for reducing the complexity of global sustainability challenges into clear objectives, and when and how to do it. The next step is to develop a strategy and master plan to design programs to implement those plans. As is often said, the value in a plan is the planning, and this planning helps immeasurably in facing upcom- ing changes, opportunities, and challenges. Figure 1