Utility: Difference between revisions

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| blueprint = Utility
| blueprint = Utility
| sectors = Utility
| sectors = Utility
| authors = Ed Davalos, Kenneth Thompson, Scott Pomeroy, Derick Lee, Deborah Acosta
| authors = Ed Davalos, Kenneth Thompson, Scott Pomeroy, Derick Lee, Deborah Acosta, Wilfred Pinfold
| poc = Pete Tseronis
| poc = Pete Tseronis
| email = pete@dotsandbridges.com
| email = pete@dotsandbridges.com
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| chapter = 900
| chapter = 900
| image = UtilityChapter.jpg
| image = UtilityChapter.jpg
| summary = The Utility SuperCluster theme on sustainability originated from an earlier technology demonstration at GCTC in 2015 called Smart Cities Optimized Action Cluster. The action cluster worked with the Las Vegas Valley Water District on Water Infrastructure Management and Leak Detection and was deployed successfully in three metropolitan cities in the United States.
| summary = Smart utilities refer to the use of technology and data to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and livability of energy waste and water in a municipality.
}}__NOTOC__
}}__NOTOC__
With the focus on sustainability, the team wanted to raise awareness of the issue around water
Examples of smart city utilities include:
infrastructure management. Especially the fact that approximately 20-30% of a utility’s water is lost in
*'''[[Smart Grid]]''': that allow for more efficient and reliable management of electricity distribution
the network of pipes comprising their transmission and distribution system. This results in a staggeringly
*'''[[Intelligent Transportation]]''': that use real-time data to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion
high global annual water loss of $14 billion. In the United States, this translates to 700 water main
*'''[[Smart Waste]]''': that use sensors and monitoring to improve the collection and processing of waste
breaks per day or 250,000 annually for a typical water pipe leaking about 400,000 gallons of water per
*'''[[Smart Water]]''': systems that use sensors and monitoring to improve the distribution and conservation of water
year. This also means nearly 9,000 kWh of energy are wasted annually.  
*'''[[Smart Lighting]]''': that use sensors and controls to adjust lighting levels in response to changes in ambient light and activity levels
*'''[[Intelligent Building]]''': that use data and automation to improve energy efficiency and comfort in buildings.
*'''[[Communications Networks]]''': that connected devices, technologies, and infrastructure and are used to transmit information and data between different points.  
Smart utilities can help to create more livable, efficient, and sustainable cities in several ways:
*'''Improved energy efficiency''': Smart grid systems can help to improve the efficiency of energy distribution, enabling the integration of renewable energy sources and reducing energy loss during transmission and distribution.
*'''Reduced energy costs''': Smart grid systems can help to reduce energy costs by enabling more efficient use of energy and by reducing the need for expensive new power generation and transmission infrastructure.
*'''Increased reliability''': Smart grid systems can provide real-time monitoring and control, which can help prevent power outages and improve the overall reliability of the grid.
*'''Increased sustainability''': Smart grid systems can facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the grid, which can help to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
*'''Improved transportation''': Smart transportation systems can help to reduce congestion, improve mobility, and increase safety on the roads.
*'''Increased water efficiency''': Smart water systems can help to improve the efficiency of water management by reducing leaks, identifying inefficiencies, and optimizing water distribution.
*'''Reduced water costs''': Smart water systems can help to reduce the costs of water management by reducing the need for expensive infrastructure, identifying inefficiencies, and detecting fraud.
*'''Increased sustainability''': Smart water systems can help to increase the sustainability of water management by reducing water usage, detecting and preventing contamination, and reducing the environmental impact of water management.
*'''Increased waste management efficiency''': Smart waste systems can help to improve the efficiency of waste management by reducing the number of missed pickups, reducing the amount of fuel consumed by garbage trucks, and increasing the efficiency of waste collection.
*'''Increased sustainability''': Smart waste systems can help to increase the sustainability of waste management by reducing emissions, fuel consumption, and other environmental impacts.


This is a significant problem since for most utilities, buried water pipelines represent the largest value
In summary, smart utilities can help to create more livable, efficient, and sustainable cities by reducing energy and water consumption, improving transportation, and reducing waste and environmental impacts.
asset within their system and typically carry replacement costs in excess of $1,000,000 per mile. While
looking for hard to find distribution and transmission leaks in water systems isn’t new, the means now
being used is: Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
 
For example, with the evolution of cellular LTE, sensors and analytics, Mueller Water Products had
commercially developed the EchoShore-TX permanent leak detection solution to collect, transmit and
manage data. The monitoring platform combines acoustic leak detection technology with LTE cellular
wireless connectivity and visual end-user dashboards to create a cost-effective monitoring solution.
As a result, Las Vegas initially deployed 13 permanent acoustic sensors monitoring 4 miles of the aging
pipeline installed under Las Vegas Boulevard, from Sunset to Flamingo Roads, which resulted in the
capability to monitor the transmission pipe continually for problems and leaks.
 
