When it comes to planning for our state’s future energy and water demand, we proudly team up with other innovative experts in the community.
We currently support several partnerships, including:
- Arizona State University
- Northern Arizona University
- University of Arizona
- Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Together we develop innovative projects related to key utility issues, including renewable energy, water supply and sustainability.
Partnering with Arizona universities for innovation and sustainability
Each partnership moves us closer to a sustainable future for the benefit of our customers and the communities we serve. Read up on some of our latest partnerships and projects below.
Protecting the watershed with Arizona State University
We are longtime partners with ASU, having worked with the school for almost 40 years. Together we work to meet shared sustainability goals, create workforce development opportunities and develop new technology.
The university played a critical role in developing SRP Flowtography®. This unique solar-powered camera system is used to collect river and streamflow data on the Salt and Verde watersheds.
SRP Flowtography® cameras take pictures every 15 minutes, 24/7, to help SRP estimate the water flowing toward our reservoirs.
With the use of this technology, we’re better able to plan for droughts and ensure water is not wasted in its journey from the mountains to the canals.
Restoring forests with Northern Arizona University
We’ve partnered with NAU to focus on watershed and forest health. With the school’s research team, we look at existing and historical forest conditions and the impact of wildfire in forests of the Mogollon Rim country.
See how we use drones, airplanes and state-of-the-art laser scanning technology to look at forest conditions around C.C. Cragin Reservoir.
The information we gather informs future projects that improve forest health and reduce the risk of large, catastrophic wildfires. Healthy forests can help prevent catastrophic wildfires that devastate our forest lands and protect the state’s critical watersheds, reservoirs and water storage infrastructure.
Creating energy-efficient data centers with the University of Arizona
We’ve partnered with U of A to study water and energy use in data centers.
Due to their continuous operation, data centers have uniquely high power and cooling requirements. Our goal is to help them become more efficient.
Our research connects the dots between water and energy use, seasonal weather information and patterns, and data center design.
This allows us to determine the best ways to:
- Reduce energy
- Use less water use
- Lesson data centers’ carbon footprint
- Improve data processing efficiency
Maintaining grid reliability with the Electric Power Research Institute
As a founding member, SRP has partnered with the independent nonprofit organization Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) since 1972. Through EPRI, we work with various utilities across the nation’s energy sector to solve problems and look for future opportunities. We are currently participating in 53 of their programs.
In our latest project, we’re developing a computer application to identify the optimal settings for our customers’ solar system inverters to maintain grid reliability.
Beyond reliability, this research helps us ensure the flexibility and security of our grid and enables customers to take advantage of advanced technologies like solar and electric vehicles.