Abstract
The Home Utility Management System (HUMS) is a patented utility concept developed at Texas Tech University to promote sustainable use of renewable water and power resources. The HUMS was originally designed to leverage a personal sense of ownership in individual homes by guiding residents in ways they can sustain their locally collected and stored resources (from rain harvest and solar panels). This guidance is dynamically based on personalized usage patterns such that it suggests reasonable actions that can help sustain resources. While this project still focuses on the residential implementation of HUMS, an expanded network of community organizations has taken shape to develop HUMS toward a more community-wide strategy. Two unique societal extensions have come in the form of community centers and city parks, both of which will provide an array of community resources. First, the centers will use HUMS as inclement weather hubs, supplying a safe place during severe weather with drinking water and power collected through the HUMS. On a day-to-day basis, community centers will provide transportation services with electric vehicles powered by the HUMS and its renewable energy assets. HUMS-enabled community centers and parks will provide water stations with free drinking water to community members, and parks will possess performance spaces powered by the HUMS. Each of these new social aspects will involve HUMS guidance for community center or park managers to most efficiently deliver the resources for their intended purpose. Here, an overview of the HUMS and its new social dimensions are given.
Presenters
Brian AncellAssociate Professor, Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Economic, Social, and Cultural Context
KEYWORDS
Sustainable Utilities, Climate Change Adaptation