This project concluded that aging water infrastructure challenges will continue to escalate as buried
pipelines throughout the nation near the end of their useful life, resulting in water loss, inefficient use of
energy and property damage. Simply replacing or allowing these assets to run to failure is cost-
prohibitive and not a sustainable infrastructure management approach. New pipeline monitoring
technology combined with wireless communications and data visualization as demonstrated in the NIST
Global City Teams Challenge are enabling utilities to cost-effectively gather more data to make more
informed decisions. This directly leads to extended asset life, reduced operating risks and better
management of water as a resource.
 
After the conclusion of the project, GCTC decided to bring together all other utility centric projects into
one Utilities SuperCluster.
 
With the clustering of utility centric projects in 2015, the Utility SuperCluster was established at the
annual GCTC fall meeting with contributions from 38 attendees comprising of individuals from
government agencies, cities, universities, an international embassy, non-profit organizations and global
technology and consulting providers. Since 2015, the Utility SuperCluster group has expanded to over
125 members in 18 action cluster projects.
 
=The Utility SuperCluster=
The purpose of the Utility SuperCluster is to address leading Energy, Water and Waste sustainability
issues in cities by demonstrating real world examples and best practices. To do so, it brings together US and global communities along with academia and technology partners. The SuperCluster is segmented
into three groups with each group managed by its own working group co-chair. The Energy, Water and
Waste working groups are responsible for managing active projects and developing high-level blueprints
of replicable, scalable and sustainable solutions based on successful real-world examples and best
practices. The goal is for this blueprint to be utilized by cities around the world as a way to jumpstart
their efforts to create their own IoT-based technology roadmap.
=High Level Purpose=
In collaboration with the utility work session attendees, the group agreed to develop a high-level
purpose that would serve as an overarching guide for adoption and acceleration of IoT technologies.
Specifically, the group’s aim is to address leading sustainability issues that impact cities by including
academia and technology partners in solutions for the consumption side (reduced) and production side
(increased), with focus on sustainability of energy, water, and waste.
=Goals and Objectives=
The main goals and objectives include saving energy and water to benefit cities and regions through
innovative technologies by:
*Identifying new collaborative commons for energy, water and waste “clean tech” technologies
*Share finance and business models that work for both production and consumption
*Focus on solutions that account for water, increase conservation and increase energy production
*Highlight improvements and innovations for new technologies that save energy, water and
money while growing the economy and protecting the environment
*Empowering citizens to be prosumers and consumers
=Strategies and Approaches=
With the creation of the SuperCluster, the group members were segmented into three vertical focused
groups with each as a sub group for Energy, Water and Waste lead by a co-chair. The Utility SuperCluster
is managed by Ed Davalos of Motorola Solutions as the working group chair with the following industry
segment co chairs: Ken Thompson from CH2M managing Water; Deborah Acosta from the City of San
Leandro and Derek Lee from PilotCity co-managing Energy; and Scott Pomeroy from Scalable Strategies
managing Waste.
In order to align on a common approach and to develop a best practice framework, it was agreed to use
a simple format capturing a problem statement, the cause of the problem, proposed solutions, benefits
from the solution and a summary of a blueprint.
In developing the strategy and approaches, consideration was given to:
*Assessing the benefits and publishing findings (both tangible and intangible, what’s tangible in future and other benefits like productivity)
*Developing social systems to track benefits
*Supporing communication and education
*Developingt and using IoT kits in K-12 education
*Determining how to leverage other industry groups to replicate/scale solutions
*Determining strategies for growth
*Parallel partnering opportunities, such as IEEE, American Water Works Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, EPRI, ACORE, ACEEE and other large industry associations
*Establishing regional groups and national hubs as the working group matures
*Creating a framework to address funding and finance issues
=Addtional Organizational Considerations=
With the three sub groups for Energy, Water and Waste created and organized, consideration was given
to development of a Collaboration Plan, including adding city sustainability manager and networking
groups to expand collaboration.
 
Consideration was also given to establishing Targets and Metrics, such as the templated Key
Performance Indicator (KPIs) to measure program success based on life cycle cost reduction, GHG
emission reduction, productivity improvements and customer satisfaction.
=Founding Participants=
The Utility SuperCluster working group was formed at NIST GCTC’s fall summit in 2015 with contribution
of the following cities.
==List of Founding Participants==
{|class=wikitable
!colspan="5" |Cities and Government
|-
|Gwinnett County,GA
|Washington, DC
|U of Vermont
|Downtown DC BID
|Burkina Faso, Niger
|-
|Charlotte, NC
|Burlington, VT
|Winooski, VT
|Suraj Energy
|Goyang City Korea
|-
|Spokane, WA
|Chattanooga, TN
|Metro Council of Gov’t Republic of Congo
|U.S. Dept. of Commerce
|Dallas, TX
|-
|San Diego, CA
|Goyang, South Korea
|City of Chula Vista UT at Chattanooga
|Loudoun Water City of KC MO
|Embassy of Italy
|-
|Georgia Tech
|City of Bellevue
|Montgomery County MD
|Ghana, Benin, Togo
|NIST/Santa Clara University
|-
|Downtown DC
|BID/Washington DC
|City of San Leandro, CA
|}
 
