Advanced Metering infrastructure (AMI) is becoming more prevalent as utilities upgrade their metering infrastructure. But with great data, comes great responsibility. The AMI Primer research project aims to outline the many potential ways to utilize AMI data for conservation and efficiency purposes, including case study examples, considerations, and recommendations. The project will empower its eight participating utilities to confidently create and/or enhance AMI programs that deliver greater savings in a more efficient and effective manner. This project is expected to be completed in Spring 2025. 

AWE’s latest project with the Scotts Miracle Gro Foundation will be a resource of the smart practices in utility-sponsored residential landscape and irrigation programs. This project will account for the significant evolution of utility landscape transformation programs over the past decade and look more closely at how to design utility-sponsored landscapes and irrigation-focused strategies. This resource will highlight how utilities have collaborated with their communities, universities and educators, and related industries like retailers, nurseries, gardens, and landscape and irrigation contractors. It will also investigate how utilities are addressing equity concerns and improving processes and programs to deliver more equitable outcomes. This project is expected to be completed in Spring 2025.

With generous funding from the Water Research Foundation, this project will evaluate peak demand management strategies from six utility participants to understand their costs and benefits, as well as which water efficiency and conservation strategies are most useful to reduce peak demands. This research will help water utilities across North America understand peak demand trends and patterns, as well as how climate change and shifting patterns influence these demands. It will also help utilities avoid unnecessary expenditures, minimize water bills, and extend the lifespan of existing water supplies and infrastructure. This project is expected to be completed in Summer 2025. 

AWE’s latest Outdoor Water Savings Research Initiative is analyzing water savings from landscape transformation and irrigation optimization programs targeting commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) customers across 20+ participating utilities in California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, and Oregon. The project is also exploring the strategies and market readiness for utilities to design and implement programs to transform or optimize water use on large-scale landscapes. Thank you to our project sponsors, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Colorado Water Conservation Board for supporting our research! This project is expected to be completed in Summer 2025. 

AWE is excited to be working with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to identify and evaluate innovations and technological advancements in water conservation best management practices across the State’s water use sectors. This project will inform the State of Michigan Water Use Program and Michigan’s Water Conservation and Efficiency Program, as well as advance progress toward achieving Michigan’s water conservation and efficiency goals and objectives under the Great Lakes Compact. AWE is taking on this project with support from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and H.W. (Bill) Hoffman & Associates, LLC. This project is expected to be completed in Fall 2025.

AWE is partnering with Colorado Water Conservation Board to improve the understanding of water use in mobile home parks in three Colorado communities – City of Thornton, City of Fountain, and Colorado Springs Utilities. The project will provide no-cost service to mobile home park residents to audit and replace low-efficiency fixtures and detect and repair leaks. The project will also identify barriers and opportunities to work with this segment, and research submetering solutions and equity issues in current metering and billing systems. This project is expected to be completed in Fall 2025.

What behaviors drive outdoor water conservation?  How can we work to encourage those behaviors in our communities? With funding from the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, this project will collect and synthesize current knowledge of behavior-based strategies. We will also explore previously researched efforts to help understand drivers of the behaviors that influence household outdoor water use and residential irrigation practices. It will also include a pilot experiment testing top-identified behavior-based strategies to reduce residential outdoor water use and encourage efficient irrigation practices. This project is expected to be completed in Winter 2025.