Hydraulic Institute Creates New Rating Label to Help Consumers Save Energy & Money
HI Contact: Peter Gaydon
973-267-9700 x119
pgaydon@pumps.org
Recognizing
that over 25% of the electricity used in the US is used to power pumps, the
Hydraulic Institute (HI) developed the HI
Energy Rating (ER) Label program to help manufacturers
differentiate their higher efficiency products and provide ways for commercial
and industrial customers to save energy. The rating label identifies
energy-efficient pumps and 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.
With
the HI Energy Rating, energy-efficiency program administrators have a new way
to encourage adoption of more efficient technology. Through incentives to
distributors or rebates to equipment purchasers, programs can encourage
commercial and industrial facilities to install more efficient pumps.
HI
initiated the development of the energy rating to take advantage of the new
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) clean water pump regulation. HI worked
collaboratively with its members, the Northwest’s Regional Technical Forum
(RTF), Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), and American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) to develop the ER Label program. The program will
accelerate the adoption of more efficient pumping systems into the marketplace
and contribute towards broad-based energy savings for end-users in commercial
and industrial sectors including agriculture and building services.
“The
Hydraulic Institute is paving the way for pump end-users to be better informed
as they purchase pumps and pump systems,” NEEA Senior Product Manager, Geoff
Wickes said. “The Hydraulic Institute’s collaborative work with the DOE,
industry groups and energy efficiency organizations to develop a verifiable
test procedure, lab accreditation and a market friendly label will help users
gain a competitive edge in their equipment purchases.”
Through
this effort, HI, along with DOE and the RTF, developed measures that provide
the infrastructure to help interested utilities to create rebate programs for
products with the HI ERLabel. The ERLabel verifies product
efficiency performance through certifications, and labeled products are listed
in a database to provide verifiable energy savings for upgraded equipment.
“NEEA
commends the systems-thinking approach of the Hydraulic Institute and all the
many entities in the Northwest, which resulted in efficiency levels for more
than 3,400 clean water and 40 circulator pumps being verified and designated
using HI’s labeling program,” Wickes said. “This presents an excellent
opportunity to support efficiency efforts in the commercial, industrial and
agricultural sectors.”
This
labeling program and platform will help many parties identify new opportunities
for efficiencies. “ACEEE commends HI and the pump industry for its willingness
to work with the energy efficiency community through the U.S. Department of
Energy standards process, and take leadership in building this initiative on
top of the consensus framework,” said Ethan Rogers, Program Director at ACEEE.
“The HI Energy Rating (ER)
Label will provide purchasers with new information that enables
businesses to make more informed decisions on how to reduce operating costs and
save energy.”
To
learn more about the program, visit http://pumps.org/EnergyEfficiency/Energy_Rating.aspx
or contact Pete Gaydon, Director, Technical Affairs, HI, at pgaydon@pumps.org or 973.267.9700 x119.
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The Hydraulic Institute (HI): Advancing the pump
manufacturing industry by becoming the world’s resource for pumping solutions
by: Addressing Pump Systems, Developing Standards, Expanding Knowledge and
Resources, Educating the Marketplace and Advocating for the Industry. For
more information on the Hydraulic Institute, visit www.pumps.org.