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PWI Energy Efficiency Assessments

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program, the Illinois EPA Office of Energy is providing no-cost energy use assessments to publicly-owned water supply and wastewater facilities, in partnership with the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). 

 

Why Energy Efficiency Assessments? 

The cost of public water treatment, either for drinking water supply or wastewater discharge, can be a significant burden for municipalities, especially when the infrastructure is aged or inapprorpriately sized for the community it serves. An energy efficiency assessment is the first step to discovering cost-effective solutions by identifying potential cost and energy savings behaviors or upgrades. Typically, energy efficiency assessments cost could cost municipalities between $6,000 to $12,000. 

After an on-site or virtual facility assessment has been completed and energy use data gathered for benchmarking, SEDAC and/or ISTC will prepare a final assessment report. The final report will offer recommednations for energy efficiency improvements, approximate upfront costs for retrofits or upgrades, estimated return on investment information, and potential energy and financial savings. 

 

Energy Efficiency Assessment Eligibility

To qualify for an assessment, a public wastewater treatment facility must: 

  1. Be located in Illinois and owned either by the State of Illinois or an Illinois unit of local government;
  2. Allow SEDAC and ISTC access to the treatment facility; 
  3. Be willing to share facility information with SEDAC, ISTC, and Illinois EPA Office of Energy; and 
  4. Share the final energy efficiency assessment report with the Illinois EPA office of Energy. 

 

Complete the Public Water Infrastructure Initial Contact Form to receive additional information, or contact EPA.Energy@Illinois.gov. 

 

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