Helping Utilities Meet Their Net Zero Targets

UK water companies have set themselves an ambitious target of deliver a net zero water supply for customers by 2030 – 20 years ahead of the UK Government’s legally binding target of 2050. As a supplier to those water companies, iVapps is pledging to assist the companies achieve their goals.

To that end, iVapps has worked with Tunley Engineering to carry out a whole life-cycle analysis of their water monitoring system and isolation point creation solution. Following their analysis Tunley stated ‘Incorporating iVapps products in water utility networks provides a substantial advantage in facilitating water utility companies’ transition towards Carbon Neutrality (Net Zero).’

iVapps mechanical and digital solution enables water system operators, and other pipeline industries to monitor their assets via a remote dashboard mitigating the need to travel to the location of data loggers. The SMART cartridge that monitors the systems, can also be removed and replaced with valve cartridge to create control or isolation points when required, removing the need to install new gate valves.

iVapps’ technology was created to detect and reduce leaks through predictive modelling and maintenance and reduce energy requirements.

In the Tunley analysis, the iVapps PORTAL and SMART & VALVE cartridge were compared to a standard gate valve and data logger as used in the water industry under various scenarios.

Results found the use of a data logger with a standard gate valve released more GHG emissions than that from the iVapps PORTAL and VALVE cartridge. Furthermore, the portal and SMART cartridge were found to have significantly lower emissions throughout its life as iVapps products have a longer lifetime than a standard valve.

The telemetry data provided by the SMART Cartridge negates the necessity for utility companies to physically visit a site to install a data logger and conduct network assessments. The lifespan of the SMART Cartridge also far exceeds that of a Data Logger.

There are also significant carbon savings resulting from the telemetry providing data which helps minimise water loss - emissions associated with production, pumping and distribution of lost and wasted water from leaks.

Tunley stated, "The PORTAL and  SMART cartridge combination, can result in carbon emissions savings of up to 1.83 tCO2e over a 100-year period per system compared to a data logger alone. OR 5.68 tCO2e over a 100-year period per system when compared to a Standard Gate Valve + Data Logger. The need for a datalogger is eliminated, which emits 4.25 tCO2e over its lifetime, thus eliminating 4.25 tCO2e per data logger purchased."

Put simply, assuming 50 valves are required over a 100-year period. The use of 50 PORTAL & VALVE cartridges combined with 50 PORTAL & SMART cartridges would save between 73.63 tCO2e and 108.28 tCO2e instead of using 50 Standard Gate valve + Data Logger. This is estimated to be a mean saving of 90.96 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents over a 100-year period.

This amount of GHG emissions saved is equal to that from:

• Driving 233,180 miles in an average diesel vehicle.
• Burning 46,216 kg of coal.
• Charging 11.06 million smartphones
• Sequestered by 108 acres of forest in a year.
• Sequestered by 1,504 tree sampling that are grown for 10 years.

iVapps CEO Simon Humphreys said: “We realise that innovation needs to directly support our client’s business challenges, helping our customers to achieve specific targets and goals, iVapps addresses the challenges of carbon reduction and we are confident that the implementation of our solution helps drive our customers along the road to their net Zero targets.”

The iVapps team has engineered the fully patented and world’s first and only body, known as the PORTAL, which houses an interchangeable SMART Cartridge or VALVE Cartridge into pipelines.

The self-powered and multi-functional SMART Cartridge has the capability to measure and transmit a range of data to a proprietary analytical tool which extrapolates the data into usable information relating to water pressure, temperature and chemistry etc. This data is available to water system operators via an easily accessible dashboard.

This data is used to identify leaks and other water system issues enabling fast and efficient repair and maintenance.

For more information visit https://ivappstech.com