:: ITRC Projects ::
Energy Management
With rapidly rising energy rates and increasing demands on the world's energy supplies, the development of innovative, energy-saving techniques and technologies is a high priority in California and throughout the nation and the world. ITRC has completed numerous studies and programs with the US Bureau of Reclamation, the California Energy Commission, and the end-use agricultural sector of CEC's PIER, including:
- California Agricultural Water Energy Requirements - an analysis of the energy used to supply water to California's agriculture and an examination of potential future trends in the agriculture water community to predict future energy requirements.
- Agricultural Peak Load Reduction Program - a cost-sharing program with irrigation districts, which resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 21 million kWh in the state of California and removal of 43 MW from peak consumption times.
- Optimization of Water Energy Resources Associated with Irrigation Water Delivery and Management - an extensive water electric energy resource research program, focusing on seven tasks: the documentation of new technology implementation in irrigation districts, tuning canal automation, trash shedding propeller meters, electronic meters, alternatives to low pressure non-reinforced concrete pipe, and power quality measurement and conditioning.
- Variable Frequency Pumping - evaluating and promoting Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs); improving the use of VFDs by researching solutions to common problems such as harmonics.