After months and even years of working on it, the industry has finally seen an Energy Star certification program developed for variable-speed, dual-speed and multi-speed pumps. Observers hope that having one of the most recognized labels in energy efficiency attached to these products will add legitimacy to the energy savings tied with the pumps.
But some in the industry wonder why replacement motors haven’t also been given their own program. They would like to give customers a way to enjoy the energy savings without having to purchase a whole new pump. After all, they figure, it’s the motor that burns up electricity.
But I’ve been told by some experts close to the process that it’s not quite that simple. Yes, it’s true that the motor itself actually consumes energy, but the wet end helps determine how efficiently that energy is used. The same motor connected to different wet ends, with their own combination of impeller, volute and diffuser, will likely perform differently each time.
This doesn’t mean there will never be an Energy Star program for replacement motors. It’s just that finding a way to predict a motor’s performance in different scenarios must be developed. It’s not as easy as plugging the motors in to the existing pump program.
Are there other products that you’d like to see put up for Energy Star certification? Let us know.
