Optimizing wastewater treatment plant operation in positive energy communities

Nowadays, the energy efficiency represents a general interest worldwide. The energy savings and increase of its intensity use constitutes a main objective in the development of urban communities. The wastewater treatment plants represent an important energy consumer in the existing power systems and focus is given on technological development of wastewater treatment plants and use of their output products, like sludge and biogas. The present paper deals with the energy optimization of a wastewater treatment plant located in the seaside, nearby a hotel complex, such that to achieve positive energy communities through better energy harvesting. The proposed optimization model minimizes the overall operating costs by using the biogas produced from the sewage plant and the photovoltaic installations within the area such that to obtain positive energy balance. The case study is carried on a wastewater treatment plant and hotel located in south-east of Romania, on the seaside.