Watergy

Image by Argonne National Laboratory via Flickr

I recently came across this free spreadsheet tool (and pdf manual) called Watergy when navigating the Federal Energy Management Program website. Since I love to see numbers I had to share it here. More interestingly, it is always useful to see behind the scenes how these tools work to make estimates that can inform decisions.

Be sure to check this tool out if you are interested in understanding the energy and water use relationship that exists in the operation of buildings. Basically, water savings in places like faucets, sinks and showers can lead to reduced energy use since less water needs to be heated and less energy is required to convey it and treat it. Some places like islands use even more energy because their potable water is usually sourced from desalination plants which use a lot of energy.