• Municipal WWTFs are generally over-engineered (i.e. use too much aeration, and therefore too much energy).
• With proper monitoring equipment, aeration equipment can be cycled to achieve significant demand reduction and energy savings without compromising system integrity or jeopardizing permit compliance.

The Cross-Cutting Demand Reduction Program, sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and funded through Public Purpose Funds, serves municipal WWTFs in PG&E service territory. In Phase I of this program, the Quantum Consulting and BacGen Technologies (QC/BGT) Team will save a total of 3,423 MWh (and 540 kW) annually in four municipal facilities. Phase II of this program will add an additional ten facilities, for a total of fourteen (14) municipal WWTFs. On average, the QC/BGT Team expects to save 855,750 kWh and 135 kW per Phase I facility. Implementation of Phase I should be complete by December 31, 2001. Phase II of this program will follow, and should be fully implemented by March 31, 2002. The QC/BGT Team is also currently conducting the Innovative Peak Load Reduction Program, sponsored by the California Energy Commission (CEC). As part of this program, twenty (20) municipal WWTFs throughout California will receive fully-funded retro-commissioning services, and an additional one hundred (100) facilities will receive technical training and assistance. The QC/BGT Team expects to achieve a total of 6 MW of peak demand reduction through this program.

These programs take advantage of new technologies to better manage WWTF aeration delivery systems. The BacGen Technologies “tool kit” reduces the amount of aeration required through state-of-the-art, real-time process modeling and optimization. By closely monitoring and controlling key system parameters, BacGen Technologies optimizes the overall system performance. Proprietary instrumentation is installed in each wastewater system to collect real-time, cross-parameter performance data. This data is then transmitted to BacGen Technologies for analysis using internally developed modeling and optimization software. Using results from this analysis, BacGen Technologies may directly or remotely control the facility’s treatment processes to maintain permit compliance while minimizing aeration energy use. BacGen consults with a “peer review team” of world-class industry experts to continually validate its technical approaches and methodologies.

The QC/BGT Team looks forward to discussing our energy and demand reduction services with other facilities in California and beyond.