Pump system optimization is addressed in two CEE initiatives, the Motor Systems Initiative and the Municipal Water and Wastewater Initiative. CEE members welcomed four pump manufacturers to the Dallas meeting to offer their perspective on pump system efficiency opportunities in the water/wastewater sector.

According to Dave Flinton of ITT’s Advanced Water Group, 75 percent of a pump system’s total life-cycle cost can be accounted for in energy and maintenance costs. He noted that efficiency can be improved by helping customers better understand and manage how pumps and systems interact.

He described common energy-saving opportunities, such as replacing oversized pumps, introducing throttling valves, trimming impellers, and adding variable speed drives (when appropriate). He also described tools such as DOE’s Pumps System Assessment Tool (PSAT) and the Pump System Improvement Modeling tool (PSIM) that could help customers size pumps correctly.

CEE’s Water/Wastewater Committee is currently reviewing the PSIM tool to determine potential applicability for efficiency programs and will be following up with the pump industry and the developer.

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