BIRMINGHAM, Ala (Jan. 5, 2016) - In June 2011, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Request for Information that began the process of regulating pump efficiency in the U.S. for the first time. On New Year's Eve, that process culminated in the release of the anticipated final rule.
Known as the Energy Conservation Standard for Pumps, the law will require pump original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to comply by 2020.
The regulation will set efficiency standards for five main types of clean water pumps: end suction close-coupled, end suction frame-mounted, in-line, radially split multi-stage vertical in-line diffuser casing, and vertical turbine submersible pumps. The scope of the rule includes pumps from 1 to 200 horsepower, pumps that have a minimum best efficiency flow rate of 25 gallons per minute, and pumps with a high head limit of 459 feet at the best efficiency flow rate.
"Pumps meeting the new standard sold over 30 years would reduce electricity consumption by about 30 billion kilowatt-hours, which is equivalent to the annual electricity use of 2.8 million US households," says Joanna Mauer, technical advocacy manager for the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy website.
The Hydraulic Institute (HI) has been at the forefront of the development, coordinating responses from industry stakeholders, gathering data and implementing related initiatives. For more details and analysis from HI's Executive Director Michael Michaud and Director of Technical Affairs Pete Gaydon, check your mailbox for the latest issue of Pumps & Systems and read our exclusive piece "3 Regulations You Need to Know About in 2016."
For more information about the standard and additional initiatives, please visit pumps.org/doerulemaking.