Energy efficiency and savings in pumping systems — The holistic approach

Studies by the United States Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the European Commission show that more than 20% of the global motor electrical energy consumption is consumed by pumps. [1] This is confirmed in [2] in the paper written for the Water Institute of South Africa Conference 2012. Figure 1 below illustrates this. It is clear from the figure 2 above that the biggest saving opportunity over the life cycle of a pumping system lays within the electrical energy costs. This paper is aimed at identifying avenues that can be pursued in order to increase pumping system efficiency, reduce electrical running costs, reduce the pace at which power stations are being constructed and the respective rate at which fossil fuels are used and ultimately the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions into the atmosphere.