{|class=wikitable
!colspan="5" |Consultants and Technology Providers
|-
|CH2M
|Cleanech San Diego
|[[Black and Veatch|Black & Veatch]]
|Qualcomm
|-
|Scalable Solutions
|Ingenu
|Fiware/InterInnov
|Strateq
|-
|AT&T
|LG
|Uplus IoT Dev Labs
|SAP
|-
|IBM
|Phillips
|PNNL
|McKinsey & Co.
|-
|Smart City Capital, LLC
|ATIS
|Zip Power
|Itron
|}
 
=Technology and Cross Cutting Elements in IoT=
Technology and cross cutting elements in IoT were considered which the group recognized to include
IoT Communications, Hardware, Data Analytics and cross industrial and application funding. After
evaluating where to best focus the group’s effort, Security and Funding were pursued as two horizontal
areas of blueprint framework efforts

Latest revision as of 20:36, January 24, 2023


Utility
Utility
Introduction
Contact Pete Tseronis
Topics
NEWS
Pic200Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments.jpg Call for Papers: Applications in Integrated Intelligent Infrastructures
This special issue aims at attracting high quality submissions on current trends or novel developments on applications in and around smart infrastructures or related topics.
link=[[Media:{{{Release}}}]] Technical Assistance Guide
Today, the White House released a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law technical assistance guide to help state, local, Tribal and territorial governments navigate, access, and deploy infrastructure resources that will build a better America.
ULINorthwest.jpg ULI Northwest: A Path to Net Zero Carbon
Electrify Everything Panel

REPORTS
WRIFederalPolicyBuildingBlocks.jpg Federal Policy Building Blocks
Black&VeachWater2022.jpg 2022 Water Report
Offshore Wind Report.jpg Offshore Wind Market Report: 2021 Edition
BlueprintUtilities.jpg Best Practices Framework For Sustainable Energy, Water and Waste Solutions
Authors

Ed DavalosOC.jpgKenneth Thompson.jpgScott Pomeroy.jpegDerickLee.jpegDeborah Acosta.jpegWilfredPinfold.jpg

Smart utilities refer to the use of technology and data to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and livability of energy waste and water in a municipality.

Examples of smart city utilities include:

  • Smart Grid: that allow for more efficient and reliable management of electricity distribution
  • Intelligent Transportation: that use real-time data to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion
  • Smart Waste: that use sensors and monitoring to improve the collection and processing of waste
  • Smart Water: systems that use sensors and monitoring to improve the distribution and conservation of water
  • Smart Lighting: that use sensors and controls to adjust lighting levels in response to changes in ambient light and activity levels
  • Intelligent Building: that use data and automation to improve energy efficiency and comfort in buildings.
  • Communications Networks: that connected devices, technologies, and infrastructure and are used to transmit information and data between different points.

Smart utilities can help to create more livable, efficient, and sustainable cities in several ways:

  • Improved energy efficiency: Smart grid systems can help to improve the efficiency of energy distribution, enabling the integration of renewable energy sources and reducing energy loss during transmission and distribution.
  • Reduced energy costs: Smart grid systems can help to reduce energy costs by enabling more efficient use of energy and by reducing the need for expensive new power generation and transmission infrastructure.
  • Increased reliability: Smart grid systems can provide real-time monitoring and control, which can help prevent power outages and improve the overall reliability of the grid.
  • Increased sustainability: Smart grid systems can facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the grid, which can help to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
  • Improved transportation: Smart transportation systems can help to reduce congestion, improve mobility, and increase safety on the roads.
  • Increased water efficiency: Smart water systems can help to improve the efficiency of water management by reducing leaks, identifying inefficiencies, and optimizing water distribution.
  • Reduced water costs: Smart water systems can help to reduce the costs of water management by reducing the need for expensive infrastructure, identifying inefficiencies, and detecting fraud.
  • Increased sustainability: Smart water systems can help to increase the sustainability of water management by reducing water usage, detecting and preventing contamination, and reducing the environmental impact of water management.
  • Increased waste management efficiency: Smart waste systems can help to improve the efficiency of waste management by reducing the number of missed pickups, reducing the amount of fuel consumed by garbage trucks, and increasing the efficiency of waste collection.
  • Increased sustainability: Smart waste systems can help to increase the sustainability of waste management by reducing emissions, fuel consumption, and other environmental impacts.

In summary, smart utilities can help to create more livable, efficient, and sustainable cities by reducing energy and water consumption, improving transportation, and reducing waste and environmental impacts.