# Improving Wastewater Treatment to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Patrick Kiely, CEO of Sentry

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2023-07-20
- Length: 45m
- Episode: 31
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/183qyzm8-improving-wastewater-treatment-patrick-kiely

## Summary

Patrick Kiely, CEO of Sentry, explains how his company uses biological sensors to monitor wastewater health and optimize treatment processes, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. He details the sensor's bioelectrode technology, which measures bacterial electron transfer to provide real-time data on organic load, allowing operators to adjust aeration dynamically. Kiely also discusses the business model of selling data services rather than just hardware, the challenges of commercializing in the fragmented municipal water industry, and the potential for wastewater plants to become net-positive energy generators through biogas.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=3) Introduction and Background
- [7:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=458) The Problem with Wastewater Emissions and Aeration
- [13:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=826) Sensor Technology and Biofilm Mechanics
- [19:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=1188) Service Model and Predictive Insights
- [27:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=1637) Hardware Design and Manufacturing
- [33:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=1983) Scaling, Market Potential, and Biogas
- [40:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-07-20-improving-wastewater-treatment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-patrick-k#t=2427) Future Outlook and Advice

## Topics

- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Sentry (company)
- Penn State (company)
- Elemental Accelerator (company)
- Energia (company)
- Geobacter (other)
- PFAS (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [18. Artificial Electronic Nose, Wastewater To Energy, Satellite Farm Monitoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-05-18-18-artificial-electronic-nose-wastewater-to-energy-satellite-farm-monitoring) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [HIBT Lab! Biobot Analytics: Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli) (How I Built This)
- [217: The Intersection of Energy, Automation, and Construction with FTI's Kevin Senn](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-12-24-217-the-intersection-of-energy-automation-and-construction-with-ftis-kevin-senn) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [The Internet of Septage (with Akiba)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-14-the-internet-of-septage-with-akiba) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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