Water systems could enhance grid flexibility
Stanford study reveals how desalination and wastewater facilities can support energy stability.
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A study from Stanford University, published in Nature Water, highlights how water infrastructure—such as desalination plants and wastewater treatment facilities—could enhance power grid flexibility by adjusting operations based on energy demand.
The research introduces a unified framework to assess the value of energy flexibility from both water and power grid operators’ perspectives. It evaluates water system flexibility using grid-scale energy storage metrics like round-trip efficiency, energy capacity, and power capacity, alongside the financial impact at the facility level, such as levelized cost of water and flexibility value.
Comparing water systems to conventional grid storage solutions like lithium-ion batteries, the study considers reliability risks, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure upgrade costs. With water facilities consuming up to 5 % of the U.S. electricity supply, leveraging them for demand-side energy management could significantly aid grid stability.
Case studies on a seawater desalination plant, a water distribution network, and a wastewater treatment plant found that such systems could shift up to 30 % of their energy use during peak demand. Desalination plants showed the most potential by adjusting water recovery rates or pausing operations when electricity prices spike.
Lead author Akshay Rao emphasized that integrating water infrastructure into grid management could support both decarbonization and water reliability. The study also found that upgrading water facilities for energy flexibility is often more cost-effective than on-site battery storage, with profitability influenced by regional electricity pricing structures.
Source: Smart Energy International
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