Energy Efficiency Forum to start with motor workshop

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 27, 2000 - A conference on energy efficiency for the water industry begins today with a workshop on motors and a tour of a Philadelphia wastewater treatment plant.

The Energy Efficiency Forum will review the latest research on conserving energy from a water or wastewater utility's perspective. In an age of increasing competition and privatization, energy conservation is an important way for utilities to cut costs and be more competitive in the water market.

With technical sessions on electric industry deregulation, project finance, energy efficiency in Pennsylvania and optimization for energy conservation, the three-day conference is narrowly targeted to help water and wastewater professionals choose and maintain equipment for maximum energy efficiency.

The conference, now in its third year, also includes exhibits on the latest products for more energy-efficient water and wastewater systems.

The Motor Challenge workshop, an all-day opening event for the conference, is hosted in cooperation with the Department of Energy (www.oit.doe.gov/).

Participants in this three-part workshop will learn what makes a motor efficient, how to repair and replace less-efficient components, how to match adjustable speed drives to motors, and how to enhance pumping efficiency with the drive.

Southwest Water Pollution Control Plant

After the workshop, attendees will tour Philadelphia's Southwest Water Pollution Control Plant, which was built in the 1950s and has undergone extensive upgrades over the years. The tour will focus on improvements and changes in the plant's operation that have reduced energy consumption.

Visitors will have a chance to examine the plant's variable frequency drives and state-of-the-art control systems.

The plan treats an average of 190 million gallons of wastewater per day. It uses a three-stage activated sludge process that incorporates sedimentation, aeration and final sedimentation.

After the sludge is anaerobically digested and concentrated to 4-5% solids, it is pumped to the Philadelphia Sludge Recycling Center where it is composted and distributed.

The methane gas produced during digestion is used to power the plant's heating and cooling systems. In the future, cogeneration facilities will be built and operated under private contract. The facilities are expected to produce nearly $21 million in savings over the 20-year life of the contract.

Statue: Religious Liberty

The energy-efficient practices of a sewerage district in Wisconsin have earned it the Innovative Energy Management Award, to be given during the opening session Monday.

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, under the contract operation of United Water, will receive the Innovative Energy Management Award for saving nearly millions of dollars per year in energy costs, according to James Laughlin, EEF conference chairman.

"United Water reduced the department's energy costs by nearly $2 million per year through the installation of energy efficient systems, use of on-site generation of power using digester gas, and an innovative program that refined the way the utility purchased its natural gas and electric power, Laughlin said.

"Its active management strategy for energy purchasing and marketing made it stand out from other entries."

Laughlin will present the trophy to Milwaukee (MMSD) during the opening session Monday. The project will be featured in the September issue of WaterWorld Magazine. For more information about MMSD, visit the web site at www.mmsd.com/about/about.html.

Ben Franklin, a.k.a. Ralph Archbold

The opening session Monday will revisit American colonial times with a keynote address from Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, played by impersonator Ralph Archbold, will discuss the virtues of change. More than 200 years after his death, Franklin's words are heard (with Archbold's help) at conferences and events all over the country, including The Today Show and Good Morning America.

"The Future of Energy," a discussion of the electric power, oil and gas industries, will follow the keynote. Four technical sessions are also in the schedule, covering electric industry deregulation, project finance, energy efficiency projects in Pennsylvania and optimization for energy conservation.

The Liberty Bell Reception, sponsored by Powerware Solutions ( http://www.powerwaresolutions.com/), will wrap up the day.

Tuesday, the final day of the conference, is filled with technical sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Attendees will discuss such topics as pumping system efficiency, energy management, motors, drives and pumps, aeration upgrades, on-site generation and energy optimization.

Accommodations

The Crowne Plaza Center City Hotel, hosting the conference, is a three-star hotel in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. The hotel has 445 rooms, a fitness center, outdoor pool and sundeck. The rooms have cable TV, coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards, hair dryers and workstations with fax and data ports.

Things to do in Philadelphia

For a general calendar of events happening in August, visit libertynet.org's site.

A complete travel and tourism guide to Philadelphia is available at http://www.123philadelphia.com.

Valley Forge National Historical Park ( http://www.valleyforge.org/).

The Philadelphia Folk Festival Aug. 25-27 ( http://www.folkfest.org/).

Third Annual Garden Railway Display in the Morris Arboretum, Fairmount Park ( http://www.greenspacefun.org/).

The Rodin Museum ( http://www.123philadelphia.com/rodinmuseum.htm).

More information: Complete details about the upcoming conference are at http://ww.pennnet.com/home/events.cfm. For more information, call conference coordinator Marvetta McNeel at +1-918-831-9500 or e-mail: [email protected].