Merging Power and Process: Putting Energy Optimization in the Hands of Operators with Real-time Monitoring

The paradigm-shift from viewing wastewater as a waste product to viewing it as a resource has spurred the development of new plant management best practices. Today’s complex energy ecosystems require a combination of operational capabilities and technology to succeed. Energy and process optimization requires an understanding energy utility tariff structures and the elements that can be managed engineering or operator decisions. Demand charges, oftentimes an invisible cost on electricity bills, can represent 20 to 50% of a utility’s total energy costs. These demand charges can be avoided by empowering operators with real-time monitoring, which can enable them to holistically evaluate a plant’s needs versus the power demand, and reshape the energy demand curve to mitigate peaks. Energy management and process control can be networked together in real-time through instrumentation, software, and a focused approach to energy usage. Additionally, improved monitoring empowers operators with tools to make better process control decisions.