The partnership will assist the water industry in reducing carbon emissions, supporting the net-zero pledge and generating cost-effective, renewable green energy.
Hydropower is a well-known technology used to generate energy from the movement and pressure of downward-flowing water. In existing water networks, for example from upland sources or reservoirs, pressure-reducing valves dissipate this energy to ensure it is an acceptable pressure for commercial and household distribution. Easy Hydro has developed an innovative solution using a micro hydropower turbine to capture this lost energy and convert it into electrical power that can be used to power water or wastewater treatment facilities.
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Based on over 10 years of research and development, Easy Hydro's expertise enables off-the-shelf pumps to be used as efficient turbines, at a fraction of the cost of conventional turbines and with a shorter lead time. The return on investment can be as low as only two years and the technology can have a life span of over thirty years.
Fabio Bacci, Innovation Manager, Glan Agua, said: "Finding Easy Hydro was a real innovation achievement for us. Over the past two and a half years, we worked alongside Easy Hydro on our first installation of their solution at one of the water treatments plants we operate in Fethard, Co Tipperary. The installation was essentially a non-invasive retrofit; an existing concrete base and a minor adjustment to the pipework was the extent of the disruption it caused to the works. We were really enthusiastic to be piloting the technology and the installation proved phenomenally successful, generating approximately 30% of the average energy consumption of the plant. Moreover, the microturbine can often feed surplus energy back to the grid."
