PumpBlogs 
Superior Energy Performance Program
Superior Energy Performance Program
This month the federal government will launch the Superior Energy Performance Program. SEP is a partnership between industry and government to accelerate US industry’s energy efficiency by:
-
Delivering tools, training, technologies & standards to all types of manufacturing plants
-
Facilitating recognition and incentives for effective industrial energy management and energy efficient technology adoption
Partners
-
U.S. Industry
-
U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program
-
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR Program
-
U.S Department of Commerce Manufacturing Extension Partnership
-
American National Standards Institute
Objective
U.S. industry improves energy intensity by 25% over a 10 year period: from 2007 to 2016
The big question, how do we achieve this lofty goal and an even bigger question, what are the ramifications if we don’t? The government has a viable reason for pushing this initiative; if we continue down our current path we can expect rolling blackouts and perhaps extended periods without electricity. Why? Because the power industry infrastructure is antiquated, we have an aging fleet of power plants (the average coal plant is over 40 years old). Even if we had the generation capacity we lack adequate transmission lines to distribute electricity efficiently.
Our government is making every effort to motivate the consumer (residential, industrial and commercial) to reduce energy consumption however unless we all take an active role we will never achieve the desired results.
Needless to say we will make the greatest impact within the industrial sector. The challenge, as I have stated repeatedly, is to audit/review your existing pumping systems, most pumping systems are inefficient. Studies have shown that a majority of pumping systems operate at less then 40% efficiency. If a pump system is inefficient it is most likely unreliable and significant maintenance. Such systems should not be difficult to identify, track your maintenance look for the “bad actors” systems requiring frequent motor repair, pump repair. When walking through the plant listen for noise at the pumps and valves, severe cavitation is quite easy to identify.
For new construction and improving existing systems, think “Life Cycle Cost”, review your current specifications require energy efficient pumping systems.
Consult Hydraulic Institute and Pump Systems Matter, HI and PSM have excellent web sites containing the necessary tools and resources to guide you through the system assessment process as well as developing specification for new and energy efficient systems.
Pump Systems Matter TM (PSM) is a market transformation initiative created to assist North American pump system users gain a more competitive business advantage through strategic, broad-based energy management and pump system performance optimization. A primary objective of the initiative is to change the decision-making process for the purchase of pumping systems (motors, couplings, base drives etc). Pump Systems Matter will promote educated decision-making based on life cycle costs (TCO), thereby accounting for energy, maintenance and other significant costs factors of operating a pumping system. PSM seeks to transform the market by changing owner and operator decision-making (END USER) on pumping systems from a focus on first cost to a focus on life cycle costs, while helping pump users capture significant energy-savings and performance improvements.
No single organization can achieve the objective of the Superior Energy Performance Program we need the combined efforts of PSM, HI, and most important OEM’s, end users and engineering firms.
The government is asking for help in reducing energy intensity the SEP program provides the incentives for implementation. Don’t wait until your energy bills put you out of business.
REFERENCE
Hydraulic Institute – www.pumps.org
Pump Systems Matter – www.pumpsystemsmatter.org
