WATERGY Software

WATERGY is a spreadsheet model that uses water and energy relationship assumptions to analyze the potential for savings.

WATERGY version 3.0: Excel files in self-extracting archive for PCs only
Updated: August 2000
WATERGY manual: (PDF 229 KB) Download Adobe Reader.

The WATERGY spreadsheet allows input of utility data (energy and water cost and consumption data for the most recent 12 months) and facility data (number and kind of water consuming/moving devices and their water consumption and/or flow rates). It then estimates direct water, direct energy, and indirect energy annual savings as well as total cost and payback times for a number of conservation methods.

Most of the assumptions used for energy/water calculations can be grouped into the following categories:

The heating values of fuels (e.g., the heating value of natural gas in Btu/cf)
The efficiencies of energy and water consuming devices or processes (e.g., number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) consumed per gallon for electric hot water heaters or number of kWh consumed per 1,000 gallons of treated waste water)
Time-of-use for fixtures (e.g., number of minutes per use of infra-red sensor faucets)
Percentage of hot water use in machines or fixtures (e.g., percentage of water usage that is hot water for a typical faucet)

WATERGY also makes simple assumptions about capital and labor costs of equipment and fixture replacements. All assumptions can be modified by the user.

At this time, WATERGY estimates potential conservation opportunities for the following methods:

Installation of 1.6 gal/flush toilets and water conserving urinals
Installation of automatic faucets
Installation of faucet aerators
Low flow showerhead
Boiler blowdown optimization
Efficient dishwashers
Efficient washing machines
Landscape irrigation optimization