The Hydraulic Institute’s Energy Rating Recognized by Major Pump Rebate Programs

By Edgar Suarez, Manager – Technical Programs, Hydraulic Institute

Rebate programs incentivizing the sale of energy efficient pumps are on the rise with the U.S. Department of Energy, and other state and regional programs utilizing the HI Energy Rating.

To incentivize the installation of energy efficient pumps, the Hydraulic Institute’s Energy Rating (ER) label and database provides a tool for the developers of energy efficiency programs, electric utilities, distributors, and customers to identify energy-saving products. The pumps with the higher ER rating will provide greater energy savings than similar pumps with lower ratings. The HI Energy Rating provides energy-efficiency program administrators have a proven way to encourage adoption of more efficient technology. Two major programs recognizing the HI Energy Rating are the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Extended Product Systems (EPS) Rebate Program and California’s Statewide Water Infrastructure and System Efficiency™ (SW WISE™) Program.

HI launched its Energy Rating Program in 2018 to make it easy for manufacturers and distributors to communicate energy efficiency, support power utilities in the development and operation of energy efficiency programs and help end users identify pumps that offer energy and cost-saving benefits. The program provides energy utilities with a resource to underpin incentive and rebate programs, meet regulatory goals, and provide value-adds to customers. The program also allows users to view and verify data that indicates the power savings obtained from pump system upgrades and changes. Using a unique label, the program rates pumps and systems in the marketplace to show measurable comparisons of energy consumed. The higher the energy rating, the more efficient the pump.

Click here for a detailed review of the Energy Rating label and metric. A sample image of the Energy Rating label is shown below.

Department of Energy Federal Incentive

The U.S. DOE Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) is providing rebates for pumps, fans, and compressors that meet minimum energy requirements. For the extended product system, i.e., pump inclusive of the electric motor and electronic control (Variable Frequency Drive, VFD), the Energy Rating metric is utilized as part of the qualifying criteria. The HI Energy Rating value can be found on the Energy Rating Database at er.pumps.org. For constant load rated pumps in the HI Energy Rating Database, which have a VFD added later in commerce, the HI Energy Rating Certificate program can be used to calculate the variable load HI Energy Rating and Certificate that is inclusive of the VFD installed with the pump.

There are two distinct classes of eligible entities for the DOE incentive program. The first includes entities that purchased a qualifying pump or other extended product and completed its installation between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2023. The second includes owners of equipment that was redesigned to newly incorporate an extended product if that upgrade was completed between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022. For both classes, the extended product system must be installed within the United States or its territories and meet the technical and efficiency specifications.

For the extended product system, i.e., pump inclusive of the electric motor and electronic control (Variable Frequency Drive, VFD), it must operate at least 75% of the time at or below 75% of the maximum design flow, operate at least 2,000 hours per year, and have a PEIVL less than or equal to or HI Energy Rating value greater than or equal to the values specified in the table below. The HI Energy Rating value can be found on the Energy Rating Database at er.pumps.org. For constant load rated pumps (PEICL) in the HI Energy Rating Database, which have a VFD added later in commerce, the HI Energy Rating Certificate program can be used to calculate the variable load HI Energy Rating and Certificate that is inclusive of the VFD installed with the pump.

The total value of a rebate depends on the power rating of the extended product system. The rebate is calculated by adding together the nameplate rated horsepower of the motor and the nameplate rated horsepower of the electronic control, then multiplying that sum by $25. For example, if the motor has a nameplate rating of 7 horsepower and the electronic control has a nameplate rating of 10 horsepower, the rebate would be $25 × (10 + 7) = $425. The total amount any single entity can receive across all rebates is capped at $25,000 per calendar year. MESC will solicit applications until funds are expended.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to review the program’s full guidelines to determine their eligibility on the program website. Manufacturer’s sales representatives that have sold qualifying equipment are encouraged to engage with their customers to let them know about this opportunity. There is still funding available for rebates, so applicants are encouraged to apply via the rebate webpage (https://doerebates.my.site.com/rebates/s/extended-products-information).

Statewide Incentives

The California SW WISE™ Program pays rebates to Water/Wastewater pumping customers within Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E’s), Southern California Edison’s (SCE’s), Southern California Gas’ (SoCalGas’), and San Diego Gas and Electric’s (SDG&E’s) service areas to offset installation costs. The program has $1,500,000 available in rebates for projects completed between September 2022 to December 2023. Qualifying projects include Water Pump Upgrades, and VFDs with pump replacement, and rebates are only available until the end of the year. Your Pump Replacement projects must meet the following criteria to qualify.

Pumps models listed in the Energy Rating database that meet the qualifying criteria are eligible. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible (https://lincusenergy.com/wise/).

Regional Incentives

Another major incentive program in the pacific northwest region providing midstream incentives is the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) Extended Motor Products (XMP) program. This incentive program is focused on smart pumps, which include a pump, a variable speed drive, internal sensors, and pre-programmed controls. Working together with Northwest utilities, manufacturers and distributors, XMP encourages better selections of products under 50 horsepower in commercial and industrial applications.

Instead of directly incentivizing the end-user like traditional utility program, NEEA focused on working with leading manufacturers’ representatives in the Northwest to encourage them to sell efficient pumps and circulators. These participating midstream firms earn incentives for selling efficient products, bonuses for large-scale changes in their sales mix, and funding to support customer-oriented initiatives. Pump sales reps have used those funds to make videos, promote efficient products, create lunch-and-learn sessions, put on training events, reach out to contractors and commissioning agents, and stock enough efficient pumps so they are ready when needed. To learn more about NEEA and their XMP program, visit where website at neea.org and https://betterbricks.com/solutions/pumps-motors.

There are many other pump incentive programs that are currently active and in development. HI in coordination with its members and partners is maintaining a growing list of active rebate and incentive programs for commercial/industrial pumps and circulators that utilize the Energy Rating. The list contains program details such as measures offered and incentive levels and links to additional program details on how to apply and administrator contacts. Click here to access the list of active incentive programs as well as related resources and tools.

Potential rebate applicants are strongly encouraged to review the program’s full guidelines to determine their eligibility on the program website. To view Energy Rating values for pumps, search the ER Database at https://er.pumps.org/.

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