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The statistics - both staggering and sobering - are sounding the alarm for a radical transformation in energy efficiency in pumping systems. Part one of this three-part series describes how this pump industry inspired market transformation initiative promises to profoundly change the way business is conducted in the pump industry . . . and how pumping systems are designed, operated, maintained and optimized by the end-user community on a global basis.

The U.S. DOE also indicates that pumping systems account for nearly 20 percent of the world's electrical energy demand, and frequently they consume from 25 percent to 50 percent of the energy in industrial process plants. The U.S. consumes 35 percent more energy than it produces and three times more energy than China. American manufacturers, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, face an external cost burden of 31.7 percent in doing domestic business - while competing in the global marketplace. Rising energy costs are a significant component of these costs.

Because these sobering statistics cause concerns about the long-term viability of American manufacturing and U.S. industry in general, energy savings and efficiency have become a top priority. According to the U.S. Industrial Motor Systems Market Opportunities Assessment performed by the U.S. Department of Energy, pumps are the largest opportunity for energy efficiency improvements in industry (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Pumps are a major opportunity for energy efficiency improvements in industry.

As an industry, U.S. pump manufacturing must act now to remain competitive in the future as their customer base increasingly demands energy savings and pump systems optimization to improve their productivity and profitability. A shift from an end-user focus on initial first cost to total life cycle cost will accelerate as its benefits are increasingly recognized. 

Today, some progressive end-user companies are leading the way to capture bottom-line cost savings associated with energy, systems optimization and life cycle cost approaches to purchasing capital equipment, improving their ability to compete in the global marketplace. Broader-based acceptance will require greater management awareness of the benefits, and educational resources and tools to engage engineers with the technical know-how to capture these opportunities.

However, many users are not aligned around energy reduction, asset optimization or life cycle cost goals. Many companies still purchase pumping systems based on the initial cost, without considering the overall life cycle costs. Initial purchase costs are typically a very small fraction of total life cycle costs. Further, a pump applied incorrectly in a system or one that is oversized for its application (often the case), does not operate at its Best Efficiency Point (BEP). Pumps not operating at BEP increase overall systems energy consumption, decrease reliability and mean time between repairs, and shorten pump life expectancy (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Failure to operate a pump at its Best Efficiency Point increases energy costs and maintenance costs and shortens equipment life.

The potential energy and cost savings through a systems approach to optimization typically far outweigh the sum of the savings through component optimization. A systems approach to this problem entails an analysis of both the supply and demand sides of a pumping system and how components interact, shifting the focus of the analysis from individual components to total system performance [HI/Europump Guide to Pump Systems Life Cycle Cost Analysis].

A survey of the components of an existing pumping system may reveal opportunities for upgrading to an energy efficient NEMA Premium motor, replacement of a leaking valve, adding control systems or a variable speed drive in certain applications [see HI/Europump Variable Speed Guideline] or instituting or adjusting the energy management system to precisely align the pump operation hours to the schedule of the end-use process. The result may be up to a 20 percent reduction in energy costs, with significantly more savings possible.

In comparison, analysis of the pumping system using a systems approach could possibly identify a varying load profile that might best be met through a two-pump arrangement, resulting in a 40 percent to 50 percent savings. Other techniques, familiar to pump manufacturers, leading suppliers and engineering consulting firms, are possible as well.

This same approach applies to new systems as well. Many users do not know how to properly select and apply a new pump in a system, so pumping system operating costs are inadvertently increased as a result. Using commercially available pump/piping software tools users can optimize pump systems design, helping ensure that a myriad of design and equipment selection factors are considered in the ultimate design.  Because of such misapplication of pumps and the lack of focus on the overall system optimization, three key needs exist today within the marketplace:

1. Pump manufacturers and related supplier companies, facing the prospects of a commodity market, need to offer value-added products and solutions to their end-user markets to remain competitive.
2. End users need to focus on asset optimization, especially pumping systems, to help manage volatile energy costs and climate change initiatives, and to improve their productivity and profitability.
3. Utilities need cost effective energy savings to meet future demand, as well as unique educational resources and tools to address energy efficiency improvements among their customer base, including offering systems optimization incentives associated with pumping systems - as they currently do with motors, lighting and other equipment.

Time to Transform: Energy Saving, Efficiency Improvement & Economic Benefits

To meet these needs, decrease energy costs and optimize pumping systems, the Hydraulic Institute (HI) and its members developed the market transformation educational initiative called Pump Systems Matter^TM (PSM) in 2004 to help North American pump users gain a more competitive business advantage through strategic, broad-based energy management and pump system performance optimization.

PSM has grown since then by leaps and bounds. Established as a separate 501(c)(3) organization in 2006, PSM now includes 37 HI members and five non-governmental organizations (NGO) and utilities as sponsors. PSM continues to reach out to attract new sponsors to strengthen the organization. The organization and its sponsors seek to provide end-users, engineering consultants and pump suppliers with tools and collaborative opportunities that integrate pump system performance optimization and efficient energy management practices into normal business operations.