Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1083348
www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | MARCH 2019 | 19 I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H programme manager for Anglian Water. "But it doesn't stop with technological advancements on our network – the same approach to innova on is replicated in our approach with engaging the community. One year into the [Innova on Shop Window] campaign, and we've already seen customer sa sfac on and engagement soar, and people's average water use drop by 6 per cent. "It is only by trialling and applying the latest solu ons across our networks, systems and engagement with customers that we are able to con nue to meet their demands, while balancing the needs of the environment and keeping bills aff ordable for all." Similarly, the digital transforma on across the energy sector is empowering consumers via their smart devices so that they become ac ve par cipants in the system. However, James Robo om, energy lead at the Ins tu on of Engineering and Technology (IET), warns that this digital transforma on poses both an opportunity and a threat to u li es. "It will con nue to change the role of u li es, and where the value lies in the energy system," he says. "Digitalisa on is at the core of a large opportunity to fi nd new business models to capture this value but is also a threat to established ways of working." INNOVATION INHIBITORS Robo om believes the na onal energy transforma on requires a en on to true whole system op misa on, including the emergent smart energy system on the customer's side of the meter, comprising integrated home genera on, home energy storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging. Clear policy from Ofgem will be the key. For the water sector, the need for further investment is o en a barrier to innova on. Hurry raises concerns over the dearth of investment in water effi ciency innova on to date across the UK. "Although water is a key risk to businesses and lack of resilience would impact on households across the country, investment in new technologies has remained focused on energy when it comes to smart ci es," she says. "Water companies tend to be conserva ve and won't invest in technologies that have yet to mature. However, technologies can't mature and demonstrate their eff ec veness without larger scale fi eld trials in the water company se ng. "Further investment is required in the UK to support "incubator" programmes for water effi ciency and to enable fi eld scale trials so these can form part of water resources management and business plans. Investment in innova on is crucial for u li es and the transforma on of energy and water systems, but new technology in isola on is insuffi cient. Innova ve solu ons must be integrated into exis ng systems, which presents a complex challenge that cannot be resolved in a silo. "These can be demanding technical and commercial challenges, especially where the impacts of innova on cross boundaries between diff erent companies and 'across the meter' to homes, businesses and community enterprises," says Robo om. "Compa ble standards and opera ng procedures are key to any solu ons, but the fundamental missing link in the piece is that this coordina on task is not the responsibility of any of the exis ng par es. "This is a subset of a core problem that requires coherent systems thinking to drive and underpin resilient architectures, and then the systema c deployment of the right technologies and commercial/regulatory solu ons." ● This is an abridged version of the research. For a full copy of this report and to register for U lity Week Live, which takes place on May 21-22 in Birmingham, visit: www.u lityweeklive.co.uk TOP TECH The UWL survey looked at the current impact of technology in facilita ng transi on. Respondents were asked to rate 13 technologies on a scale of 1-10, with data analy cs coming out on top, while blockchain technology was considered to have the least impact. Technology Average score 1. Data analy cs 7.6 2. Smart asset management 7.0 3. Energy storage 6.7 4. Smart meters 6.7 5. The Internet of Things (IoT) 6.7 6. Smart grid technology 6.6 7. Electric vehicles 6.4 8 Ar fi cial intelligence 6.4 9. Low carbon heat 5.5 10. Robo cs 5.4 11. Water metering 5.0 12. Water reuse 4.9 13. Blockchain 4.7