The digital transformation of water networks depends on one crucial enabler: energy. Thousands of sensors are needed to monitor flows, leaks, and water quality in real time — but powering these devices remains a major challenge. During a recent panel session, experts from the H-HOPE project shared the latest progress on energy harvesting technologies and the future of self-powered smart water networks.
From Concept to Prototype: The H-HOPE Project’s Energy Harvester
The session began with an overview of Work Package 4, which focused on designing and testing an innovative harvester that converts fluid motion into usable electrical power.
The core idea is based on vortex-induced vibrations: when fluid flows past a cylindrical body, vortices are shed downstream, creating oscillations. If synchronized with the body’s natural frequency, this motion can be harnessed to drive a generator. However, achieving efficient energy extraction is complex. Engineers must carefully balance:
The interaction between fluid and body motion.
Material and structural properties of the harvester.
The contribution of the electrical machine and control damping.
To tackle this, the team developed a multi-physics design process, combining fluid dynamics, structural mechanics, and electrical analysis. Hundreds of simulations and experiments were conducted to optimize cylinder dimensions, material choices, and damping parameters.
The result: working prototypes for both pipe installations and open-channel applications. Tests in the Czech Republic have already demonstrated the feasibility of extracting up to 150 watts of power under high-flow conditions — sufficient to power sensor networks in real environments.
The Panel: Linking Technology to Real-World Needs
After the technical presentation, a panel brought together three perspectives:
Michael Hayes – Power electronics and IoT solutions expert.
Dr. Franco Masanello – Entrepreneur and CEO of Alma Viva Blue SP, a leading provider of digital water services in Italy.
Professor Urban Lundin – Researcher at Uppsala University and co-founder of Maxrom, joining online.
Franco Masanello: Challenges in the Field
Franco highlighted the scale of the digitalisation challenge. In Italy alone, his company manages more than 25,000 installed sensors monitoring flow, pressure, leaks, and water quality — with the potential for millions more in the future.
While most sensors today run on batteries lasting 5–13 years, the real issue arises with data transmission. Communication technologies such as NB-IoT and LoRaWAN each have trade-offs depending on underground installations, smart city integration, and coverage. Massive deployments require balancing battery life, regulatory requirements, and transmission reliability.
Water quality sensors, in particular, consume far more energy than simple flow or pressure devices. Replacing batteries across thousands of sites creates significant maintenance costs. Here, Franco sees great potential in energy harvesting solutions like those developed in the H-HOPE project.
Michael Hayes: Designing for Timely, Not Real-Time Data
Hayes stressed the importance of looking at the entire power chain. Weak links may be the communication system, the sensor itself, or the processing step. His key message: instead of focusing narrowly on “near real-time” monitoring, stakeholders should design for timely data, depending on the application.
For example:
Leak detection may only need data once per day, as repairs typically take several days.
Early-warning systems for contamination or flooding, on the other hand, require immediate transmission.
Hayes also emphasised the role of smart algorithms and context-aware sensing. By dynamically adjusting sampling frequency and transmission intervals based on anomalies, sensors can drastically reduce energy use while still delivering critical insights.
Urban Lundin: Efficiency and Longevity
Professor Lundin focused on the engineering challenges of building harvesters that are both efficient and reliable. While many technical solutions exist, translating concepts into durable devices requires trade-offs in design, simplicity, and maintenance.
He noted that devices must be robust enough to survive harsh environments and inaccessible locations, with lifespans long enough to justify deployment costs. Keeping designs as simple as possible while applying modern tools for fatigue and stress analysis will be key to ensuring long-term reliability.
Key Takeaways from the Discussion
Energy is the bottleneck in scaling up digital water networks. Batteries work today, but they limit large-scale deployment and require costly maintenance.
Energy harvesting is feasible — prototypes already generate usable power in both pipes and open channels.
One size does not fit all. The right monitoring frequency depends on the use case: leak detection, billing, water quality, or early warning.
Collaboration is essential. Engineers, utilities, technology providers, and policymakers must co-design solutions that balance efficiency, reliability, and business models.
The future is hybrid. Combining batteries, harvesting, and smarter algorithms will create sustainable, self-powered sensor networks.
Conclusion
The H-HOPE project has shown that fluid-based energy harvesters can provide real, usable power for digital water networks. Yet technology alone is not enough. As the panelists agreed, building the future of smart water management requires ecosystem thinking — aligning technical innovation with operational needs, regulatory frameworks, and long-term sustainability.
With prototypes already in testing and utilities eager for solutions, the path toward self-powered water networks is becoming clearer.
