Residential Water Bill Reduction with Self-powered Diagnostics & Services
The Candide Group LLC
Recipient
Los Angeles, CA
Recipient Location
28th
Senate District
57th
Assembly District
$429,272
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
This project kicked off in July 2022. Since then the project team has begun material manufacturing for a custom multi-layered piezoelectric capacitor and procuring all necessary components through suppliers and in-house manufacturing within geometric, mechanical, and electrical specifications.
As of the end of 2024, material verification has been completed. The result verified the performance of the material to meet the power demand of the product. Namely, both resonant and off resonant response of the device were measured to achieve industry-leading power metrics. The metrics included peak and off-peak performance and the tunability to various input magnitude and frequency. Concurrently, product procurement continues with software development. The programming logic has been established based on the energy harvesting capabilities previously measured. The key objective of software development is to minimize power consumption during operation and reduce overall product cost.
In 2025, the project introduced four new products designed for residential real-estate applications, with a focus on serving low-income and disadvantaged communities, including multi-family and apartment tenants. The system collects data on water usage, savings, and leakage or overage events to support benefits analysis and program reporting. To manage this information, the team is developing a centralized data room that enables efficient data storage, access, and analysis. Artificial intelligence has also been integrated into the device firmware to identify water-use patterns—such as usage type, duration, and trends—without requiring additional sensors. These insights can then be shared with tenants and homeowners to encourage water conservation and improve household water management.
To date, approximately 25 devices have been installed with customers across private and commercial housing markets. Early feedback indicates that many water-related issues stem from human error, including misuse, overuse, and overflow or flooding events. These problems can often be reduced through smart metering and automated shutoff capabilities provided by the device. Additional use cases include protecting vacation homes from water damage and optimizing water-softening flush cycles. Looking ahead, the project plans to install 880 additional units across Southern California in 2026, and up to 2,000 devices are being manufactured to support upcoming smart water metering deployments.
The Issue
The cost of lithium batteries has fallen dramatically in the past decade. For a 4-hour, grid-tied solution, the levelized cost is approaching $0.20/kilowatt-hour (kWh). However, single-use batteries can be 1,000 times more expensive given the need for replacement. Therefore, throw-away batteries remain the most expensive source of power in the world today. To mitigate device maintenance, the project is overcoming power limitations to enable low-cost, longterm smart water solutions.
Project Innovation
This project will deploy a novel auto-modulating power source (AMPS) device and demonstrate water and cost savings across approximately 150 affordable housing units in Los Angeles. The bill savings from water and avoidance of lithium battery replacements will be scalable to over two-thirds of California households to meet Assembly Bill 758 mandates and other municipal green initiatives.The target application is multi-family housing where a majority of water meters are read bimonthly and tenants overpay regardless of usage.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
The technology being deployed is a 100-mW new and retrofit device for smart water metering. The AMPS technology powers wireless data indefinitely by harnessing energy from water pressure. For municipal utilities, multi-family housing, and corporate buildings, AMPS alleviates manual processes such as water meter readings, service connection and disconnection, water-use identification, leakage notification, and emergency shutoffs. The technology enables widescale water submetering and quality monitoring, reducing waste.
Affordability
Enabling widescale water submetering and quality monitoring helps reduce costs by identifying leaks, inefficiencies, or distribution losses early. This lowers repair and utility expenses while extending infrastructure life cycles.
Consumer Appeal
The project delivers a modern, data-driven approach to water management that appeals to consumers seeking control, transparency, and sustainability. Real-time monitoring and smart alerts empower homeowners and tenants to manage consumption and detect issues proactively.
Environmental Sustainability
By identifying and stopping leaks sooner, the system conserves water resources and minimizes mold, contamination, and property damage—improving environmental and public health outcomes.
Key Project Members
Kevin Lu
Subrecipients
QorTek, Inc.
Match Partners
Pyro-E, LLC
QorTek, Inc.
