Up to 60 % of freshwater produced in the world is lost through leakages in the public water network, leading to billions of euros wasted each year globally due to inefficient monitored pipelines. Aqua Robur is the Swedish tech company that has a solution that can save water, energy and money.
To use sensor technologies in pipes are common, but often these sensors require cables or batteries to function. The Swedish water tech company Aqua Robur has developed a wireless communication-equipment that measures and collects data in order to find leakages and deficient water quality in public water pipelines. This enables water utilities to monitor their water networks in a way that suits their needs.
Self-powered IoT running on energy from the pipes
Aqua Robur’s solution is a system called the Fenix hub that gives insights in order to reduce leakages and energy consumption and increase the water quality.
The system uses sensors to measure pressure, temperature and water flow and that data can then be used to get knowledge of variations in specific sections, which help the providers to localise and fix the leakage.
The water flow is the power source for the sensors and transforms the energy in the pipeline to electricity for the sensors to work on. This means that cities, water utilities and industries can transform excess, unutilised energy into accessible electricity and, at the same time, supply local measurement devices with reliable and cost-effective electricity.
The sensors also mean less struggle with replacing batteries or digging for grid connections. In other words: the sensors are completely self-powered. If needed, the sensors can also be powered by batteries.
Saving time and money
The system solution saves money in several ways: the minimised leakages reduces the amount of wasted water. By giving real-time data from the sensors, the leakages can be fixed when needed, instead of when the leakage is discovered. The electricity generated from the water also helps save time and money put on replacing batteries and cables.
From the Nordic market and onward
Last year, Aqua Robur received the Zero Power Water Monitoring Prize from the EU Commission and a sum of 2 000 000 euro for their innovative technology to monitor water networks.
In September 2020, the company was listed as one of the top 33 startups in Sweden.
But Aqua Robur does not stop in Sweden. They are now taking their solution globally and had already started in Italy, Germany, Spain amongst else.
Aqua Robur has with time broadened the offer to include a complete range of IoT products and services, covering multiple protocols such as NB-IoT, LTE-M and LoRaWAN. The range is now compatible with not only the micro-hydro turbine but also solar cells, which means that power and batteries enable data collection at all applications in the water sector.
Get in touch with Aqua Robur here.
